Genesis 13:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents,

NIV: Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

NASB: Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents.

CSB: Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents.

NLT: Lot, who was traveling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents.

KJV: And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents.

NKJV: Lot also, who went with Abram, 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.

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 5/4/2024 4:11:23 AM