Genesis 13:14-15
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This isn't just God telling Abram to look around; it's a divine command to shift his entire perspective from his immediate, lonely circumstances to the vastness of God's promised inheritance. It's a powerful reminder that when we feel most alone, God often calls us to lift our eyes beyond our troubles and see His boundless provision for us.
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, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Lot's contentious departure and separation from Abram, leaving Abram alone in the land, God appears to console him. The Lord speaks directly to Abram, commissioning him to survey the land in every direction, a direct counterpoint to Lot's self-serving choice and a prelude to a renewed, expansive promise of inheritance.
Ever felt like you lost something important, leaving you feeling alone and a bit lost yourself? Abram was there. See how God met him right in that vulnerable moment.
After Lot, Abram's nephew and companion, chose to separate from him – a decision that likely brought Abram sadness and a sense of loss – God's presence was immediate.
A Divine Word Amidst Sorrow
God meets us in our aloneness. The timing of His word emphasizes that His comfort is not delayed until we 'get over' our sadness, but is present with us in it.
When your world shrinks after a painful separation, it's easy to focus on what's lost. God’s first command to Abram was to look outward and upward.
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The command 'Lift up your eyes' is more than just a physical instruction; it's a spiritual invitation.
From Loss to Legacy
God wants us to see our lives not just through the lens of our current losses or limitations, but through the expansive, faithful promises He has made.
Understand the original words
nasa' / ra'ah · Hebrew Verb phrase
In this context, a command to perceive or contemplate the scope of God’s promise. It denotes active faith, as the believer is called to see reality through the lens of God's covenantal assurance rather than human circumstance.
zera' · Hebrew Noun
Seed or progeny. In the biblical covenant, it refers to the physical descendants of Abraham, culminating ultimately in Jesus Christ, through whom all nations are blessed.
'olam · Hebrew Noun
A duration of time implying unending continuity. In the context of divine promise, it denotes a permanent, irrevocable grant of blessing or possession, often pointing toward eternal realities.
This moment of physical separation between Abram and Lot marks a crucial turning point, prompting God to provide Abram with a more expansive and direct confirmation of the land promise, emphasizing that this inheritance is solely for Abram's unique lineage.
c. 2090 BC
Abram Called from Ur
God calls Abram (later Abraham) to leave his home in Ur and journey to a land God will show him, initiating God's covenant promises.
c. 2080 BC
Abram and Lot Journey to Canaan
Abram and his nephew Lot arrive in the land of Canaan, where God first appears to Abram, promising the land to his descendants.
c. 2070 BC
Famine and Sojourn in Egypt
A famine forces Abram to travel to Egypt, where his wife Sarai is nearly taken by Pharaoh, an event that highlights God's protection but also Abram's lack of settled place.
c. 2070 BC— this verse
Return to Bethel and Separation
Abram and Lot return to the region of Bethel, but their growing flocks and herds lead to conflict between their herdsmen, necessitating a separation for peace.
c. 2070 BC
Lot Chooses the Jordan Plain
Lot, seeing the fertile plain of the Jordan (near Sodom and Gomorrah), chooses it for himself, while Abram remains in Canaan.
c. 2070 BC
God Reaffirms Promise to Abram
After Lot's departure, God speaks to Abram, commanding him to look in all directions and reaffirming the promise that the entire land will be given to Abram and his countless descendants.
c. 2070 BC
Abram Settles at Hebron
Abram moves his tent to the plain of Mamre near Hebron, building an altar to the Lord, signifying his continued faith and obedience in the land.
Just as God called Abram to lift his eyes and see the vastness of the land He promised, He allowed Moses to view the entire Promised Land from Mount Nebo, signifying its fulfillment.
Joshua 1:3This passage echoes the command given to Abram to survey the land in every direction, as God promises Joshua that every place they set their foot will be theirs, reinforcing the idea of God's expansive gift of territory.
Psalm 37:4Abram's delight in God's promise and his willingness to step away from immediate gain (as Lot did) aligns with this psalm's encouragement to find our deepest joy in the Lord, who will grant us the desires of our hearts.
Isaiah 54:2-3This prophecy, speaking of stretching out tent curtains and lengthening cords, directly parallels Abram being told to look in all directions for his inheritance, illustrating the future expansion and growth of God's people beyond initial expectations.
Hebrews 11:8-9This New Testament passage highlights Abram's faith in obeying God's call to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, connecting the command to 'lift up his eyes' to a future, unseen reality he embraced by faith.
gillGenesis 13:14: "And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:"
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him,.... The Lord appeared unto him as he had before, and with an articulate voice spoke unto him, to comfort him upon the separation of his kinsman from him, and to renew the grant of the land of Canaan to him and his seed, and to…
clarkeGenesis 13:14: "And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:"
The Lord said unto Abram - It is very likely that the angel of the covenant appeared to Abram in open day, when he could take a distinct view of the length and the breadth of this good land. The revelation made Genesis 15:5 , was evidently made in the night; for then he was called to number the…
This isn't just God telling Abram to look around; it's a divine command to shift his entire perspective from his immediate, lonely circumstances to the vastness of God's promised inheritance. It's a powerful reminder that when we feel most alone, God often calls us to lift our eyes beyond our troubles and see His boundless provision for us.
After Lot's contentious departure and separation from Abram, leaving Abram alone in the land, God appears to console him. The Lord speaks directly to Abram, commissioning him to survey the land in every direction, a direct counterpoint to Lot's self-serving choice and a prelude to a renewed, expansive promise of inheritance.
After Lot's contentious departure and separation from Abram, leaving Abram alone in the land, God appears to console him. The Lord speaks directly to Abram, commissioning him to survey the land in every direction, a direct counterpoint to Lot's self-serving choice and a prelude to a renewed, expansive promise of inheritance.
"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, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring f…" — This isn't just God telling Abram to look around; it's a divine command to shift his entire perspective from his immediate, lonely circumstances to the vastness of God's promised inheritance. It's a…
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Last reviewed October 2026
