1 Therfore Abram stiede fro Egipt, he, and his wijf, and alle thingis that he hadde; and Loth stiede with hym, to the south coost.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 So Abraham left, taking with him his wife Sarah, which means "sovereign," not "servant." Therefore it was said to Abraham, "Listen to your wife Sarah." In fact, she who is liberated from the slavery of sin obtains sovereignty, not servitude.
Bede · AD 735 Abram went up therefore from Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the southern region. He does not mean the southern region of Egypt, but of the promised land: for indeed he did not travel southward from Egypt, which whoever does, goes farther from the promised land: but leaving all of Egypt, part of which he had visited, he first ascended to the so…
2 Forsothe he was ful riche in possessyoun of siluer and of gold.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 "He was very rich," as is natural for one who was not lacking in any good thing, who did not covet the goods of others, because he lacked nothing of what he would have wished to regard as his own. For this is what it means to be rich: to have what is sufficient to satisfy one's own desires. Frugality has a measure. Richness does not. Its measure is in the will of the seeker.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Let us not rush idly by this reading but rather recognize clearly the precision of sacred Scripture in recounting nothing to us as of no importance. "Now Abram was very rich," the text says. Consider first of all this very fact that its habit had been to convey nothing idly or to no purpose. In this case is it not without reason that [the text] calls him rich.
3 And he turnede ayen bi the weye in which he cam fro the south in to Bethel, `til to the place, in which bifore he hadde sett tabernacle, bitwixe Bethel and Hay,
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Consider, I ask you, how he was a lover of peace and quiet and was constantly attentive to divine worship. The text says, remember, that he went down to that place where he had previously built the altar.
Bede · AD 735 To the place where he had previously pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai: at the place of the altar which he had made formerly, and he called upon the name of the Lord.
4 in the place of the auter which he made bifore, and inwardli clepide there the name of the Lord.
Jerome · AD 420 (Chapter 13, Verse 4) And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the wilderness. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel. It is said that Abram went up from Egypt in a splendid manner.
5 But also flockis of scheep, and droues of oxun, and tabernaclis weren to Loth, that was with Abram;
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 It remains to be seen if Lot too, his nephew, was rich as one who belonged to the same family. But Scripture says only that he had many cattle.
Bede · AD 735 But Lot also, who was with Abram, had flocks of sheep, and herds, and tents; nor could the land bear them so that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, and they could not dwell together: hence there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Abram's flocks and Lot's, and it is detailed how Lot departed from Abraham with their love preserved, preferring to separat…
6 and the lond miyte not take hem, that thei schulden dwelle togidre, for the catel of hem was myche, and thei miyten not dwelle in comyn.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 In fact, since [Lot] had already deliberately begun to deviate from his uncle, the land could not support both of them dwelling together; indeed, no space can be large enough for those who love discord.… Even limited spaces are more than adequate for those who are meek and peace-loving, while for those whose mentality is one of discord even wide open spaces are too restricted.
7 Wherfor also strijf was maad bitwixe the keperis of flockis of Abram and of Loth. Forsothe Chananei and Feresei dwelliden in that lond in that tyme.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Let us now consider who are the shepherds, and what living creatures they shepherd and what was the nature of the dispute between the shepherds of Abraham and those of Lot. Shepherds are those who govern the flocks. They are diligent and wise when they do not allow their animals to trample the farmlands with their feet or to damage the crops with their teeth.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Notice how the abundance of their possessions proved to be a major cause for their separation, creating a division, sundering their harmony and undoing the bond of kinship. "Trouble developed between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen.
8 Therfor Abram seide to Loth, Y biseche, that no strijf be bitwixe me and thee, and bitwixe my scheepherdis and thi scheepherdis; for we ben britheren.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Rightly, then, devotion has claimed first place for itself. Let us consider now also the adornment of the other virtues. Holy Abraham enjoyed the presence of his nephew, to whom he showed fatherly affection. A conflict occurred between the servants of the nephew and those of the uncle.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 See the extraordinary degree of his humility; see the height of his wisdom. The elder, the senior, addresses his junior and calls his nephew "brother," admits him to the same rank as himself and retains no special distinction for himself.
