And Abram [was] very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
2. cattle silver gold ] Abram’s wealth described in an ascending scale of value. Cf. Gen 12:16, Gen 24:35.
on his journeys ] i.e. by successive encampments.
the place his tent ] See Gen 12:8; to which passage also the phrases “at the beginning,” and “at the first” ( Gen 13:3-4) refer.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 13:2
Abram was very rich
Wealth in both worlds
I.
Abram, whilst very rich, was TRULY GODLY.
II. Whilst very rich, Abram was VERY godly.
III. Abram, whilst very rich, highly VALUED A GOOD NAME.
IV. Abram, whilst very rich, TAUGHT HIS CHILDREN TO TRUST, not in uncertain riches, but IN THE LIVING GOD who gave them richly all things to enjoy.
V. Whilst very rich, he was VERY GENEROUS.
VI. Whilst very rich Abram did not forget that his riches were NOT HIS OWN.
VII. Whilst very rich in earthly possessions, HE SET NOT HIS HEART UPON THEM. Conclusion:
1. It is a very noticeable and suggestive fact, that the thought of the earthly riches of Abram has a very limited place in the minds of men.
2. Rich or poor in this world, we all need to be poor in spirit.
3. Rich or poor, we may have durable riches through Jesus Christ. (Joseph Elliot.)
Riches to be made useful to others
Wherefore doth the Lord make your cup run over, but that other mens lips might taste the liquor? The showers that fall upon the highest mountains should glide into the lowest valleys. (T. Secker.)
What can wealth do?
The following story is told of Jacob Ridgeway, a wealthy citizen of Philadelphia, who died many years ago, leaving a fortune of five or six million dollars. Mr. Ridgeway, said a young man with whom the millionaire was conversing, you are more to be envied than any gentleman I know. Why so? responded Mr. Ridgeway; I am not aware of any cause for which I should be particularly envied. What, sir! exclaimed the young man in astonishment. Why you are a millionaire! Think of the thousands your income brings every month! Well, what of that? replied Mr. Ridgeway. All I get out of it is my victuals and clothes, and I cant eat more than one mans allowance and wear more than a suit at a time. Pray cant you do as much? Ah, but, said the youth, think of the hundreds of fine houses you own, and the rentals they bring you. What better am I off for that? replied the rich man. I can only live in one house at a time; as for the money I receive for rents, why I cant eat it or wear it; I can only use it to buy other houses for other people to live in; they are the beneficiaries, not I. But you can buy splendid furniture, and costly pictures, and fine carriages and horses–in fact, anything you desire. And after I have bought them, responded Mr. Ridgeway, what then? I can only look at the furniture and pictures, and the poorest man, who is not blind, can do the same. I can ride no easier in a fine carriage than you can in an omnibus for five cents, without the trouble of attending to drivers, footmen, and ostlers; and as to anything I desire, I can tell you, young man, that the less we desire in this world, the happier we shall be. All my wealth cant buy a single day more of life–cannot buy back my youth–cannot procure me power to keep afar off the hour of death; and then, what will all avail, when in a few short years at most, I lie down in the grave and leave it all forever? Young man, you have no cause to envy me.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 2. Abram was very rich] The property of these patriarchal times did not consist in flocks only, but also in silver and gold; and in all these respects Abram was cabed meod, exceeding rich. Josephus says that a part of this property was acquired by teaching the Egyptians arts and sciences. Thus did God fulfil his promises to him, by protecting and giving him a great profusion of temporal blessings, which were to him signs and pledges of spiritual things.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
2. very richcompared with thepastoral tribes to which Abraham belonged. An Arab sheik isconsidered rich who has a hundred or two hundred tents, from sixty toa hundred camels, a thousand sheep and goats respectively. And Abrambeing very rich, must have far exceeded that amount of pastoralproperty. “Gold and silver” being rare among these peoples,his probably arose from the sale of his produce in Egypt.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Abram was very rich,…. He was rich in spiritual things, in faith, and in all other graces, and was an heir of the kingdom of heaven; and in temporal things, as it sometimes is the lot of good men to be, though but rarely, at least to be exceeding rich, as Abram was; or “very heavy” r, as the word signifies, he was loaded with wealth and riches, and sometimes an abundance of riches are a burden to a man, and, instead of making him more easy, create him more trouble; and, as we may observe presently, were the occasion of much trouble to Abram and Lot. Abram’s riches lay
in cattle, in silver, and in gold; cattle are mentioned first, as being the principal part of the riches of men in those days, such as sheep and oxen, he and she asses and camels, see Ge 12:16 and besides these he had great quantities of silver and gold: the Jews say s he coined money in his own name, and that his coin had on one side an old man and an old woman, and on the other side a young man and a young woman. His riches no doubt were greatly increased by the gifts and presents he received from the king of Egypt during his stay there.
r “gravis valde”, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Schmidt. s Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 2. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. Very rich in cattle Largely acquired in Egypt . Comp . Gen 12:16.
In silver, and in gold “This species of wealth is intended to describe a higher social scale to which the patriarch had risen, and which significantly points to a future more settled state, when the bare necessities of life would be adorned by comforts, and cheered by embellishments.” Kalisch.
‘And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold.’
This is said rather triumphantly. The contest with Pharaoh has been to his benefit. We are surely to see that this great wealth is at least partly due to his visit to Egypt. Rather than destroying him it has enriched him, and this can only have been because Yahweh was with him. The mention of silver and gold suggests that Abram engaged in trading as well as having possession of flocks and herds.
