Genesis 13:17

17 Therefore rise thou, and pass through the land in his length and breadth, for I shall give it to thee. (And so rise thou up, and go through the land in its length and breadth, for I shall give it all to thee.)

Genesis 13:17 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 13:17

Arise, walk through the land
And take a survey of it, and see what a land it is, how good and how large, and take possession of it for himself and his, though he was only to be a sojourner in it; and so the Targum of Jonathan adds, and making in it a possession, which in civil law was done by walking: in the length of it, and in the breadth of it;
the extent of it is variously settled by geographers; some giving it no more than about one hundred and seventy or eighty miles in length, from north to south, and about one hundred and forty in breadth from east to west, where broadest, as it is towards the south, and but about seventy where narrowest, as it is towards the north: but it is observed F4 from the latest and most accurate maps, that it appears to extend near two hundred miles in length, and about eighty in breadth about the middle, and ten or fifteen more or less where it widens or shrinks: for I will give it unto thee;
that is, to his seed, the whole of it, in its utmost extent, as to length and breadth; which if he pleased for his own satisfaction he might take a tour through, whereby he would be a judge what was bestowed on him and his


FOOTNOTES:

F4 Vid. Universal History, vol. 2. p. 385.

Genesis 13:17 In-Context

15 I shall give all the land which thou seest to thee, and to thy seed (and to thy descendants), till into without end.
16 And I shall make thy seed as the dust of the earth; if any man may number the dust of the earth, also he shall be able to number thy seed (and only if anyone can count all the dust on the earth, then shall they be able to count all thy descendants).
17 Therefore rise thou, and pass through the land in his length and breadth, for I shall give it to thee. (And so rise thou up, and go through the land in its length and breadth, for I shall give it all to thee.)
18 Therefore Abram, moving his tabernacle, came and dwelled beside the valley of Mamre, which is in Hebron; and he builded there an altar to the Lord. (And so Abram, moving his tent, came and lived beside the terebinths of Mamre, which be at Hebron; and he built there an altar to the Lord.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.