Genesis – Chapter 13

Old Testament18 Verses

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

2And he was very rich in possession of gold and silver.

3And he returned by the way, that he came, from the south to Bethel, to the place where before he had pitched his tent between Bethel and Hai,

4In the place of the altar which he had made before, and there he called upon the name of the Lord.

5But Lot also, who was with Abram, had flocks of sheep, and herds of beasts, and tents.

6Neither was the land able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, and they could not dwell together.

7Whereupon also there arose a strife between the herdsmen of Abram and of Lot. And at that time the Chanaanite and the Pherezite dwelled in that country.

8Abram therefore said to Lot: Let there be no quarrel, I beseech thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen: for we are brethren.

9Behold the whole land is before thee: depart from me, I pray thee: if thou wilt go to the left hand, I will take the right: if thou choose the right hand, I will pass to the left.

10And Lot lifting up his eyes, saw all the country about the Jordan, which was watered throughout, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrha, as the paradise of the Lord, and like Egypt as one comes to Segor.

11And Lot chose to himself the country about the Jordan, and he departed from the east: and they were separated one brother from the other.

12Abram dwelt in the land of Chanaan: and Lot abode in the towns, that were about the Jordan, and dwelt in Sodom.

13And the men of Sodom were very wicked, and sinners before the face of the Lord beyond measure.

14And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him: Lift up thy eyes, and look from the place wherein thou now art, to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west.

15All the land which thou seest, I will give to thee, and to thy seed for ever.

16And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: if any man be able to number the dust of the earth, he shall be able to number thy seed also.

17Arise and walk through the land in the length, and the breadth thereof: for I will give it to thee.

18So Abram removing his tent, came, and dwelt by the vale of Mambre, which is in Hebron: and he built there an altar to the Lord.

Reflection for Today

Genesis Chapter 13 presents Abraham's generous resolution of conflict with his nephew Lot, which Catholic moral theology holds up as a model of peacemaking and detachment from material goods. The Catechism teaches that the beatitude "Blessed are the peacemakers" calls us to prefer reconciliation over our own rights (CIC 2305). Abraham's willingness to let Lot choose first demonstrates the freedom that comes from trusting God's providence.

Lot's choice of the well-watered Jordan valley, which "was like the garden of the Lord," reveals the danger of choosing based on appearances alone. His movement toward Sodom foreshadows the spiritual danger of worldly prosperity. The Church Fathers saw in this narrative a warning against allowing material considerations to guide our most important decisions.

After Lot's departure, God renews His promise to Abraham, inviting him to survey the land that will belong to his descendants. The Catechism emphasizes that God's promises to Abraham are unconditional—they depend on God's faithfulness, not human merit (CIC 60). Abraham's response is to build an altar and worship, establishing a pattern of grateful response to divine grace. This chapter teaches us that generosity and trust in God's providence lead to blessing, while grasping after worldly advantage leads to spiritual peril.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

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