Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Genesis Chapter 13 mean?

In chapter 12, Abram—the man later named renamed Abraham—lied about Sarai being his wife, out of fear. As a result, God afflicted Pharaoh’s household with a plague for taking Sarai. Pharaoh allowed Abram to keep the dowry he’d paid, but sent them away as soon as he realized what had happened. As a result, Abram returned to the land of Canaan with much greater wealth than he’d had before. Pharaoh had given to Abram many animals and servants, adding to Abram’s growing possessions.

In fact, both Abram and his nephew Lot have such large herds that their herdsman begin to fight over the limited resources in the area around Bethel where they have settled. Abram suggests they split up instead of quarreling. Abram offers Lot the first choice of where to settle. Lot chooses the fertile lands along the Jordan river, near the town of Sodom, already famous for its wickedness. Lot’s choice to live physically near (and eventually in) Sodom will cost him dearly.

After they part company, the Lord once more speaks to Abram, reaffirming and expanding on His promises. Abram and his descendants will possess all the land he can see, and those descendants will become so abundant as to be like the dust of the earth: uncountable. God promises all of this in spite of the fact that Abram, in his mid-70s, is still childless and possesses none of the land of Canaan for himself.

God instructs Abram to walk the width and length of the land, apparently as a way of taking possession of it. Abram settles south of Bethel near the town of Hebron. Specifically, he sets his tents near the great trees of an Amorite man called Mamre. Abram builds an altar to the Lord in his new home and continues to worship God there.

Chapter Context
Genesis 12 ended with Abram and his large company being kicked out of Egypt by an angry Pharaoh. Back in Canaan, Abram and his nephew Lot are forced to split up due to the large size of their herds. Lot’s choice to live near the wicked city of Sodom will have grave implications in coming chapters. God reaffirms and expands on His promises to Abram, who settles near Hebron, building another altar to the Lord and worshiping God there.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

Abram and his company were forced to enter the land of Egypt in search of food in a time of famine. Now they have been sent back out of Egypt by an angry Pharaoh. God had afflicted Pharaoh’s household with a plague, because Pharaoh took Abram’s wife Sarai for his own wife. This incident was caused by two factors. The first was Sarai’s great beauty (Genesis 12:14). The other was Abram’s decision to tell a lie in the form of a half-truth: that Sarai was his sister (Genesis 12:13). This was Abram’s cowardly attempt to keep jealous men from attacking him in order to have access to Sarai (Genesis 12:12).

Even though Abram lied, God intervened to protect His own plan for Abram and Sarai’s lives. In short, Abram had been faithless, but God had proved Himself faithful. Abram had even become wealthier, leaving Egypt with all the goods Pharaoh gave to him when taking Sarai for his own. Now the company arrives back in the desert-like area of the Negeb (or Negev), in the southern part of the land of Canaan.

Context Summary
Genesis 13:1–13 describes Abram’s generosity to his nephew Lot, offering Lot the choice of where to settle his large herds. Lot chooses the fertile lands along the well-watered Jordan, near the city of Sodom. Abram settles near Hebron after hearing from the Lord once more that he and his uncountable descendants will one day possess all the land he can see.

Verse 2. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

Even prior to the incident in Egypt, it was clear that Abram was wealthy (Genesis 12:5). Now we’re told that he is very rich, specifically in livestock, silver, and gold. This is the first mention of Abram possessing gold and silver.

It is likely that Abram became much wealthier during his stay in Egypt. For one thing, Genesis 12:16 tells us that Pharaoh had treated Abram well and had given to him many animals, as well as human servants, when he took Sarai for his own wife. It is likely that Pharaoh allowed Abram to keep all he had given, and may have given him more, in light of his nearly-adulterous relationship with Sarai.

Pharaoh would have been motivated to appease Abram’s God, as well as getting Abram out of the country, to end the plague on his household. So even though Abram failed to trust God, instead choosing to lie to protect himself, God was faithful to Abram in the end, both protecting and profiting him.

Verse 3. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

After being forced out of Egypt by an angry Pharaoh, wealthy Abram and his company traveled north through the Negeb, then farther north up into the heart of Canaan. In truth, they were journeying back up the way they had come down, arriving back in the area of Bethel. This is the same spot, between Bethel and Ai, where they had lived for a time after arriving in Canaan.

As we’ll be reminded in the following verse, this is the spot where Abram had previously built an altar and called on the name of the Lord. It’s possible Abram came here specifically because he was hoping to hear from God once more.

Verse 4. to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.

In the previous verses, Abram and his company left Egypt behind and travelled north, arriving at their former campsite between Bethel and Ai. This was after being given great wealth by Pharaoh, over his desire for Sarai (Genesis 12:10–20).

In particular, Abram seems to be returning to the altar he had built during their previous stay in the region (Genesis 12:7). Again, Abram used this altar to call on the name of the Lord. We’re not told so, but it’s possible that Abram used the altar to make animal sacrifices to the Lord as a way of worshiping Him. Perhaps Abram was hoping to hear from God again about what next steps he should take.

Verse 5. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,

Abram left Egypt as a wealthy man, with a large entourage. This company included his wife, his nephew Lot, various kinds of livestock, other animals, and male and female servants. Together, they had traversed from Egypt north all the way to the heart of Canaan, arriving at Bethel and the altar to the Lord Abram had previous built.

Here we learn that Lot also had his own wealth, including flocks and herds and tents. In the following verses, we’ll learn that Lot was, in fact, very affluent in his own right. It’s unclear how much of this property Lot entered into Canaan with and how much he might have picked up in Egypt. What is clear is that God was abundantly blessing Abram and all who were with him.

As it turns out, these blessings will set up the narrative of next few chapters. Abram and Lot will need to separate in order for their families to thrive. This leads Lot into several incidents of trouble, where he has to be rescued.

Verse 6. so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together,

Abram’s large company of travelers included Lot, his nephew. God’s blessing on Abram extended to Lot, who had also become quite wealthy in flocks and herds and servants. In fact, God’s blessing was so great that the land could not support Abram’s and Lot’s possessions living near each other. They would soon exhaust all the local resources.

The following verses will make clear that Abram and Lot were going to need to separate and spread out from each other. This development will set up the events of the next several chapters. Lot will choose to live close to the rich—but infamously wicked—city of Sodom. Lot’s wealth will result in his own kidnapping, and a rescue by Abram (Genesis 14:1–16). Pursuit of wealth will also lead Lot to an eventual life within Sodom itself, necessitating a rescue when God judges the city for its sin (Genesis 19).

Verse 7. and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram ‘s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot ‘s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

God had blessed Abram and Lot abundantly, including in the size of their herds of livestock. According to this verse, that growth has gotten to the point where their herdsmen were quarreling over resources. Even the most fertile land can only support so many livestock and people. One can imagine herdsmen from either family trying to graze and water their flocks in the same areas, fighting over the right to those fields. Once Lot and Abram’s combined tribes became large enough, the only real option was to split up to prevent stagnation.

Though there was room to spread out in the area around Bethel, the land was not empty. This verse reminds us that it was occupied both by the Canaanites and a people group called the Perizzites. This is part of the land God has promised to Abram’s descendants (Genesis 12:7), but for the time being, it is under the control of a different culture.

Verse 8. Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen.

Previous verses revealed a conflict had between Abram’s servants and Lot’s servants. Both had extremely large herds of animals, and there simply was not room for them to occupy the same limited space when they had settled around Bethel. Abram didn’t want conflict with his kinsman Lot, his brother’s son. He didn’t want any reason to quarrel to exist between them. So Abram begins, in this verse, to propose a solution.

Genesis clearly shows that Abram has a soft spot in his heart for Lot. His nephew is mentioned as part of Abram’s original traveling entourage (Genesis 12:4). Abram will later rescue Lot from kidnappers in a full-blown military raid (Genesis 14:1–16). After taking the name Abraham, Abram will plead with God on behalf of Lot’s hometown of Sodom (Genesis 18:22–33). The offer made in the next verse is yet another example of Abram’s gracious love for Lot. That offer turns the normal convention of seniority—or the rights of the elder—upside down.

Verse 9. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

Abram is proposing a solution to end the quarreling between his herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. The reason for the budding feud was due to the limited space available for both of their large herds of animals. According to this passage, God has blessed Abram and his family abundantly, and this includes Lot (Genesis 13:5–6). Even the richest landscape can only support so many men and animals. To keep the ever-growing families from bickering over resources, Abram suggests that they split up and settle in separate regions.

