9
Is notהֲלֹאthe wholeכָלlandהָאָרֶץbefore you?לְפָנֶיךָPleaseנָאseparateהִפָּרֶדfrom me.מֵעָלָיIfאִםyou go to the left,הַשְּׂמֹאלI will go to the right;וְאֵימִנָהand ifוְאִםyou go to the right,הַיָּמִיןI will go to the left.”וְאַשְׂמְאִילָה
Genesis 13:9
Study it in the app“Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; and if you go to the right, I will go to the left.””
Abram lets Lot choose, to avoid a quarrel between their herdsmenConflict and Reconciliation
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 13:9, word by word
- landאָרֶץarets
land
A region or nation, above all Israel's.
Where else “arets” appears- before youפָנֶיfane
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fane” appears- separateהִפָּרֶדhipared
separate
To go one's own way, like Abram and Lot.
Where else “hipared” appears- you go to the leftשְּׂמֹאלsemol
left
The side of the hand that is not the right.
Where else “semol” appears- I will go to the rightאֵימִנָהemina
go to the right
Go to the right.
Where else “emina” appears- you go to the rightיָּמִיןyamin
right side
The right side.
Where else “yamin” appears- I will go to the leftאַשְׂמְאִילָהasmila
go to the left
Go to the left.
Where else “asmila” appears
The context
8Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are men, brothers.
9 · This verse (above)
10Lot lifted his eyes and saw the whole plain of the Jordan, that all of it was well-watered (before YHWH destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of YHWH, like the land of Egypt, as you go toward Zoar.
To study Genesis 13 in a group
1. What it says
How did Abram settle the conflict with Lot, and which place did each one choose (vv. 8-12)?
2. What it means
What does it show about Abram that he let Lot choose the land first (vv. 8-9)?
3. How I live it
How can you yield in a disagreement today in order to protect a relationship?