Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
17. Arise, walk ] Abram is told to go up and down in the land of promise, and thus to view by faith the possession which his descendants will connect with the promise made to him.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Arise, walk through the land,…. And take a survey of it, and see what a land it is, how good and how large, and take possession of it for himself and his, though he was only to be a sojourner in it; and so the Targum of Jonathan adds, and making in it a possession, which in civil law was done by walking:
in the length of it, and in the breadth of it; the extent of it is variously settled by geographers; some giving it no more than about one hundred and seventy or eighty miles in length, from north to south, and about one hundred and forty in breadth from east to west, where broadest, as it is towards the south, and but about seventy where narrowest, as it is towards the north: but it is observed d from the latest and most accurate maps, that it appears to extend near two hundred miles in length, and about eighty in breadth about the middle, and ten or fifteen more or less where it widens or shrinks:
for I will give it unto thee; that is, to his seed, the whole of it, in its utmost extent, as to length and breadth; which if he pleased for his own satisfaction he might take a tour through, whereby he would be a judge what was bestowed on him and his
d Vid. Universal History, vol. 2. p. 385.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(17) Walk through the land.Repeated change of scene is not merely one of the pleasures of the nomad life, but also a necessity; for the uplands, covered with rich herbage in the spring, are usually burnt up in summer, and in the winter are exposed to driving winds and rain-storms. In these journeyings Abram is now to have the tranquil pleasure of feeling that his seed will inherit each beautiful spot that he visits, and that he is taking possession of it, and hallowing it for them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you.’
Wherever Abram walks he can look around and say, ‘one day this will all belong to my children’s children, for Yahweh has given it to me’. And walk around he must for it is the necessity of his manner of living. So every step he takes reminds him of the unmerited goodness of God. Lot walked around thinking of money. Abram walked around thinking of God. That is the test of the true child of God.
Gen 13:18
‘And Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre which are in Hebron, and built there an altar to Yahweh.’
Abram now transfers the centre of his activities from Bethel to Hebron, in the hill country of the South. There he establishes his main camp and builds an altar for the worship of God. Trees denote water, and Abram has chosen well. It is a reasonably safe part of the country and will enable his family tribe to expand and grow.
The summons of Gen 13:17 followed by the action in Gen 13:18 is a semi-legal act of taking possession in the name of Yahweh so that the occupation is recognised legally by those round about, in accordance with the customs at that time. The fact of the occupation of Mamre around this time has been established by excavations in the area which revealed the remains of a Bronze age settlement. (While this cannot be specifically attached to Abram it demonstrates, as does so much else, that the narrative is in accord with the times).
“Which are in Hebron”. This is probably an added geographical note. The town of Hebron itself came into being around 1720 BC (see Num 13:22).
This is the end of this covenant record. There is no colophon but there seems little doubt it once formed a record of its own.
Abram, Lot, the kings of the North, the covenant with Melchizedek and others, Yahweh’s renewed covenant with Abram (Gen 14:1 to Gen 15:21).
The initial record we now read ( chapter 14) is one of the most distinctive in Genesis. It deals not with a covenant with Yahweh, but with a historic episode where the wider world infringes on Abram’s world and where he makes a firm covenant with neighbouring kings as a result of what ensues. It is this covenant which ensured that these details were put in writing.
The lives of Abram and his family tribe were rarely troubled from outside. Their comparative strength meant that while they left others untroubled they were untroubled themselves. The main routes taken by more powerful peoples led through the coastal plain to their West or along the King’s Highway to their East. The central highlands were left largely alone.
But it was different for Lot. The place he had chosen was indeed fruitful but it was close to the King’s Highway coming down from the North and extending southwards, a regular trade route. It was always possible that one day trouble would be seen on the horizon on that road. And so it proved.
The King’s Highway was the name given to the direct road running from Damascus in Syria to the Gulf of Aqabah, then downwards East of the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley. It was in use between the 23rd and 20th centuries BC, and was marked along its length by early Bronze age settlements and fortifications. It was a crucially important trade route.
This period at the beginning of the second millennium BC was a time when Mesopotamia was not one great powerful empire. Roving bands led by lesser kings would continually make their forays in an attempt to seize wealth and slaves. And the King’s highway was a convenient route. It was just such a band which would prove the downfall of Lot. But the fact that control was exercised afterwards for twelve years suggests that this is also an attempt to safeguard the trade route.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 13:17. Arise, walk through the land, &c. That is, not only to take an exact survey of the gift: but also thus to vest himself, as it were, in that property, to which God had given him the right of inheritance.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Was not this a type of Emanuel’s land, the glory of all lands? And is not every true believer like the patriarch, called upon to enter upon the possession of it by faith here, before he comes to the realizing of it hereafter? Psa 48:12 ; Heb 11:14 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Ver. 17. Arise, walk through the land. ] Thus God rewards contented Abram with the whole country. He never suffers any man to lose by a humble remission of his right, in a desire of peace. “The meek shall inherit the earth,” Mat 5:5 and have heaven to boot; which was the chief thing here promised to Abram, in this survey. Heb 11:10 ; Heb 11:16
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Reciprocal: Gen 17:8 – And I Gen 26:3 – unto thee Gen 50:24 – sware Lev 14:34 – which I Jos 18:8 – Go 2Ki 13:23 – because of his covenant Zec 6:7 – the bay
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 13:17-18. Arise, walk through the land Enter and take possession, for thy posterity; survey the parcels, and it will appear better than upon a distant prospect. Abram himself, however, was not to think of fixing in it, but expect to be always unsettled, and walking through it to a better Canaan: and in compliance with Gods will herein, he removed his tent,
conforming to the condition of a pilgrim. And he built there an altar In token of his thankfulness to God for the kind visit he had made him.