Genesis 13:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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,

NIV: From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier

NASB: And he went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

CSB: He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been,

NLT: From the Negev, they continued traveling by stages toward Bethel, and they pitched their tents between Bethel and Ai, where they had camped before.

KJV: And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;

NKJV: And he went on his journey from the South 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.

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.

Both Abram and his nephew Lot have grown so wealthy in animals that they cannot occupy the same area together. They split up. At Abram's gracious offer to choose which land to take for himself, Lot elects to live on the well-watered plains of Jordan near Sodom. After the Lord speaks to Abram, reaffirming and expanding on His promises, Abram settles near Hebron, near the great trees of an Amorite man called Mamre. Abram builds an altar to the Lord there and continues to worship Yahweh.

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.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/30/2024 11:15:46 AM