Genesis 13:10-13·~1 min

Lot Proceeds toward Sodom

Lot sees the Jordan plain as lush and well watered, like the garden of the LORD and the land of Egypt. He chooses that whole region for himself and departs eastward from Abram.

A¹⁰nd 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.) ¹¹So Lot chose the whole plain of the Jordan for himself and set out toward the east. And Abram and Lot parted company.

Abram remains in Canaan, while Lot settles among the cities of the plain and pitches his tent toward Sodom. The men of Sodom are already marked as greatly wicked before the LORD.

¹²Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom. ¹³But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.

Section summaryLot lifts his eyes to the Jordan plain and sees a well-watered region that looks rich and inviting. He chooses it for himself and moves east, settling near Sodom, where the chapter quietly marks the city's people as deeply wicked.

Role in the chapterThis section shows the choice that follows Abram's offer and places Lot on a path shaped by what looks fertile and desirable. It also introduces Sodom's moral setting before that city becomes central later.