Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for we are relatives.
Parallel translations
- KJV And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
- BSB So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.
- NKJV So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.
- NASB 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!
- NLT Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abram urged Lot to avoid strife since they were relatives. He seeks peace out of family love and faith.
Overview
Abram, though the elder and the one God called, humbly takes the initiative to prevent quarreling. He appeals to their kinship as grounds for harmony. His peacemaking reflects a faith that trusts God rather than grasping for advantage, anticipating Jesus' blessing on peacemakers (Matt 5:9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 26
- 1 Cor 6:6–7But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers!
- Acts 7:26“The day following, he appeared to them as they fought, and urged them to be at peace again, saying, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you wrong one another?’
- Ps 133:1A Song of Ascents. By David. See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!
- 1 Jn 2:9–11He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in the darkness even until now.
- 2 Pet 1:7and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.
- 1 Jn 3:14–19We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.
- Prov 20:3It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be quarreling.
- 1 Pet 3:8Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tender hearted, courteous,
- Prov 15:1A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
- Gen 45:24So he sent his brothers away, and they departed. He said to them, “See that you don’t quarrel on the way.”
- Gen 11:27–31Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.
- 1 Jn 4:20–21If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
- 1 Pet 4:8And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
- Rom 12:10In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another;
- Eph 4:2–3with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;
- Jas 3:17–18But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- 1 Pet 2:17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
- Phil 2:14Do all things without murmurings and disputes,
- Prov 15:18A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
- Heb 12:14Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord,
- 1 Jn 4:7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
- Matt 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
- Heb 13:1Let brotherly love continue.
- Exod 2:13He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”
- 1 Pet 1:22Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently:
- 1 Th 4:9But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 13:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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