Verses 5-7 introduce the conflict between Abram and Lot, which arose because the large numbers of livestock they each owned required more pasture and water than were available. In 36.7 Jacob and Esau were forced to separate for the same reason.

And Lot … also had flocks and herds and tents: flocks translates a term that refers to both sheep and goats, as in 4.4. Herds translates a singular noun that is collective in meaning and refers to cattle, both cows and bulls. Tents in this context does not refer just to the dwellings but to the tents and the people who occupy them, which Good News Translation translates as “family and servants.” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “people who camped with him.” In other translations this is rendered as “and a big group of people too” and “wife and children and slaves.”

Who went with Abram is the third time that Lot has been described as accompanying Abram. This information is not repeated here in Good News Translation.

The statement made about Lot in verse 5 is equivalent to that made of Abram in verse 2, that is, Lot was also very rich; and so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “Lot also was very rich, and like his uncle Abram had many sheep and cattle and people who camped with him.” Translators may find this a suitable translation model.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .