And Abram said unto Lot
Being either an ear witness himself of the contentions of their
servants, or having it reported to him by credible persons, he
applied himself to Lot, in order to make peace, being a wise and
good man; and though he was senior in years, and superior in
substance, and higher in the class of relation, and upon all
accounts the greatest man, yet he makes the proposal first, and
lays a scheme before Lot for their future friendship, and to
prevent quarrels, and the mischievous consequences of them:
let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and
thee;
there had been none yet, but it was very likely there would, if
the dissension should go on between their servants; they could
not well avoid interesting themselves in it, when it related to
their respective properties; and there must be a right and wrong
in such cases to be looked into and adjusted, which might
occasion a difference between them; and this Abram was desirous
of preventing, and therefore bespeaks his kinsman in this loving,
affectionate, and condescending language: and [or] between
my herdmen and thy herdmen;
as he understood there was, and which, if not timely put an end
to, might be of bad consequence to them both, especially as to
their peace and comfort, giving this excellent reason to enforce
his request: for we [be] brethren;
or "men brethren we [be]" F21; we are men, let us act like
such, the rational and humane part; they were brethren being men,
so by nature all are brethren; by natural relation, Lot being the
son of his brother Haran; brethren in religion, of the same faith
in the one true and living God, and worshippers of him; and
therefore on all accounts, by the ties of nature, relation, and
religion, they were obliged to seek and cultivate peace and love.
F21 (wnxna Myxa Myvna) "viri fratres vos", Pagninus Montanus, Drusius, Schmidt.