What does Genesis 13:15 mean?
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.