New International VersionThe LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.
New Living TranslationAfter Lot had gone, the LORD said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west.
English Standard VersionThe LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,
Berean Standard BibleAfter Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,
King James BibleAnd the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
New King James VersionAnd the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward;
New American Standard BibleThe LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now raise your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward, and eastward and westward;
NASB 1995The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
NASB 1977And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
Legacy Standard BibleAnd Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
Amplified BibleThe LORD said to Abram, after Lot had left him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are standing, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
Christian Standard BibleAfter Lot had separated from him, the LORD said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,
Holman Christian Standard BibleAfter Lot had separated from him, the LORD said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west,
American Standard VersionAnd Jehovah said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward:
Contemporary English VersionAfter Abram and Lot had gone their separate ways, the LORD said to Abram: Look around to the north, south, east, and west.
English Revised VersionAnd the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward:
GOD'S WORD® TranslationAfter Lot left, the LORD said to Abram, "Look north, south, east, and west of where you are.
Good News TranslationAfter Lot had left, the LORD said to Abram, "From where you are, look carefully in all directions.
International Standard VersionAfter Lot had separated from Abram, the LORD told Abram, "Look off to the north, south , east, and west from where you're living,
NET BibleAfter Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, "Look from the place where you stand to the north, south, east, and west.
New Heart English BibleAnd God said to Abram after Lot had departed from him, "Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd the LORD said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAfter Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,
World English BibleYahweh 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, Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd YHWH said to Abram, after Lot’s being parted from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you [are], northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward;
Young's Literal Translation And Jehovah said unto Abram, after Lot's being parted from him, 'Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward;
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd Jehovah said to Abram after Lot separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes and see from the place which thou art there to the north and the desert, and the east and the sea. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd 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.
Catholic Public Domain VersionAnd the Lord said to Abram, after Lot was divided from him: “Lift up your eyes, and gaze out from the place where you are now, to the north and to the meridian, to the east and to the west.
New American BibleAfter Lot had parted from him, the LORD said to Abram: Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west;
New Revised Standard VersionThe LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd LORD JEHOVAH said to Abram after Lot parted from him: “Lift your eyes and see from the place where you are to the north and to the south and to the east and to the west: OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him: 'Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
Brenton Septuagint TranslationAnd God said to Abram after Lot was separated from him, Look up with thine eyes, and behold from the place where thou now art northward and southward, and eastward and seaward;
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context God Renews the Promise to Abram14AfterLothad departed,the LORDsaidtoAbram,“Nowlift upyour eyesfromthe placewhereyouare,and lookto the northand southand eastand west,15for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.…
Cross References Genesis 15:5And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Genesis 28:14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
Genesis 12:7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Genesis 17:8And to you and your descendants I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.”
Genesis 26:4I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,
Genesis 22:17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
Genesis 24:7The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.
Genesis 35:12The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”
Genesis 48:4and told me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you; I will make you a multitude of peoples, and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’
Deuteronomy 34:4And the LORD said to him, “This is the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it.”
Acts 7:5He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.
Hebrews 11:9-10By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. / For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Romans 4:13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
Galatians 3:16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
Hebrews 11:12And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
Treasury of Scripture And the LORD said to Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now your eyes, and look from the place where you are northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: was. Genesis 13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Lift. Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that itwas well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Isaiah 49:18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together,and come to thee.As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind themon thee, as a bridedoeth. Isaiah 60:4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed atthy side. northward. Genesis 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Deuteronomy 3:27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and beholdit with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. Jump to Previous AbramEastEastwardEyesLotNorthNorthwardPartedSeparatedSouthSouthwardWestWestwardJump to Next AbramEastEastwardEyesLotNorthNorthwardPartedSeparatedSouthSouthwardWestWestwardGenesis 13 1.Abram and Lot return with great riches out of Egypt.6.Strife arises between Abram's herdsmen and those of Lot.8.Abram allows Lot to choose his part of the country,10.and Lot goes toward Sodom.14.God renews his promise to Abram.18.He moves to Hebron, and there builds an altar.After Lot had departedThis phrase marks a significant turning point in Abram's journey. Lot's departure signifies a separation that allows Abram to fully step into the promises God has for him. This separation can be seen as a necessary step for Abram to fulfill his divine calling. The division of land between Abram and Lot ( Genesis 13:9-11) reflects the cultural practices of the time, where family members would part ways to avoid conflict over resources. This moment also highlights the importance of obedience and faith in God's plan, as Abram remains in the land God promised him. the LORD said to Abram
