Genesis 13 · Verse 10

Genesis 13:10

And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
Genesis 13:10, King James Version

Genesis 13:10 in other translations

BSBAnd Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
WEBLot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.
ASVAnd Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the Plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.
YLTAnd Lot lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the whole circuit of the Jordan that it is all a watered country (before Jehovah's destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, as Jehovah's garden, as the land of Egypt,) in thy coming toward Zoar,
DARBYAnd Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan that it was thoroughly watered, before Jehovah had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; as the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt, as one goes to Zoar.
BBEAnd Lot, lifting up his eyes and looking an the valley of Jordan, saw that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord had sent destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah; it was like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, on the way to Zoar.
WebsterAnd Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest to Zoar.

What does Genesis 13:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. Lot lifted up his eyes--Travellers say that from the top of this hill, a little "to the east of Beth-el" [Ge 12:8], they can see the Jordan, the broad meadows on either bank, and the waving line of verdure which marks the course of the stream.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar - There is an obscurity in this verse which Houbigant has removed by the following translation: Ea autem, priusquam Sodomam Gornorrhamque Do minus delerit, erat, qua itur Segor, tota irrigua, quasi hortus Domini, et quasi terra Aegypti. "But before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was, as thou goest to Zoar, well watered, like the garden of the Lord, and like the land of Egypt." As paradise was watered by the four neighboring streams, and as Egypt was watered by the annual overflowing of the Nile; so were the plains of the Jordan, and all the land on the way to Zoar, well watered and fertilized by the overflowing of the Jordan.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 13:10-13
Abram having offered Lot the choice, he at once accepted it. Passion and selfishness make men rude. Lot looked to the goodness of the land; therefore he doubted not that in such a fruitful soil he should certainly thrive. But what came of it? Those who, in choosing relations, callings, dwellings, or settlements, are guided and governed by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life, cannot expect God's presence or blessing. They are commonly disappointed even in that which they principally aim at. In all our choices this principle should rule, That is best for us, which is best for our souls. Lot little considered the badness of the inhabitants. The men of Sodom were impudent, daring sinners. This was the iniquity of Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness, Eze 16:49. God often gives great plenty to great sinners. It has often been the vexatious lot of good men to live among wicked neighbours; and it must be the more grievous, if, as Lot here, they have brought it upon themselves by a wrong choice.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 13:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשָּׂא\־vai.yi.sa'-and he lifted upH5375
ל֣וֹטLotLotH3876
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עֵינָ֗יו'ei.Naveyes hisH5869
וַיַּרְא֙vai.yaR'and he sawH7200
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
כִּכַּ֣רki.Kar[the] valley ofH3603
הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ןhai.yar.Denthe JordanH3383
כִּ֥יkithatH3588
כֻלָּ֖הּkhu.Lahall of itH3605
מַשְׁקֶ֑הmash.Keh[was] well-wateredH4945
לִפְנֵ֣י\׀lif.Nei<to> beforeH6440
שַׁחֵ֣תsha.ChetdestroyedH7843
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
סְדֹם֙se.DomSodomH5467
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
עֲמֹרָ֔ה'a.mo.RahGomorrahH6017
כְּגַן\־ke.gan-like [the] garden ofH1588
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
כְּאֶ֣רֶץke.'E.retzlike [the] land ofH776
מִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgyptH4714
בֹּאֲכָ֖הbo.'a.Khahgoing youH935
צֹֽעַר\׃Tzo.'arZoarH6820

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 13:10

  • Deuteronomy 34:3

    And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.

  • Isaiah 51:3

    For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

  • Genesis 14:8

    And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;

  • Genesis 2:8-10

    And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

  • Joel 2:3

    A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

  • Ezekiel 28:13

    Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

  • Genesis 14:2

    That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

  • Numbers 32:1-42

    Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, Even the country which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: …

  • 1 Kings 7:46

    In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.

  • Ezekiel 31:8

    The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chesnut trees were not like his branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

  • 1 John 2:15-16

    Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

  • Genesis 19:17-30

    And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
and beheld.
3:6; 6:2; Nu 32:1-42; 1Jo 2:15,16
the plain.
19:17,24,25; De 34:3; 1Ki 7:46; Ps 107:34; 1Jo 2:15
the garden.
2:9,10; Isa 51:3; Eze 28:13; 31:8; Joe 2:3
Zoar.
14:2,8; 19:20,22-30; De 34:3; Isa 15:5; Jer 48:34Instead of "Zoar," which was situated at the extremity of the plain of Jordan, the Syriac reads "Zoan," which was situated in the south of Egypt, and in a well-watered country.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 13:9

    Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.

  • Genesis 13:10

    And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

  • Genesis 13:11

    Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

Read all of Genesis 13

Genesis 13:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y alzó Lot sus ojos, y vió toda la llanura del Jordán, que toda ella era de riego, antes que destruyese Jehová á Sodoma y á Gomorra, como el huerto de Jehová, como la tierra de Egipto entrando en Zoar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Lot leva ses yeux et vit toute la plaine du Jourdain, qui était arrosée partout, avant que l’ Éternel détruise Sodome et Gomorrhe, comme le jardin de l’ Éternel, comme le pays d’Égypte, quand tu viens à Tsoar.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Lot hob seine Augen auf und sah die ganze Ebene des Jordan, daß sie ganz bewässert war gleich dem Garten Jehovas, wie das Land Ägypten, bis nach Zoar hin.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Elevatis itaque Lot oculis, vidit omnem circa regionem Jordanis, quæ universa irrigabatur antequam subverteret Dominus Sodomam et Gomorrham, sicut paradisus Domini, et sicut Ægyptus venientibus in Segor.