Genesis 13:9
Behold the whole land is before thee: depart from me I pray thee: if thou wilt go to the left hand, I will take the right: if thou choose the right hand, I will pass to the left.
Open Genesis 13:9 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Ecce universa terra coram te est : recede a me, obsecro : si ad sinistram ieris, ego dexteram tenebo : si tu dexteram elegeris, ego ad sinistram pergam.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον σου· διαχωρίσθητι ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ. εἰ σὺ εἰς ἀριστερά, ἐγὼ εἰς δεξιά· εἰ δὲ σὺ εἰς δεξιά, ἐγὼ εἰς ἀριστερά.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- הֲלֹ֤א כָל הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הִפָּ֥רֶד נָ֖א מֵעָלָ֑י אִם הַשְּׂמֹ֣אל וְאֵימִ֔נָה וְאִם הַיָּמִ֖ין וְאַשְׂמְאִֽילָה
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine City of God, Of the Parting of Lot and Abraham, Which They Agreed to Without Breach of Charity
On Abraham’s return out of Egypt to the place he had left, Lot, his brother’s son, departed from him into the land of Sodom, without breach of charity. For they had grown rich, and began to have many herdmen of cattle, and when these strove together, they avoided in this way the pugnacious discord of their families. Indeed, as human affairs go, this cause might even have given rise to some strife between themselves. Consequently these are the words of Abraham to Lot, when taking precaution against this evil, “Let there be no strife between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. …
St John Chrysostom Homilies on First Corinthians, Homily XXV
Well: these indeed so became glorious. But as for those who sought their own, consider what harm too they received. The nephew, for instance, of the last mentioned, because he listened to the saying, “If thou wilt go to the right, I will go to the left;” ( Gen. xiii. 9 .) and accepting the choice, sought his own profit, did not even find his own: but this region was burned up, while that remained untouched. Jonah again, not seeking the profit of many, but his own, was in danger even of perishing: and while the city stood fast, he himself was tossed about and overwhelmed in the sea. But when he sought the profit of many, then he also found his own. So likewise Jacob among the flocks, not seeking his own gain, had exceeding riches for his portion. And Joseph also, seeking the profit of his brethren, found his own. At least, being sent by his father, ( Gen. xxxvii. …
St Jerome The Letters of St. Jerome, To Pammachius
11. I hear that you have erected a hospice for strangers at Portus and that you have planted a twig from the tree of Abraham upon the Ausonian shore. Like Æneas you are tracing the outlines of a new encampment; only that, whereas he, when he reached the waters of the Tiber, under pressure of want had to eat the square flat cakes which formed the tables spoken of by the oracle, you are able to build a house of bread to rival this little village of Bethlehem wherein I am staying; and here after their long privations you propose to satisfy travellers with sudden plenty. Well done. You have surpassed my poor beginning. You have reached the highest point. You have made your way from the root to the top of the tree. You are the first of monks in the first city of the world: you do right therefore to follow the first of the patriarchs. …