Genesis 13:14

Genesis 13:14

And 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:

a. NLT: After Lot had gone, the LORD said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west.

b. NIV: The 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.

c. YLT: 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;

d. Amplified Bible: The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

e. Septuagint: And 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; 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: HASHEM said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, :Raise now your eyes and look out from where you are: northward, southward, eastward and westward.

1. “And the LORD said unto Abram…”

a. And the LORD [3068 Yhovah] [Strong: from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

c. Abram [87 * ‘Abram] [Srong: contracted from 48; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham:--Abram.]

1). This is the third recorded time that the LORD had communicated with Abram. The first was before Abram had Left Ur (Genesis 12:1; Genesis 15:7), the second was after Abram had entered the land Genesis 12:7), and finally this instance (Genesis 13:14).

2. “…after that Lot was separated from him…”

a. after [310 * ‘achar] [Strong: from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.]

b. Lot [3876 * Lowt] [Strong: the same as 3875; Lot, Abraham's nephew:--Lot.]

c. was separated from him [6504 * parad] [Strong: a primitive root; to break through, i.e. spread or separate (oneself):--disperse, divide, be out of joint, part, scatter (abroad), separate (self), sever self, stretch, sunder.]

1). It is here that Abram became obedient to God’s original command of separating himself from all his relatives. Evan though this separation was obeyed, Lot still was a liability to Abram as we will see in genesis 14. It all would have been avoided if Abram had completely obeyed at the beginning.

3. “…Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:”

a. lift up [5375 * nasa’] [Strong: a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.]

b. thine eyes [5869 * ‘ayin] [Strong: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, + think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, + displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, + think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).]

c. and look [7200 * ra’ah] [Strong: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.]

d. from the place [4725 * maqowm] [Strong:  from 6965; properly, a standing, i.e. a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind):--country, X home, X open, place, room, space, X whither(-soever).]

e. northward [6828 * tsaphown] [Strong: from 6845; properly, hidden, i.e. dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown):--north(-ern, side, -ward, wind).]

f. southward [5045 * negeb] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to be parched; the south (from its drought); specifically, the Negeb or southern district of Judah, occasionally, Egypt (as south to Palestine):--south (country, side, -ward).]

g. eastward [6924 * qedem] [Strong: from 6923; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward):--aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, X ever(-lasting), forward, old, past.]

h. westward [3220 * yam] [Strong: from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artifical basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).]

1). The LORD was telling Abram to look in all directions as far as his eyes could see. As it turns out the boundaries would go far beyond what Abram could see with his natural eyes.