The direct communication from the LORD to Abram underscores the personal relationship between God and Abram. This divine interaction is a recurring theme in Abram's life, emphasizing his role as a patriarch and a man of faith. God's speaking to Abram after Lot's departure suggests that God’s promises and guidance are often revealed after acts of obedience and faith. This moment is pivotal, as it reaffirms God's covenant with Abram, which is foundational to the narrative of the Israelites and the unfolding of biblical history. Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are
This command to "lift up your eyes" is both literal and symbolic. Geographically, Abram is in Canaan, a land that holds significant promise for his descendants. Spiritually, this act of looking up signifies a call to vision and faith, encouraging Abram to see beyond his current circumstances. It is a reminder of God's sovereignty and the vastness of His promises. This phrase invites believers to trust in God's provision and to look beyond immediate challenges to the fulfillment of His promises. and look to the north and south and east and west
This comprehensive view symbolizes the extent of the land that God is promising to Abram and his descendants. It reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of surveying land, which was a sign of ownership and blessing. The four directions represent completeness and universality, indicating that God's promise to Abram is vast and all-encompassing. This promise is later reiterated inGenesis 15:18-21, where God specifies the boundaries of the land. The land promise to Abram is a precursor to the establishment of Israel and is a key element in biblical prophecy, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment in the coming of Christ and the establishment of God's kingdom. Persons / Places / Events 1. Abram (Abraham)The central figure in this passage, Abram is the recipient of God's promise. He is a man of faith, chosen by God to be the father of many nations. 2. LotAbram's nephew, who has just separated from Abram to settle in the Jordan Valley. His departure sets the stage for God's renewed promise to Abram. 3. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant-making God who speaks directly to Abram, reaffirming His promises and guiding Abram's journey. 4. CanaanThe land where Abram is currently dwelling, which God promises to give to Abram and his descendants. 5. The Four Directions (North, South, East, West)Symbolic of the vastness of the land God is promising to Abram, indicating the comprehensive nature of God's blessing. Teaching Points Faith in God's PromisesAbram's experience teaches us to trust in God's promises, even when circumstances seem uncertain. Just as Abram was called to look beyond his immediate situation, we are encouraged to have faith in God's long-term plans for us. Separation for Greater BlessingLot's departure was a pivotal moment that allowed Abram to receive a clearer vision of God's promise. Sometimes, God may call us to separate from certain people or situations to fully embrace His plans for our lives. Vision Beyond the PresentGod's instruction to Abram to "lift up your eyes" serves as a reminder to look beyond our current circumstances and trust in God's broader perspective and provision. Comprehensive BlessingThe mention of the four directions signifies the completeness of God's blessing. We are reminded that God's plans for us are abundant and all-encompassing. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1.What is the meaning of Genesis 13:14?
2.How does Genesis 13:14 demonstrate God's promise to Abram and his descendants?
3.What can we learn about God's faithfulness from Genesis 13:14?
4.How does Genesis 13:14 connect to God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15?
5.How can we apply God's promise to Abram in Genesis 13:14 to our lives?
6.What does "Lift up your eyes" in Genesis 13:14 teach about spiritual vision?
7.What does Genesis 13:14 reveal about God's promise to Abram regarding land?
8.How does Genesis 13:14 reflect God's covenant with Abram?
9.Why is the land promise in Genesis 13:14 significant for biblical history?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 13?
11.In Genesis 13:14–17, God promises Abram that his descendants will inherit the land “forever”; how can this be reconciled with later biblical or historical events suggesting otherwise?
12.What does being an heir mean in the Bible?
13.What are the key events in Abraham's life?
14.Who was Lot in the Bible?What Does Genesis 13:14 Mean After Lot had departed- The narrative pauses to note that separation precedes revelation. When Abram lets Lot choose the fertile Jordan valley (Genesis 13:8-12), Abram yields his right and trusts God’s promise (Genesis 12:1-3). - Lot’s choice shows a walk by sight (Genesis 13:10-11), while Abram’s remaining in Canaan shows a walk by faith (Hebrews 11:8-9). - God often waits until competing loyalties are removed before unveiling the next step (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
the LORD said to Abram- The initiative is entirely God’s; Abram does not seek the word—God speaks (Genesis 15:1). - “LORD” (YHWH) recalls covenant faithfulness. What God promised in Ur is now restated and expanded (Genesis 12:7; 17:7-8). - Divine speech anchors Abram’s hope, distinguishing it from human schemes (Psalm 33:11).
“Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are- “Lift up your eyes” contrasts with Lot’s earlier self-directed gaze (Genesis 13:10). Here God commands Abram’s vision, shaping his outlook (Psalm 121:1-2). - “From the place where you are” underscores that promise begins in present circumstances, however modest. God meets Abram on the dusty hill country, not in the lush valley (1 Corinthians 7:24). - A call to faith: Abram must look beyond what is visible immediately before him (2 Corinthians 5:7).
and look to the north and south and east and west- The four-point survey signals totality; nothing is excluded. God is giving “all the land that you see” (Genesis 13:15). - This breadth anticipates Israel’s later borders (Deuteronomy 34:1-4;Joshua 1:3-4). - Spiritually, it pictures the universal scope of God’s redemptive plan, hinted at when God says, “and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3;Galatians 3:8). - The command to look precedes the actual possession, teaching that faith receives before feet ever tread the ground (Romans 4:17-21).
summaryGenesis 13:14 marks a turning point: once worldly attachments thin out, God clarifies His covenant. He invites Abram to lift his eyes, not in self-directed ambition, but in God-directed faith. From his present location, Abram is to envision a God-given inheritance that spans every direction, underscoring the completeness and certainty of the Lord’s promise—a lesson that still calls believers to trust God’s word over visible circumstances. (14) The Lord said unto Abram.--The departure of Lot was certainly a great grief to Abram; for he lost thereby the companionship of the relative who had shared his abandonment of his country, and whom, probably, in his childless state, he had regarded as his heir. Jehovah, therefore, consoles him by a more definite promise of the possession of the whole land of which he had so generously given Lot the choice, and by the assurance that his own seed should be numerous as the dust of the earth. We may also feel sure that as Lot was deteriorating, so Abram was drawing nearer to God, and walking more closely with Him; and hence the fuller assurance of the Divine blessing. Verses 14, 15. - And the Lord said - speaking probably with an articulate voice; the third occasion on which the patriarch was directly addressed by God. The narrative, however, does not affirm that there was any actual theophany - unto Abram - who could readily recognize the voice which had twice already spoken to him. After that Lot was separated from him. Thus God approved that separation (Peele), and administered consolation to the troubled heart of the patriarch (Calvin), though Divine revelations are rather wont to be made to minds already quiet and sedate (Lyra). Lift up now thine eyes. Perhaps a studied reference to the act of Lot, which Moses describes in similar language (ver. 10), and possibly designed to suggest the greater satisfaction which would be imparted to the soul of Abram by the survey about to be made. And look from the place where thou art. Between Bethel and Ai, on cue of the mountain peaks (cf. Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3), from which a commanding view of almost the entire country could be obtained. Northward - towards "the hills which divide Judaea from the rich plains of Samaria" - and southward - as far as to the Hebron range - and eastward - in the direction of the dark mountain wall of Moab, down through the rich ravine which leads from the central hills of Palestine to the valley of the Jordan, and across that very "circle" into which Lot has already departed with his flocks - and westward - literally, towards the sea. Cf. on the view from the stony but fertile plateau between Bethel and Ai, Stanley's ' Sinai and Palestine,' Genesis 4. p. 218. For all the land which thou seest - i.e. the entire country, a part being put for the whole - to thee will I give it. To avoid an apparent conflict between this Divine declaration and the words of Stephen ( Acts 7:5), it is proposed by some to read the next clause as epexegetic of the present (Ainsworth, Bush); but the land was really given to Abram as a nomade chief, in the sense that he peacefully lived for many years, grew old, and died within its borders (Clericus, Rosenmüller, 'Speaker's Commentary'), while it was assigned to his descendants only because it had been first donated to him. And to thy seed. Not his bodily posterity alone, to whom the terrestrial Canaan was given, but also and chiefly his spiritual family, to whom was made over that better country, even an heavenly, of which the land of promise was a type. Forever. ' Adh ' olam ( vide on Genesis 9:16) = = in perpetuity; i.e.(1) to the close of that clam or period which was already measured out in the secret counsels of Jehovah for the duration of the seed of Abraham as a people, "quum terra in seculum promittitur, non simpliciter notatur. perpetuitas, sed quae finem accepit in Christo" (Calvin); and (2) unto eternity, in so far as it was a promise of a spiritual inheritance to Abraham's believing children. Thus as the promise did not preclude the expulsion of unbelieving Israel from the land, so neither does it guarantee to existing Jews a return to the earthly Paradise (Keil).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew Afterאַחֲרֵי֙(’a·ḥă·rê)Preposition
Strong's 310:The hind or following partLotל֣וֹט(lō·wṭ)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3876:Lot -- Abraham's nephewhad departed,הִפָּֽרֶד־(hip·pā·reḏ-)Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6504:To break through, spread, separatethe LORDוַֽיהוָ֞ה(Yah·weh)Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelsaidאָמַ֣ר(’ā·mar)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, saytoאֶל־(’el-)Preposition
Strong's 413:Near, with, among, toAbram,אַבְרָ֗ם(’aḇ·rām)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 87:Abram -- 'exalted father', the original name of Abraham“Nowנָ֤א(nā)Interjection
Strong's 4994:I pray', 'now', 'then'lift upשָׂ֣א(śā)Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5375:To lift, carry, takeyour eyesעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙(‘ê·ne·ḵā)Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5869:An eye, a fountainfromמִן־(min-)Preposition
Strong's 4480:A part of, from, out ofthe placeהַמָּק֖וֹם(ham·mā·qō·wm)Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4725:A standing, a spot, a conditionwhereאֲשֶׁר־(’ă·šer-)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thatyouאַתָּ֣ה(’at·tāh)Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859:Thou and thee, ye and youare,שָׁ֑ם(šām)Adverb
Strong's 8033:There, then, thitherand lookוּרְאֵ֔ה(ū·rə·’êh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7200:To seeto the northצָפֹ֥נָה(ṣā·p̄ō·nāh)Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6828:Hidden, dark, the north as a, quarterand southוָנֶ֖גְבָּה(wā·neḡ·bāh)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5045:South country, the Negeb, southand eastוָקֵ֥דְמָה(wā·qê·ḏə·māh)Conjunctive waw | Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6924:The front, of place, timeand west.וָיָֽמָּה׃(wā·yām·māh)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3220:A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin
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OT Law: Genesis 13:14 Yahweh said to Abram after Lot was (Gen. Ge Gn) |
