Genesis 13:2

Gen 13:2 And Abram [was] very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

Ver. 2. And Abram was very rich.] All rich men therefore are not rejected of God, though it be hard for such to hit on heaven. Poor Lazarus lies in the bosom of rich Abraham there. Riches neither further nor hinder in themselves, but as they are used: as a cipher by itself is nothing, but a figure being set before it, it increaseth the sum. Wealth, if well used, is an ornament, an encouragement to duty, and an instrument of much good. All the danger lies in loving these things. Have them we may, and use them too, as a traveller doth his staff, to help him the sooner to his journey’s end; but when we pass away our hearts to them, they become a mischief, and as the word here rendered rich, signifies in the original a burden. Let not therefore the bramble be king: let not earthly things bear rule over thy affections; "fire will rise out of them that will consume thy cedars," {Jdg 9:15} emasculate all the powers of thy soul, as they did Solomon’s, whose wealth did him more hurt than his wisdom good. How many have we now-a-days, that when poor, could pray, read, &c., who, grown rich, resemble the moon, which, grown full, gets farthest off from the sun, never suffers eclipse but then, and that by earth’s interposition! Let rich men therefore take heed how they handle their thorns; let them gird up the loins of their minds, lest their long garments {a} hinder them in the way to heaven; let them see to it, that they be not tied to their abundance, as little Lentulus was said to have been to his long sword; {b} that they be not held prisoners in those golden fetters, as the king of Armenia was by Anthony, and so sent by him for a present to Cleopatra, {c} lest at length they send their mammon of unrighteousness, as Croesus did his fetters, for a present to the devil, who had deluded him with false hopes of victory. {d}

{a} Socrates divitias comparabat tunicis talaribus .

{b} Quis generum meum ad gladium alligavit ? - Cic.

{c} Dio in Augusto.

{d} Herodot.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen_13:2

Abram was very rich

Wealth in both worlds

I.

Abram, whilst very rich, was TRULY GODLY.

II. Whilst very rich, Abram was VERY godly.

III. Abram, whilst very rich, highly VALUED A GOOD NAME.

IV. Abram, whilst very rich, TAUGHT HIS CHILDREN TO TRUST, not in uncertain riches, but IN THE LIVING GOD who gave them richly all things to enjoy.

V. Whilst very rich, he was VERY GENEROUS.

VI. Whilst very rich Abram did not forget that his riches were NOT HIS OWN.

VII. Whilst very rich in earthly possessions, HE SET NOT HIS HEART UPON THEM. Conclusion:

1. It is a very noticeable and suggestive fact, that the thought of the earthly riches of Abram has a very limited place in the minds of men.

2. Rich or poor in this world, we all need to be poor in spirit.

3. Rich or poor, we may have durable riches through Jesus Christ. (Joseph Elliot.)

Riches to be made useful to others

Wherefore doth the Lord make your cup run over, but that other mens lips might taste the liquor? The showers that fall upon the highest mountains should glide into the lowest valleys. (T. Secker.)

What can wealth do?

The following story is told of Jacob Ridgeway, a wealthy citizen of Philadelphia, who died many years ago, leaving a fortune of five or six million dollars. Mr. Ridgeway, said a young man with whom the millionaire was conversing, you are more to be envied than any gentleman I know. Why so? responded Mr. Ridgeway; I am not aware of any cause for which I should be particularly envied. What, sir! exclaimed the young man in astonishment. Why you are a millionaire! Think of the thousands your income brings every month! Well, what of that? replied Mr. Ridgeway. All I get out of it is my victuals and clothes, and I cant eat more than one mans allowance and wear more than a suit at a time. Pray cant you do as much? Ah, but, said the youth, think of the hundreds of fine houses you own, and the rentals they bring you. What better am I off for that? replied the rich man. I can only live in one house at a time; as for the money I receive for rents, why I cant eat it or wear it; I can only use it to buy other houses for other people to live in; they are the beneficiaries, not I. But you can buy splendid furniture, and costly pictures, and fine carriages and horses--in fact, anything you desire. And after I have bought them, responded Mr. Ridgeway, what then? I can only look at the furniture and pictures, and the poorest man, who is not blind, can do the same. I can ride no easier in a fine carriage than you can in an omnibus for five cents, without the trouble of attending to drivers, footmen, and ostlers; and as to anything I desire, I can tell you, young man, that the less we desire in this world, the happier we shall be. All my wealth cant buy a single day more of life--cannot buy back my youth--cannot procure me power to keep afar off the hour of death; and then, what will all avail, when in a few short years at most, I lie down in the grave and leave it all forever? Young man, you have no cause to envy me.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:2 Abram already had powerful resources (12:5); his Egyptian sojourn augmented his wealth and power (12:16).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

