Genesis 13:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: So Abram said to Lot, 'Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.

NASB: So Abram said to Lot, 'Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are relatives!

CSB: So Abram said to Lot, "Please, let's not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.

NLT: Finally Abram said to Lot, 'Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!

KJV: And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

NKJV: So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.

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.

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 5/1/2024 1:09:45 PM