14
After Lot had departed, the LORD said to Abram, “Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west,
Berean Standard Bible · CC0
Hebrew — tap a word ↓
’a·ḥă·rê lō·wṭ hip·pā·reḏ- mê·‘im·mōw Yah·weh ’ā·mar ’el- ’aḇ·rām nā śā ‘ê·ne·ḵā min- ham·mā·qō·wm ’ă·šer- ’at·tāh šām ū·rə·’êh ṣā·p̄ō·nāh wā·neḡ·bāh wā·qê·ḏə·māh wā·yām·māh
Word by word21 · parsed
√ ʼachar — properly, the hind partPreposition
אַחֲרֵי, “after” — the same opening preposition that dates the book of Joshua from a death dates this oracle from a departure. The promise comes after the loss, not before it.
√ Lôwṭ — Lot, Abraham's nephewNounpropermasculine singular
√ pârad — to break through, iVerbNifalInfinitive construct
Niphal infinitive of pārad, “to separate, divide.” K&D draws the theological inference: “the separation of Lot was in accordance with the will of God, as Lot had no share in the promise.” The narrative waits for Lot to be gone before God speaks the inheritance.
√ ʻim — adverb or preposition, with (iPreposition-mthird person masculine singular
√ Yᵉhôvâh — Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodConjunctive wawNounpropermasculine singular
וַיהוָה — the covenant name, with the conjunctive waw binding the speech tightly to Lot’s departure: the moment the rival heir is gone, YHWH draws near. Printed Lord.
√ ʼâmar — to say (used with great latitude)VerbQalPerfectthird person masculine singular
The verb is אָמַר, “said,” not accompanied by wayyērāʼ, “he appeared.” K&D rests an argument on the silence: this was a “mental, inward assurance,” a word without a recorded theophany — God comforting a mind already “quiet and sedate” (so the Pulpit Commentary, citing Lyra).
√ ʼêl — near, with or amongPreposition
√ ʼAbrâm — Abram, the original name of AbrahamNounpropermasculine singular
√ nâʼ — 'I pray', 'now', or 'then'Interjection
An interjection of polite urging, nā — “pray, do.” God entreats rather than merely orders; the survey of the land is offered as a gift to lift the eyes of a grieving man.
√ nâsâʼ — to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeVerbQalImperativemasculine singular
nāsāʼ, Qal imperative — “lift, raise.” The hinge of the whole episode: Lot’s eyes (v. 10) chose by sight and lost the promise; Abram’s eyes are now told to look, and given everything they see.
√ ʻayin — an eye (literally or figuratively)Nouncdcsecond person masculine singular
עֵינֶיךָ, “your eyes” — the organ of Lot’s undoing becomes the organ of Abram’s blessing. What ruins one man by coveting blesses another by faith.
√ min — properly, a part ofPreposition
√ mâqôwm — properly, a standing, iArticleNounmasculine singular
הַמָּקוֹם, “the place” where Abram stands — between Bethel and Ai, on the high ground (Gill, Pulpit Commentary). He surveys the gift from the very spot to which he had returned to “the place of the altar” (13:3–4).
√ ʼăsher — who, which, what, thatPronounrelative
√ ʼattâh — thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youPronounsecond person masculine singular
√ shâm — there (transferring to time) thenAdverb
√ râʼâh — to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)Conjunctive wawVerbQalImperativemasculine singular
√ tsâphôwn — properly, hidden, iNounfeminine singularthird person feminine singular
√ negeb — the south (from its drought)Conjunctive wawNounmasculine singularthird person feminine singular
√ qedem — the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity)Conjunctive wawAdverbthird person feminine singular
√ yâm — a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of waterConjunctive wawNounmasculine singularthird person feminine singular
וָיָמָּה — “and seaward.” The four directions sweep the whole land into view; the survey is total, not partial, even though the eye is finite.