9 Lo! al the lond is bifore thee, Y biseche, departe thou fro me; if thou go to the left side, Y schal holde the riyt side; if thou chese the riyt side, Y schal go to the left side.
10 And so Loth reiside hise iyen, and seiy aboute al the cuntrei of Jordan, which was al moistid, bifor that the Lord distriede Sodom and Gomorre, as paradis of the Lord, and as Egipt, as men comen in to Segor.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 Haughtiness is the companion of those who deviate from the truth. In fact, as Abraham was quite humble in that he offered the choice, so Lot was rather insolent in presuming to choose. Virtue humbles itself, whereas wickedness becomes arrogant. Lot should rather have relied on one more wise than he, to be on the safe side. Indeed, he did not have the knowledge to make a choice.
Bede · AD 735 Therefore, Lot, having lifted up his eyes, saw all the region around Jordan, which was all watered before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the paradise of the Lord and like Egypt as you go towards Zoar.
11 And Loth chees to him the cuntre aboute Jordan, and departide fro the eest; and thei weren departid ech fro his brother.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 How appropriately then Scripture says, "Lot," that is, deviation, "chose for himself." Indeed, God has placed before us good and evil, so that each may choose what he wishes.
12 Abram dwellide in the lond of Chanaan; sotheli Loth dwellide in townes aboute Jordan, and wonide in Sodom.
13 Forsothe men of Sodom weren ful wickid, and synneris greetly bifore the Lord.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 But the fact that "the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners in the sight of the Lord" is not a matter of minor importance, in terms of the way God deals with human beings. Rather, its aim is to help us understand that the harsh gravity of sin can compel a gentle God to retaliate.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Do you observe Lot having regard only for the nature of the land and not considering the wickedness of the inhabitants? What good, after all, is fertility of land and abundance of produce when the inhabitants are evil in their ways? By contrast, what harm could come from solitude and a simple lifestyle when the inhabitants are more restrained?
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 13) And the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before God exceedingly. This addition, "before God," is superfluous in the Septuagint interpreters, since the inhabitants of Sodom were wicked and sinners among all people.
14 And the Lord seide to Abram, aftir that Loth was departid fro him, Reise thin iyen forth riyt, and se fro the place in which thou art now, to the north and south, to the eest and west;
Clement of Rome · AD 99 Abraham, styled "the friend," [Isaiah 41:8] was found faithful, inasmuch as he rendered obedience to the words of God. He, in the exercise of obedience, went out from his own country, and from his kindred, and from his father's house, in order that, by forsaking a small territory, and a weak family, and an insignificant house, he might inherit the promises of God.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 See the promptness of God's providential recompense demonstrated in favor of the good man. Sacred Scripture wants to teach us the extent of the reimbursement the patriarch was accorded for such humility from the loving God.
Bede · AD 735 And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had separated from him: Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are northward and southward and eastward and westward: all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. Some manuscripts have "unto the age," which both translate from the one Greek term Aeonion, αἰὼν.
15 Y schal yyue al the lond which thou seest to thee and to thi seed, til in to with outen ende.
16 And Y schal make thi seed as the dust of erthe; if ony man may noumbre the dust of erthe, also he schal mowe noumbre thi seed.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Then, in case Abraham should have regard only to his own condition, his advanced years and Sarah's sterility, and thus lose confidence in the promise instead of trusting in the power of the One making the promise, he said, "I will make your descendants as numerous as all the grains of sand in the world.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Truly that multitude which was promised to Abraham is not innumerable to God, although it is to the human mind. But to God not even the dust of the earth is so. Further, the promise here made may be understood not only of the nation of Israel but of the whole seed of Abraham, which may be fitly compared with the dust for its multitude.
17 Therfor rise thou, and passe thorou the lond in his lengthe and breede, for Y schal yyue it to thee.
18 Therfor Abram, mouynge his tabernacle, cam and dwellide bisidis the valei of Mambre, which is in Ebron; and he bildide there an auter to the Lord.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 Wonderful the extent of the promise; remarkable the depth of generosity of the Lord of us all; extraordinary the degree of the reward conferred by him in his mercy and love on this blessed man and on the descendants destined to be born to him!
Bede · AD 735 And he built an altar to the Lord. And this is the third altar that Abraham built: for the first he built near the place of Shechem, the second between Bethel and Ai.