Abraham's Family Tree - Abram and Lot

Abram and Lot

Lot is Abram’s nephew, the son of his brother Haran. After God’s call to Abram, Abram and Lot leave (the land of) Haran together with all of their belongings, including flocks of animals. It seemed that their flocks are too large to graze the same land, so Abram has Lot choose between the lush plain of Sodom and Canaan. Lot chooses the better looking land in the plain of the Jordan and Abram lives in Canaan again. Specifically, he settles in Hebron – which leads to him (and his descendants) being called Hebrew.

Abram has a large estate with many people. When neighboring kings defeat some local tribes, they take Lot captive as well. Abram raises 318 soldiers from his household and defeats the kings to rescue Lot.

Lot settles in the city of Sodom and prospers until, years later, the sinfulness of the city as a whole reaches the limit of God’s patience and he sends angels to destroy it. At this time Abram is 99 years old and he has a hand in rescuing Lot again. God has mercy in response to Abram’s concern about the coming judgment, and angels give Lot a chance to evacuate the city before the destruction comes. Reluctantly, Lot leaves with his wife and daughters (their fiancees stay behind). They escape with just their lives, except for Lot’s wife. Against the angel’s warning, she looks back while the destruction is happening and the account states that she turns into a pillar of salt.

Lot became the father of the Moabites and the Ammonites, nations who were sometimes friendly, sometimes antagonistic toward Abraham’s descendants.