CPCC Bible Study: Genesis 13

      Our quote for 13 is: "So Abram said to Lot, 'Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are relatives!'" (NASB)

1
      Abram departed Egypt and went to the Negev, and Lot went with him.

      If you remember at the end of chapter 12, Abram's departure was at the pleasantly firm insistence of the Pharaoh, who sent his army to make sure Abram got the message.

2
      Paraphrase: Ol' Abe was loaded.

3 and 4
      Travelogue: From the Negev back to the campground at Bethel...
      to the place of the "mizbeach" (altar) he had first made there, and "qara" (called) Abram on the name of YHWH.

5 and 6
      Paraphrase: Lot was loaded as well. Between them they had so much 'stuff' that the land could not support them.

7
      And there was "rib" (dispute / quarrel (includes the idea of complaints but not a physical confrontation)) between Abram's shepherds, and Lot's shepherds, and the Canaanite's and the Perizzites that dwelt there.

Yes, a question from over by the window.....
"We're familiar with the Canaanites. But who are the Perizzites?"
      The word (in some translations you'll see "Perazite") itself isn't derived from an person's name, but instead means "villager / rural / rustic". It is used over twenty times in the OT including well into the books of the major prophets, such as Ezra 9 : 1 and Nehemiah 9 : 8, and through Kings and the Chronicles, although there are reasonable questions as to whether it is talking about a distinct population or rather referring to a village of people who are otherwise unconnected to each other.
      As yet there has been no archaeological evidence of a group of people who identified as either Perizzites or Perazite. But that isn't all that surprising as, even by the text, they were a minor group, who lived in small, unfortified towns, and, apparently, did not have a unique culture or religion, but, instead, lived as the others in the region did, and were still referred to with the same general name.
      It is possible that the term is simply descriptive instead of referring to a group identifiable with a language or other factor and simply means "the village people". But not THOSE Village People.
end question and answer

8 and 9
      Paraphrase: "Abe wants peace... etc... for 'we are brothers'. All the land is before you. Take off, please..."
      Discussion. The word Abram uses for 'brother' is a form of "ach" which we last saw in chapter nine when Ham went back outside to tell his brothers that the old man was out cold, and of course, is used a lot in chapter 4 with the first set of brothers in the book. The term here is more symbolic than accurate as Lot was actually Abram's nephew, as per 12:5, his brother's son.
      Also it is interesting when you think about the previous handful of verses where their own herdsmen were squabbling in and amongst some of the locals for Abram to say "all the land is before you". It would seem that there were already a sizable population in the neighborhood.
      "..... if you go left, I'll go right..."
      Abram gives his nephew first choice as to where he wants to go.

10
      We need to cue up that soundtrack with the ominous minor key music, again.
      And Lot "nasah / nasa" (to lift / lift up) his eyes, and saw the "kikkar" (region / plain) 'of the' "Yarden" (Jordan (river (implied)) that it was "mashqeh" (supply of drink / water)....
      The next phrase is obviously anachronistic, added to the text to explain when these things happened for those listening (and now reading) the story MUCH later.
      ... -- (the dashes are part of the Hebrew text) before "shachath" (corrupt / destroy / ruin (same word was used in chapter 6, see verses 11 and 12)) YHWH - Sedom and Amorah .....
      This is an interesting comparison one from the ancient past of the people, and one from the "not so ancient" past of the people who were the books first target audience.
      .... 'like the' "gan" (garden (same word as Genesis 2)) of YHWH, like "erets" (land, etc) of "Mitsrayim" (Egypt) -- 'as you' "bo" (go) 'to' Tsoar.

Note on obscure place name
"Excuse me, we need somebody to stand over here for a moment and represent small settlements that we only have something of a vague idea of where it was. Ah, yes, Zoar, you'll do nicely. Thank you."
      And that is exactly it. The word in Hebrew "Tsoar / Zoar (also Zoara / Segor / etc)" literally means 'small' and / or 'insignificant'. It is noted as one of the five cities of the plain around what is now the Dead Sea at the southern end of the Jordan River.
      The ancient village has possibly been archaeologically identified as the ruins known as Ghor es-Safi in Jordan to the east of the far southern end of the Dead Sea near the tourist site known as "Lot's Cave" and the "Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth". See links below.
      On the other hand, as we've said before, and we will say again, some of the place names and regions mentioned are lost to history. Some have turned out to be names used for more than one location, others appear to have moved. Given the local environment, and access to water, and trade routes, this isn't surprising.
End Note

11 and 12
      Paraphrase: Lot picks the Jordan Plain, they separate. Abram stays in Canaan.
bring that foreboding soundtrack back up, and leave it running for the next verse
      ... and Lot "yashab" (dwell / remain / inhabit) "iyr" (city / town) of the plain, "way ye 'e hal" (and moved his tents) "ad" (as far as / until) Sedom.

