Genesis 13

1 Abram went up out of Egypt—he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him—into the South.

2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

3 He went on his journeys from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

4 to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on the LORD’s name.

5 Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, herds, and tents.

6 The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together; for their possessions were so great that they couldn’t live together.

7 There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land at that time.

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

9 Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

11 So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves from one another.

12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

13 Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against the LORD.

14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,

15 for I will give all the land which you see to you and to your offspring forever.

16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can count the dust of the earth, then your offspring may also be counted.

17 Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its width; for I will give it to you.”

18 Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.

Around Genesis 13

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

Genesis 13 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Abram comes up out of Egypt, very rich in livestock, silver and gold, and returns to the altar he built between Bethel and Ai. But Lot is rich too, and the land cannot hold both their herds. Their herdsmen quarrel. Abram, the elder, speaks first: “let there be no strife between you and me,” for we are relatives. He lets Lot choose. Lot looks over the plain of the Jordan, well watered “like the garden of the LORD,” and takes it, moving his tent as far as Sodom. The narrator adds that the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked.

After Lot leaves, the LORD tells Abram to lift up his eyes in every direction, for all the land he sees will be given to him and his offspring forever. They will be as many “as the dust of the earth”. Abram moves to the oaks of Mamre at Hebron and builds an altar to the LORD.

Background

Abram, who has the promise, gives way, and Lot, who sees the best land, moves toward trouble. The text does not say that Lot was wrong to choose, but it points ahead to Sodom (see Genesis 19). God speaks to Abram only after Lot leaves. The land promise appears here with its widest bounds, and Christians and Jews have read it in different ways. The altars at the start and end of the chapter mark the places where Abram worships.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 20 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes