Bible Commentaries

And ^a Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

(a) His great riches gotten in Egypt, did not hinder him in following his vocation.

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

(b) He calls the place by the name which was later given to it, (Genesis 23:19).

And the land was not able to ^c bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

(c) This inconvenience came by their riches, which break friendships and the bounds of nature.

And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the ^d Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

(d) Who seeing their contention, might blaspheme God and destroy them.

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

(e) He cuts off the opportunity for contention: therefore the evil ceases.

[Is] not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if [thou wilt ^f take] the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if [thou depart] to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

(f) Abram resigns his own right to buy peace.

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the ^g garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

(g) Which was in Eden, (Genesis 2:10).

Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the ^h one from the other.

(h) This was done by God's providence, that only Abram and his seed might dwell in the land of Canaan.

But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and ⁱ sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

(i) Lot thinking to get paradise, found hell.

And the LORD said unto ^k Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

(k) The Lord comforted him, lest he should have taken thought for the departure of his nephew.

For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ^l ever.

(l) Meaning a long time, and till the coming of Christ as in (Exodus 12:14) , (Exodus 21:6) ; (Deuteronomy 15:17) and spiritually this refers to the true children of Abram born according to the promise, and not according to the flesh, which are heirs of the true land of Canaan.