Tenting as far as Sodom
Says אַבְרָם יָשַׁב בְּאֶרֶץ־כְּנָעַן (“Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan”) and וְלוֹט יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר (“and Lot dwelt in the cities of the kikkar”) each put the name first, setting the two side by side. וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד־סְדֹם is “and he tented as far as Sodom” (BSB “pitched his tent toward Sodom”): the verb is made from “tent” (the lexicon: “tent, move tent fr. place to place”). The Greek has “ἐν Σοδόμοις” (“in Sodom”).
Says In 13:13 וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַיהוָה מְאֹד is “and the men of Sodom were evil and sinners against the Lord, greatly” (BSB “wicked, sinning greatly against the Lord”). The lexicon lists this use as “sinners against.”
Uncertain Lot’s move may be read as a worldly choice made with Sodom in view, or as a search for pasture with no fault named; 13:13 stands right after it without comment. No lean is taken here.
Claims
- Saysאַבְרָם יָשַׁב בְּאֶרֶץ־כְּנָעַן (“Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan”) and וְלוֹט יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר (“and Lot dwelt in the cities of the kikkar”) each put the name first, setting the two side by side. וַיֶּאֱהַל עַד־סְדֹם is “and he tented as far as Sodom” (BSB “pitched his tent toward Sodom”): the verb is made from “tent” (the lexicon: “tent, move tent fr. place to place”). The Greek has “ἐν Σοδόμοις” (“in Sodom”).
- SaysIn 13:13 וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַיהוָה מְאֹד is “and the men of Sodom were evil and sinners against the Lord, greatly” (BSB “wicked, sinning greatly against the Lord”). The lexicon lists this use as “sinners against.”
- UncertainLot’s move may be read as a worldly choice made with Sodom in view, or as a search for pasture with no fault named; 13:13 stands right after it without comment. No lean is taken here.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 13:12–13 (WLC/OSHB; morph HVqp3ms HC/Vqw3ms HC/Aampa)
- BSB public domain Gen 13:12–13 (BSB)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 14 (leaf n37), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H167 “tent, move tent fr. place to place”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 308 (leaf n331), archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, s.v. H2400 “sinners against”; checked against the printed page (scan)
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 13:12, text and apparatus. LXX: Swete, vol. 1 (1901), p. 21 (leaf n52). Checked against the printed page (scan).
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-12
Open in Reader All notes on this passage