Gen 13:2. Very rich Thus one part of the divine promise was amply fulfilled. Observe,
1. His riches, which made him not forget God: so that a rich man may be a good man. It is a blessed prosperity, which is employed in promoting of God’s cause, and advancing his glory. 3. His prayer to God. He had much to thank him for of past favours, much to ask of present blessings on his return. Note; (1.) Prayer is the breath of a faithful soul: wherever he is, you will hear this of him, Behold, he prayeth. (2.) Every return from journeying in safety, calls for new acknowledgments to our merciful God.
Gen 13:2 And Abram [was] very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Ver. 2. And Abram was very rich. ] All rich men therefore are not rejected of God, though it be hard for such to hit on heaven. Poor Lazarus lies in the bosom of rich Abraham there. Riches neither further nor hinder in themselves, but as they are used: as a cipher by itself is nothing, but a figure being set before it, it increaseth the sum. Wealth, if well used, is an ornament, an encouragement to duty, and an instrument of much good. All the danger lies in loving these things. Have them we may, and use them too, as a traveller doth his staff, to help him the sooner to his journey’s end; but when we pass away our hearts to them, they become a mischief, and as the word here rendered rich, signifies in the original a burden. Let not therefore the bramble be king: let not earthly things bear rule over thy affections; “fire will rise out of them that will consume thy cedars,” Jdg 9:15 emasculate all the powers of thy soul, as they did Solomon’s, whose wealth did him more hurt than his wisdom good. How many have we now-a-days, that when poor, could pray, read, &c., who, grown rich, resemble the moon, which, grown full, gets farthest off from the sun, never suffers eclipse but then, and that by earth’s interposition! Let rich men therefore take heed how they handle their thorns; let them gird up the loins of their minds, lest their long garments a hinder them in the way to heaven; let them see to it, that they be not tied to their abundance, as little Lentulus was said to have been to his long sword; b that they be not held prisoners in those golden fetters, as the king of Armenia was by Anthony, and so sent by him for a present to Cleopatra, c lest at length they send their mammon of unrighteousness, as Croesus did his fetters, for a present to the devil, who had deluded him with false hopes of victory. d
a Socrates divitias comparabat tunicis talaribus .
b Quis generum meum ad gladium alligavit ? – Cic.
c Dio in Augusto.
d Herodot.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 13:2-7
2Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. 3He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. 5Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. 7And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.
Gen 13:2 Abram was a wealthy man. The book of Genesis documents two sources of his wealth.
1. his possessions from Ur, Gen 12:5
2. his accumulations from Egypt, Gen 12:16
In the Ancient Near East there were several ways of accumulating and retaining wealth.
1. precious metals
2. jewels
3. clothing
4. food stuffs
5. livestock
Gen 13:4 “Abram called on the name of the LORD” This phrase implies a specific type of worship setting, probably involving an animal sacrifice (cf. Exo 20:24). It is first used in Gen 4:26, but recurs in Gen 12:8; Gen 13:4; Gen 21:33; Gen 26:25. See Special Topic at Gen 12:8. Because of the parallelism of 1Ch 16:8; Psa 105:1; Psa 116:17; and Isa 12:4, calling on the name also involved acts of “praising” or “thanksgiving” to YHWH. See Special Topic: “The Name” of YHWH .
The “name” (BDB 1027) represented the personal presence of Abram’s covenant God. It’s full significance will not be known until Exo 3:13-16. As Elohim represented the “Creator,” YHWH represented the covenant-making, personal, present, promising God of Seth and Shem. See Special Topic: NAMES FOR DEITY at Gen 12:1.
Abram returned to his first altar in Canaan (cf. Gen 12:8).
Gen 13:6 The land in southern Canaan did not get enough annual rainfall to allow the native grasses to flourish. It took many acres to support one flock. Usually April through September was wet enough for grasses to grow, but in October through March the herds had to be moved to higher pastures.
Gen 13:7 “the Canaanite and the Perizzite” The term “Canaanite” is a collective term for the inhabitants of Palestine, as is “Amorites.” Some have seen a distinction in these names based on: (1) Perizzite can mean “villager,” while (2) Canaanite refers to walled-city dwellers. This is the only place where these two groups are listed as the inhabitants of Palestine alone. See Special Topic at Gen 12:6. For “Canaanite” see note at Gen 12:6. See Special Topic: The Pre-Israelite Inhabitants of Palestine .
silver, and in gold: scarce in Palestine, but plentiful in Egypt.
Gen 24:35, Gen 26:12, Gen 26:13, Deu 8:18, 1Sa 2:7, Job 1:3, Job 1:10, Job 22:21-25, Psa 112:1-3, Pro 3:9, Pro 3:10, Pro 10:22, Mat 6:33, 1Ti 4:8
Reciprocal: Gen 12:16 – And he Gen 23:6 – prince Gen 24:1 – blessed Gen 26:14 – had possession Gen 30:43 – General Num 32:1 – the place 1Sa 25:2 – three thousand 2Ki 3:4 – a sheepmaster 2Ch 17:5 – he had riches 2Ch 32:29 – possessions Ecc 2:7 – also Ecc 5:11 – they 1Ti 6:17 – rich
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
2. The place of his abode between Beth-el and Hai, where his former altar stood. Note; the very spot where we have enjoyed sweet communion with God, will be resorted to with pleasure, and bring to remembrance the obligations we are under to so gracious a benefactor.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge