Genesis 13:6

Gen 13:6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

Ver. 6. And the land was not able to bear them.] This was sour sauce to their sweet meat, lest they should surfeit of their abundance. All earthly comforts are dissweetened with crosses, and there are thorns in all the world’s roses. It is seldom seen that God allows any, though never so dear to himself, a perfect contentment. Something they must have to complain of, that shall give an unsavoury verdure to their sweetest morsels, that they may long after heaven. It could not but be a great cut to this good couple, to be now at length sundered, and deprived of mutual society.

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 13:6. The land was not able to bear them — The Canaanites and other former inhabitants of the country undoubtedly occupied the best of the land, and what remained was not sufficient to supply their flocks and herds with pasturage.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This incommodity came by their riches, which brake friendship and as it were the bound of nature.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 6. Their substance was great] As their families increased, it was necessary their flocks should increase also, as from those flocks they derived their clothing, food, and drink. Many also were offered in sacrifice to God.

They could not dwell together]

1. Because their flocks were great.

2. Because the Canaanites and the Perizzites had already occupied a considerable part of the land.

3. Because there appears to have been envy between the herdmen of Abram and Lot.

To prevent disputes among them, that might have ultimately disturbed the peace of the two families, it was necessary that a separation should take place.

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

6. And the land, &c.] The account, according to P, of the reason for Lot’s separation. The flocks and herds of the two chieftains when combined were so numerous, that there was not pasturage enough to feed them. Cf. a similar reason, in P’s narrative, for the separation of Jacob and Esau, Gen_36:7. The word “substance” is characteristic of P. Cf. Gen_12:5.

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 the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together,.... That part of the country where Abram and Lot were could not afford them room enough for their several tents; or however could not furnish them with sufficient pasturage for their flocks and herds, they were so numerous; at least could not do it so as to be contiguous to each other, that there was a necessity of one of them going further off:

for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together; we have before an account of the substance of each of them, how great it was; and here now is noted an inconvenience which arises from a large increase of riches, that relations and friends are obliged to part, and cannot dwell together; what one would think would make them more comfortable together, is the cause and occasion of their separation.

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

To bear or feed their flocks, as well as those of the Chanaanites. (Calmet)

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).

6. Land was not able to bear them — Having been impoverished by the recent great famine, and being already occupied, as the next verse states, by other dwellers, they were cramped for pasturage for their immense flocks and herds.

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

The land was not able to bear them - The place was too strait for them, and they had not room for their flocks.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

ולא נשא אתם AND THE LAND WAS NOT ABLE TO BEAR THEM — It could not provide sufficient pasture for their cattle. The phrase is elliptical and a word must be supplied, for instance: the pasturage (מרעה) of the land was not able to bear them — for this reason the word נשא (masculine) is used (to agree in gender with מרעה; the suggestion is that נשא cannot have הארץ as subject since that noun is feminine).

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.

ולא נשא אותם הארץ, in this instance the noun ארץ is treated as a masculine noun, as it is also in Isaiah 9,18 נעתם ארץ, “the earth was shaken.”

לשבת יחדו, for there was not enough grazing land to support their herds as well as those of the other inhabitants of the land. כי היה, for the possessions of Avram and Lot together was too great. As a result, a quarrel broke out among the respective shepherds. Each group of shepherds wanted to use the same meadows on which to graze their flocks.

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.