Genesis 13:12

Summary

The verse contrasts the settlements of Abram and Lot after their separation: Abram remains in the land of Canaan, while Lot settles among the cities of the plain and progressively moves his tent as far as Sodom.

Key words

• ya.Shav ("he dwelt", H3427) — qal perfect, used twice (for Abram and for Lot), marking a completed, stable act of dwelling.
• 'e.retz ("land of", H0776G) — feminine singular construct, linking directly to Kena'an ("Canaan", H3667A) to form "land of Canaan."
• 'a.Rei ("cities of", H5892B) — masculine plural construct, governing ha.Kikar ("the valley/plain", H3603H).
• va.i.ye.'e.Hal ("and he moved tent", H0167) — qal narrative form (vav-consecutive), indicating a subsequent action following the main verb of dwelling.
• 'ad ("to/as far as", H5704) — preposition marking the terminal point of movement, here Sedom ("Sodom", H5467).

What the text says

The sentence is built on a clear contrast between two subjects, each paired with the same verb ya.Shav ("he dwelt", H3427) in the qal perfect. Abram's clause is short: 'av.Ram ya.Shav be.'e.retz-Kena'an — "Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan." Lot's clause begins the same way syntactically but is extended: ve.Lot ya.Shav be.'a.Rei ha.Kikar — "and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain." The construct chains 'e.retz-Kena'an ("land of Canaan") and 'a.Rei ha.Kikar ("cities of the plain") both specify location through a noun-of-noun structure, without an independent preposition between the two nouns.

After the parallel perfect verbs, the clause shifts to a narrative vav form with va.i.ye.'e.Hal ("and he moved tent", H0167), a qal verb built on the root for "tent" ('ohel), describing a subsequent, distinct action: Lot's tent movement toward Sedom ("Sodom", H5467), marked by the preposition 'ad ("to/as far as", H5704). This verb form indicates sequence — first Lot settled among the cities of the plain, then he moved his tent in the direction of Sodom, a movement not stated for Abram, whose dwelling in Canaan is presented as the sole and final action in his clause.

Differences between versions

The LXX renders va.i.ye.'e.Hal ("he moved tent", H0167) with ἐσκήνωσεν ("he encamped/pitched a tent"), close to the Hebrew's tent-based verb, and locates this action ἐν Σοδόμοις ("in Sodom") rather than "toward/as far as" ('ad, H5704) as in the Hebrew. The Vulgate adds explanatory material absent from the Hebrew and LXX, specifying that the cities of the plain "quæ erant circa Jordanem" ("which were near the Jordan"), a phrase not present in the Hebrew text given here.