“And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.”
My Notes
What Does Genesis 13:7 Mean?
Strife erupts between Abram's and Lot's herdsmen over land and resources. The cause is simple: too many animals, too little land. The note that "the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land" adds pressure — they're not just competing with each other; they're sharing the land with existing inhabitants. The available space is already occupied.
The strife is between the herdsmen, not between Abram and Lot directly. The conflict starts at the staff level and works upward — a dynamic familiar to anyone who has seen organizational tension begin with employees and escalate to leadership. The relationship between Abram and Lot hasn't broken yet, but the infrastructure beneath it has.
The mention of Canaanites and Perizzites serves a theological function: the family of promise is fighting in front of the nations that are watching. The internal conflict is publicly visible. The blessing that should have been a testimony has become a spectacle.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where is internal conflict in your faith community visible to the 'Canaanites' watching?
- 2.How does conflict between 'herdsmen' (staff level) threaten the leadership relationship above it?
- 3.What does the presence of outside observers add to the urgency of resolving internal strife?
- 4.How could proactive generosity have prevented the conflict that abundance produced?
Devotional
The herdsmen are fighting. Abram's cattle versus Lot's cattle. And the Canaanites are watching.
The strife isn't between Abram and Lot personally — it's between their operations. The workers who manage the daily business of livestock have run out of space, and the competition for resources has turned aggressive. The breakdown starts at the ground level and threatens to consume the leadership relationship above it.
The Canaanite and Perizzite detail is the most convicting part of the verse. The nations are watching. The family that God chose to be a blessing to the world is fighting over grass while the world observes. The testimony that should have been "look how God blesses" has become "look how the blessed people fight."
This happens in every faith community eventually: internal competition for resources, territory, or influence erupts publicly, and the watching world draws conclusions. The church that fights about budgets, parking lots, or worship styles in view of the neighbors has become Abram and Lot in front of the Canaanites. The blessing is real. The conflict is real. And the audience is taking notes.
Abram's response (verse 8) will be generous and wise. But the strife didn't have to happen. The abundance that created the conflict also created the option for generosity. The same wealth that produced the fight could have produced a plan — if someone had managed the growth before the herdsmen started swinging.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle,.... Not between the two…
- Abram and Lot Separate 7. פרזי perı̂zı̂y, Perizzi, “descendant of Paraz.” פרז pārāz, “leader,” or inhabitant of the…
The Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land - That is, they were there at the time Abram and Lot came to…
We have here an unhappy falling out between Abram and Lot, who had hitherto been inseparable companions (see Gen 13:1,…
And there was a strife The account according to J of the reason for the separation. Disputes were constantly arising…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture