Genesis 13:9 [Is] not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if [thou wilt take] the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if [thou depart] to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Ver. 9. Is not the whole land before thee?] Abram chooseth rather to take wrong, than to strive for his right, which he here parts with for peace's sake. They that do otherwise, though they think they do bravely, and get the better of their adversary, yet (if St Paul may judge) they sit down by the loss. For he purposely disgraceth their contentious courses, in standing for their utmost right, without respect to peace and quietness, by a word (ηττημα) that signifieth disgrace, or loss of victory: - "Now therefore there is utterly a fault," or a defect of true manhood, "amongst you, because ye go to law one with another; why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?" 1Co 6:7 Aristotle a by the dim light of nature, could see and say, that it is better to suffer wrong than do it. It was a brave speech of Calvin: "Though Luther call me devil, yet I will honour him as a servant of God." And when a fierce friar, in dispute with Beza and his colleagues, called them foxes, apes, asses, &c., Beza answered no more but this, Nos non magis credere, quam Transubstantionem. In rixa is inferior est, qui victor est, saith Basil. And Demosthenes when he was reproached by one, thought it sufficient to say, Nolim tecum in hoc genus certaminis descendere, in quo qui vincitur ipso victore est melior .
Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me.] Sometimes, and between some natures, separation one from another better nourisheth friendship than nearer familiarity. b There are, that can never agree together.
If thou wilt take the right hand, &c.] As who should say; We will not be far apart, though we cannot be together; but still helpful one to the other, as the right hand is to the left. c
a Aδικεισθαι η αδικειν, Ethic.
b Interdum disiunctio melius alit amicitiam ,& c. - Bucholc.
c Pererius.