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| 1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, towards the south. |
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| 2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. |
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| 3 And he went on his journeys from the south as far as Bethel; as far as the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai; |
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| 4 to the place of the altar that he had made there at the first. And there Abram called on the name of Jehovah. |
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| 5 And Lot also who went with Abram had flocks, and herds, and tents. |
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| 6 And the land could not support them, that they might dwell together, for their property was great; and they could not dwell together. |
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| 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land. |
And the Canaanite – The Lowlanders. R2848:4
And the Perizzite – The Highlanders. R2848:4
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| 8 And Abram said to Lot, I pray thee let there be no contention between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen, for we are brethren. |
There be no strife – "Blessed are the peacemakers." (Matt. 5:9) R3939:2
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| 9 Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if to the left, then I will take the right; and if to the right, then I will take the left. |
Before thee – "The liberal soul shall be made fat." (Prov. 11:25) R3939:3
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| 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan that it was thoroughly watered, before Jehovah had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; as the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as one goes to Zoar. |
Garden of the LORD – The Dead Sea area is to be watered by a river from Jerusalem. R2507:3
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| 11 And Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan; and Lot went toward the east. And they separated the one from the other: |
Then Lot – Manifesting covetousness and worldly-mindedness, perhaps from a desire to please his wife and daughters. R3939:4
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| 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan; and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and pitched tents as far as Sodom. |
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| 13 And the people of Sodom were wicked, and great sinners before Jehovah. |
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| 14 And Jehovah said to Abram, after that Lot had separated himself from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; |
And the LORD said – Confirming the covenant previously made. B45
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| 15 for all the land that thou seest will I give to thee, and to thy seed for ever. |
For all the land – The promises made to Abram were earthly. A293; R4966:2, R5171:4, R5859:2; CR116:6
The Ancient Worthies did not look for heavenly things. HG131:6
Will I give it – At a future time from Stephen. (Acts 7:5) HG131:6
To thee – Primarily to Abraham himself. R5178:1
Abraham must have a resurrection for God's Word to come true. R5291:2
To thy seed forever – Although it was given to them by Joshua to be their inheritance this did not fulfill the conditions of the promise. R5178:1
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| 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if any one can number the dust of the earth, thy seed also will be numbered. |
As the dust – This promise was to an earthly people. R5171:4
Then – Implying a far-distant period ample for the multiplication of the seed. C245
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| 17 Arise, walk through the land according to the length of it and according to the breadth of it; for I will give it to thee. |
Through the land – "All the land of Canaan., (Gen. 17:8) C245
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| 18 Then Abram moved his tents, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron. And he built there an altar to Jehovah. |
Built there an altar – In typical acknowledgment of sin and hope of the coming sin-offering. R2849:5
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