Genesis 13:11-13

13:11 Lot chose for himself the whole region of the Jordan and traveled ¹  toward the east.

So the relatives separated from each other. ²  13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain ³  and pitched his tents next to Sodom. 13:13 (Now ⁴  the people ⁵  of Sodom were extremely wicked rebels against the Lord.) ⁶ 

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¹ tn Heb “Lot traveled.” The proper name has not been repeated in the translation at this point for stylistic reasons.

² tn Heb “a man from upon his brother.”

sn Separated from each other. For a discussion of the significance of this event, see L. R. Helyer, “The Separation of Abram and Lot: Its Significance in the Patriarchal Narratives,” JSOT 26 (1983): 77-88.

³ tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

⁴ tn Here is another significant parenthetical clause in the story, signaled by the vav (וו) disjunctive (translated “now”) on the noun at the beginning of the clause.

⁵ tn Heb “men.” However, this is generic in sense; it is unlikely that only the male residents of Sodom were sinners.

⁶ tn Heb “wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly.” The description of the sinfulness of the Sodomites is very emphatic. First, two nouns are used to form a hendiadys: “wicked and sinners” means “wicked sinners,” the first word becoming adjectival. The text is saying these were no ordinary sinners; they were wicked sinners, the type that cause pain for others. Then to this phrase is added “against the Lord,” stressing their violation of the laws of heaven and their culpability. Finally, to this is added מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “exceedingly,” translated here as “extremely”).