To ensure that there is no reason for Lot or Lot’s servants to claim that Abram has taken the best land for himself, Abram generously gives Lot the choice of which parcel of land to occupy. This is a remarkably humble gesture on the part of Abram. As the elder, he would have had the right of first choice. Granting this advantage to Lot is not only generous, it reinforces the unique fondness Abram seems to have for his nephew. The following verses reveal Lot’s self-serving choice, which will prove to be quite fateful.

Verse 10. And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)

Abram’s and Lot’s large herds of animals made it impossible for them to continue to occupy the same area. Abram has suggested they split up and settle in different parts of the land around Bethel. Rather than insisting on his right, as the patriarch, to choose his own territory, Abram gives his nephew Lot the first choice of what land to claim.

Lot surveyed the land. It was clear the Jordan valley was a lush, fruitful region. As Abram and company had learned during the famine described in the previous chapter, access to water was essential in this land. The region Lot would choose had abundant water resources. The text describes the area as being like the garden of the Lord—a reference to Eden—and like the land of Egypt around the Nile.

Ominously, though, the writer points out that this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, foreshadowing events that would come later in the book (Genesis 19). At this time, the reputation of these two cities was clearly established (Genesis 13:13). This means Lot’s choice involves two aspects: personal gain and spiritual risk. Sadly, for Lot, the decision to move near to Sodom will lead to a life inside of Sodom, and the loss of virtually all he has (Genesis 19).

Verse 11. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

To resolve recurring conflicts caused by sharing limited resources, Abram approached Lot and suggested they move in two different directions to occupy different areas of the land. Abram gave Lot the first choice of where to settle. This was a generous gesture, since Abram was the older and more entitled member of the family.

The previous verse describes the best spot, the well-watered plain along the Jordan river. Lot surveyed it, and now he chooses it for himself. Some have suggested this was a selfish choice, but the text does not say so. Lot simply received the generous gift Abram had offered to him. Lot’s choice is not necessarily wrong, nor is it sinful. It was certainly the most profitable land.

What we learn in the next few chapters, however, proves that this decision is unwise. Lot’s choice to move his large estate to the east and settle near Sodom will prove destructive in the end. By this time, the reputation of this region has been established (Genesis 13:13). The depravity is so bad that God will eventually destroy these cities. By then, however, Lot will become so accustomed to the culture that he has to be dragged from the city by angels (Genesis 19:15–16)!

Verse 12. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

In the previous verse, Abram and Lot parted company to keep the peace between their servants. They had both grown too wealthy in animals and servants to possess the same area of land together. In a gracious, generous gesture, Abram offered Lot first pick of the available land.

Lot moved to the east, to the plain along the Jordan river near Sodom. Abram lived, more generally, in the land of Canaan. In the following verses, we will see Abram move more specifically to the area around Hebron.

Lot’s choice of land was not necessarily wrong—the territory he selected was fertile and a good pick for his family’s future success. However, the culture of Sodom was already known for wickedness (Genesis 13:13), and Lot knew it. However, he seems not to have grasped the dangers of living so close to it. Lot’s unwise choice to pitch his tents near Sodom will become critical. Lot will go from living near Sodom, to living in Sodom, and it will cost him dearly (Genesis 19).

Verse 13. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

When it came time for Abram and Lot to go their separate ways in the land God had promised to Abram, Lot chose to settle in the well-watered valley along the Jordan river. That made sense in a land prone to occasional drought. From a material standpoint, this was a wise choice. Lot’s new land was exactly what his growing family and flocks needed.

However, Lot’s choice to pitch his tents near the city of Sodom was clearly spiritually unwise. At the very least, Lot does not seem to have taken the threat of Sodom’s depraved culture seriously. We’re told nothing about Lot’s motive for settling his tents so close to the city. More than likely, there was no absolutely necessary reason to do so. Later in Genesis, we will see Lot and his family actually move into the town itself. This gradual numbness to evil will lead to Lot’s tragic fate (Genesis 19).

Lot most certainly knew that the people of Sodom were wicked, as this verse reveals (Genesis 13:10). God was certainly aware of their great sins against Him. Later in the book, it will become clear that those sins included participating in homosexuality and rape, among others (Ezekiel 16:49–50).

