Genesis 13:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD.

NIV: and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.

NASB: to the place of the altar which he had made there previously; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

CSB: to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.

NLT: This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again.

KJV: Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

NKJV: to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on 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.

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 5/8/2024 8:23:28 PM