13
      "we 'an se" (now the men) of Sedom were "ra'" (evil / bad (same word as the fruit of the tree in two, and before the flood)) and "chatta" (guilty / criminal / sinners (this is the first time the word is used in the OT, it is used several time, including 1 Samuel 15:18)) 'against' (implied) YHWH "meod" (greatly / exceedingly / very).

A Note from the Book of Jubilees:
      Jubilees is called "Little Genesis", but what it really is is more of a "color commentary" on the "play by play" of Genesis, and here, in Jubilees chapter 13 we have a good example.
"And in the fourth year of this week Lot parted from him, and Lot dwelt in Sodom, and the men of Sodom were sinners exceedingly.
And it grieved him in his heart that his brother's son had parted from him; for he had no children." Verses 17 and 18, see link below.
      In the Genesis account, there seems to be a level of friendship between Abram and his nephew, but in the discussion about who is going which way, the relationship, while cordial, was all business, and had been Abram's idea. To say Abram had any significant emotion over the departure of one he should have left behind in Haran years ago is perhaps a bit much.
      But, of course, Jubilees is all about the Hebrew / Jewish side of things, and this passage is clearly a foreshadowing of Isaac and all that entails.
end note

14
      YHWH "amar" (said) to Abram, "achar" (after) "parad" (separate / divide) Lot from him...
      Paraphrase: "look around"
      The words used describe the cardinal directions, as well as certain major features found there if one is looking that way from what is now Israel proper. Including the Mediterranean to the West, and the Negev to the South. It is worth noting that Abram's view also included the direction Lot went.
      As to how far he could see... well, if he was standing on top of a mountain and had good eyes- a long way, which comes up next. Remember, in the original, this was one continuous block of text, with only occasional punctuation marks.

15
      For "kol" (all / every) erets (land / ground / etc) 'that you see' "leka" (to you) "'et nathan" (I give / grant) "zera" (seed / offspring / descendants) "ad" (until / up to / as far as) "olam" (forever / eternity (same word as in 3: 22 and 6:3))

16
      And I will "sum / sim" (place / set / make / etc (the same word was used when GOD put man in the Garden)) "zera" (seed / descendants) like the "aphar" ((literally) powdered) "erets" (earth / ground), so if "yakol" (to be able / can / had the power(ability) / could) 'count the dust he could count your descendants'.

      Hang on a second while we check the current Genesis 13 'descendant' score. Ol' Abe still doesn't have any kids, and he just ran his nephew off. So, that would be: zero.

17
      paraphrase: "take a long walking tour"
      The verse as presented in the translations is what it says. The word "qum" translated as 'Arise' or 'Now, go' is an imperative, a command.

18
      Abram moved his tent to the Mamre forest of oak and terebinth trees near, Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.
      Hebron is about twenty miles south of today's Jerusalem, in the highlands, due west of the central Dead Sea.

End chapter 13

English / Hebrew: Interlinear Bible: Genesis 13 https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/13.htm

An Encyclopedia Article about the Perizzites https://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12035-perizzites

"In the Byzantine period the site of Lot’s cave was identified, sanctified, and a monastic complex was built in front of it. Although recorded by several Byzantine sources, and even depicted in the Madaba map, the site was identified only in 1986."
https://madainproject.com/lots_cave

Also see:
https://www.jordangrouptours.com/about-jordan/lots-cave

The Museum of the Lowest Place on Earth:
"It was established in the year 2004/2005. and opened on 17/05/2012. It includes the objects that were discovered in the archaeological sites in Al Aghwar (Jordan Valley) region. Starting from the Paleolithic Age until the Late Islamic Age. It has a hall to display artefacts and outside courtyards." https://museums.visitjordan.com/en/Museum/28

Genesis Study Index Page

NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.

http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org