Verse 14. The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,

In the prior passage, Abram and Lot have separated in order to avoid conflict between their growing families (Genesis 13:1–9). Lot chose to live in the rich, but spiritually depraved region near Sodom, while Abram settled further out into the land of Canaan (Genesis 13:10–13). Lot’s decision will not only involve him in a war (Genesis 14:1–16), it will eventually lead to his complete ruin (Genesis 19).

The wording of this passage is interesting for its parallel to Lot’s decision. There, Lot is said to have lifted his eyes, by his own will (Genesis 13:10), here, however, Abram only “lifts his eyes” to view land at the command of God.

After Lot moved himself and all his possessions away from Abram, the LORD—Yahweh—visits Abram once more. This echoes verse 10, where Lot lifted his eyes to survey and then claim the land along the Jordan river. Lot did so at Abram’s invitation. Now God instructs Abram to lift his own eyes and look in every direction, north, south, east, and west. In the following verse, God will again promise to give to Abram and his descendants all the land Abram can see.

Verse 15. for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.

In the previous verse, the Lord instructed Abram to lift up his eyes and to look in every direction. Abram may have been standing at an elevated spot north of Bethel, which would have given a good view of the territories all around him. There, the Lord reiterates His promise to Abram. God will give to Abram and his descendants all the land that he can see, and it will be theirs forever. In fact, this adds to the promise God had given to Abram earlier, both in the scope of the land and in the eternal possession of it.

Earlier verses described Lot “lifting his eyes” by his own will (Genesis 13:10) to look at the region of Sodom. This might be a spiritual parallel to Eve’s assessment of the fruit in Eden (Genesis 3:6). Here, however, Abram has only “lifted his eyes” at the request of God. This, if nothing else, demonstrates Abram’s growing trust and submission to God.

Verse 16. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.

God continues to reaffirm His promises to Abram and to expand on them. Not only will the Lord give Abram children and make of his offspring a great nation, God will make them so numerous as to be uncountable. Such a promise must have been both comforting and confusing to a childless man in his 70s.

Using a potent analogy, God describes the number of Abram’s descendants as like the dust of the earth. This echoes the concept of man being formed from the dust of the earth, when God originally created Adam (Genesis 2:7). Here, however, the point is about how numerous these descendants will be. Interestingly, the comparison does not involve something like sand, which typically is “counted” by grains (Isaiah 48:19). Here, even the idea of how to “count” dust is mind-boggling. From both a physical and spiritual perspective, Abraham’s children will number beyond the ability of the human mind to comprehend (Romans 9:7–9; Galatians 3:7).

Verse 17. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

In the previous verses, the Lord reaffirmed and expanded on his promises to Abram. Abram and his descendants would possess all the land he could see forever, and those descendants would be so numerous as to be uncountable. The analogy of “dust” speaks to man’s creation by God (Genesis 2:7), as well as the immense number of descendants. Unlike sand, which could possibly can be counted by grains, “dust” is baffling to attempt to “count.” In both a spiritual and physical sense, Abram’s descendants will be unimaginably numerous (Romans 9:7–9; Galatians 3:7).

Now God instructs Abram to walk throughout both the length and the breadth of the land. Apparently, this was so that Abram could take possession of the land God had given to him, even if his descendants would not fully occupy or possess the land for many years to come. This process would have been the equivalent of measuring the land; in ancient times, taking the measure of something was a sign of ownership.

Verse 18. So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

In the previous verses, the Lord reaffirmed and expanded on His promises to Abram to give him and his descendants the land and to make of his descendants a great nation. Finally, the Lord told Abram to walk the length and width of the land. This process suggests measuring the territory, which in ancient times was often used as a symbolic gesture of ownership.

Abram then moves south of Bethel near the town of Hebron. He settles there by the oaks or great trees belonging to Mamre, an Amorite man who will be revealed as an ally of Abram in chapter 14.

Abram built an altar to the Lord, Yahweh, in this place. He would continue his worship of God there. This area will become important to Israel, as Abram and the other patriarchs (Isaac and Jacob) will all be buried east of Mamre in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 23:17-19).

End of Chapter 13.

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