very rich--compared with the pastoral tribes to which Abraham belonged. An Arab sheik is considered rich who has a hundred or two hundred tents, from sixty to a hundred camels, a thousand sheep and goats respectively. And Abram being very rich, must have far exceeded that amount of pastoral property. "Gold and silver" being rare among these peoples, his probably arose from the sale of his produce in Egypt.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Abram was very rich] The property of these patriarchal times did not consist in flocks only, but also in silver and gold; and in all these respects Abram was דבד מאד cabed meod, exceeding rich. Josephus says that a part of this property was acquired by teaching the Egyptians arts and sciences. Thus did God fulfil his promises to him, by protecting and giving him a great profusion of temporal blessings, which were to him signs and pledges of spiritual things.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. cattle … silver … gold] Abram’s wealth described in an ascending scale of value. Cf. Gen_12:16, Gen_24:35.

on his journeys] i.e. by successive encampments.

the place … his tent] See Gen_12:8; to which passage also the phrases “at the beginning,” and “at the first” (Gen_13:3-4) refer.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Abram was very rich,.... He was rich in spiritual things, in faith, and in all other graces, and was an heir of the kingdom of heaven; and in temporal things, as it sometimes is the lot of good men to be, though but rarely, at least to be exceeding rich, as Abram was; or "very heavy" (r), as the word signifies, he was loaded with wealth and riches, and sometimes an abundance of riches are a burden to a man, and, instead of making him more easy, create him more trouble; and, as we may observe presently, were the occasion of much trouble to Abram and Lot. Abram's riches lay

in cattle, in silver, and in gold; cattle are mentioned first, as being the principal part of the riches of men in those days, such as sheep and oxen, he and she asses and camels, see Gen 12:16 and besides these he had great quantities of silver and gold: the Jews say (s) he coined money in his own name, and that his coin had on one side an old man and an old woman, and on the other side a young man and a young woman. His riches no doubt were greatly increased by the gifts and presents he received from the king of Egypt during his stay there.

(r) "gravis valde", Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Schmidt. (s) Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 2. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Rich in possession. Hebrew may be "heavy laden with cattle, gold," &c. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

2. Very rich in cattle — Largely acquired in Egypt. Comp. Gen_12:16.

In silver, and in gold — “This species of wealth is intended to describe a higher social scale to which the patriarch had risen, and which significantly points to a future more settled state, when the bare necessities of life would be adorned by comforts, and cheered by embellishments.” — Kalisch.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Abram was very rich. Literally, weighty; used in the sense of abundance (Exo_12:38; 1Ki_10:2; 2Ki_6:14) In cattle. Mikneh, from kana, to acquire by purchase, may apply to slaves as well as cattle (cf. Gen_17:12, Gen_17:13, Gen_17:23) In silver and gold. Mentioned for the first time in Scripture; implying an acquaintance among the Egyptians with the operations of mining and the processes of refining the precious metals. Cf. the instructions of Amenemhat I, which speak of that monarch, belonging to the twelfth dynasty, as having built for himself a palace adorned with gold (vide "Records of the Past," vol. 2. p. 14).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

כבד מאד VERY RICH (literally, very heavy) — heavily laden with burdens.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ואברם כבד מאד, he was very wealthy both in herds and flocks, as well as in other possessions, all chattels. The attribute כבד for great wealth has been chosen since, seeing it consists of chattels, it is “weighty” in the truest sense of the words. Similar literary formulations are found in Isaiah 1,30 כאלה נובלת עליה, “as a terebinth wilted of its leaf,” the prophet uses the word עלה, leaf, as something descriptive of a small tree like the terebinth whose leaf patterns account for its character. Its leaves make it such an outstanding tree. Similarly, the expression קרועי בגדים. In Samuel II 13,31 “with their clothes rent,” or מגולחי זקן, “shorn of beard,” in Jeremiah 41,5. The adjectives used fit the noun they describe, so here too the adjective כבד “heavy,” fits such metals as silver and gold, so that wealth may be appropriately described in such terms. [The author explains why a simple term such as עשיר, “rich,” was not used instead of the adjective כבד, literally “heavy.” Ed.]

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.