EGW → Biblical Foundation
Select an Ellen White book from the sidebar to see each passage mapped to the Bible verses it amplifies, cites, or echoes.
Scripture Index
Ellen White & Bible Cross-Reference
Genesis 13:2
"And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold."
"This chapter is based on Genesis 13; to 15; ; 17: 1-16 ; 18 . Abraham returned to Canaan “very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Lot was still with him, and again they came to Bethel, and pitched their tents by the altar which they had before erected. They soon found that increased possessions brought increased trouble. In the midst of hardships and trials they had dwelt together in harmony, but in their prosperity there was danger of strife between them. The pasturage was not sufficient for the flocks and herds of both, and the frequent disputes among the herdsmen were brought for settlement to their masters. It was evident that they must separate. Abraham was Lot's senior in years, and his superior in relation, in wealth, and in position; yet he was the first to propose plans for preserving peace. Although the whole land had been given him by God Himself, he courteously waived this right. PP 132"
EGW directly quotes Genesis 13:2, confirming a clear and explicit connection.
"The patriarch was dwelling at Beersheba, surrounded by prosperity and honor. He was very rich, and was honored as a mighty prince by the rulers of the land. Thousands of sheep and cattle covered the plains that spread out beyond his encampment. On every side were the tents of his retainers, the home of hundreds of faithful servants. The son of promise had grown up to manhood by his side. Heaven seemed to have crowned with its blessing a life of sacrifice in patient endurance of hope deferred. PP 147.4"
Both passages describe the patriarch's wealth in livestock. The EGW passage expands on this theme, but the core idea of wealth in cattle is present in both.
Genesis 13:7
"And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land."
"This chapter is based on Genesis 13; to 15; ; 17: 1-16 ; 18 . Abraham returned to Canaan “very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.” Lot was still with him, and again they came to Bethel, and pitched their tents by the altar which they had before erected. They soon found that increased possessions brought increased trouble. In the midst of hardships and trials they had dwelt together in harmony, but in their prosperity there was danger of strife between them. The pasturage was not sufficient for the flocks and herds of both, and the frequent disputes among the herdsmen were brought for settlement to their masters. It was evident that they must separate. Abraham was Lot's senior in years, and his superior in relation, in wealth, and in position; yet he was the first to propose plans for preserving peace. Although the whole land had been given him by God Himself, he courteously waived this right. PP 132"
The EGW passage explicitly states it is based on Genesis 13-18, and the provided verse is a direct example of the events described.
Genesis 13:8
"And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren."
"“Let there be no strife,” he said, “between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. 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.” PP 132.2"
EGW directly quotes Genesis 13:8, making this an explicit allusion.
Genesis 13:10
"And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar."
"was in this fair valley that Lot chose to make his home when he “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” Genesis 13:10, 12 . At the time that the cities of the plain were destroyed, the region round about became a desolate waste, and it has since formed a part of the wilderness of Judea. PK 229.1"
EGW directly quotes Genesis 13:10.
Genesis 13:12
"Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom."
"When Lot entered Sodom he fully intended to keep himself free from iniquity and to command his household after him. But he signally failed. The corrupting influences about him had an effect upon his own faith, and his children's connection with the inhabitants of Sodom bound up his interest in a measure with theirs. The result is before us. PP 168.3"
Both passages discuss Lot's decision to dwell near Sodom and the consequences of that decision. Genesis 13:12 sets the scene, and EGW elaborates on the negative impact of this choice.
"In July, 1895, Mrs. White determined to manifest her interest in the school enterprise and her confidence in the Avondale estate, by purchasing a piece of the land, and making Cooranbong her home. She selected sixty- six acres, and in a few weeks had a portion of her family living in tents on the tract, which she named “Sunnyside.” The erection of an eight-roomed cottage was begun; and as soon as a clearing could be made, land was plowed, and fruit trees were planted. Of this experience she wrote: LS 358.2"
Both passages involve pitching tents and dwelling in a specific location. EGW's passage describes her family living in tents while establishing a home, echoing the general idea of temporary dwelling found in Genesis 13:12.
Genesis 13:13
"But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly."
"In Sodom there was mirth and revelry, feasting and drunkenness. The vilest and most brutal passions were unrestrained. The people openly defied God and His law and delighted in deeds of violence. Though they had before them the example of the antediluvian world, and knew how the wrath of God had been manifested in their destruction, yet they followed the same course of wickedness. PP 157.1"
The EGW passage directly expands upon the wickedness mentioned in Genesis 13:13, providing specific examples of that wickedness. It's more than a thematic parallel; it's a direct elaboration.
All felt that the punishment was just, and the people hastened to the tabernacle, and with tears and deep humiliation confessed their sin. While they were thus weeping before God, at the door of the tabernacle, while the plague was still doing its work of death, and the magistrates were executing their terrible commission, Zimri, one of the nobles of Israel, came boldly into the camp, accompanied by a Midianitish harlot, a princess “of a chief house in Midian,” whom he escorted to his tent. Never was vice bolder or more stubborn. Inflamed with wine, Zimri declared his “sin as Sodom,” and gloried in his shame. The priests and leaders had prostrated themselves in grief and humiliation, weeping “between the porch and the altar,” and entreating the Lord to spare His people, and give not His heritage to reproach, when this prince in Israel flaunted his sin in the sight of the congregation, as if to defy the vengeance of God and mock the judges of the nation. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the…
The EGW passage mentions Zimri declaring his sin "as Sodom." Genesis 13:13 describes the men of Sodom as exceedingly wicked sinners. While not a direct quote or explicit allusion, the comparison to Sodom's wickedness is a clear thematic parallel used to emphasize the gravity of Zimri's sin.
Genesis 13:14-15
"And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever."
"“The location that has been secured for our school and sanitarium is all that could be desired. The land resembles representations that have been shown me by the Lord. It is well adapted for the purpose for which it is to be used. There is on it ample room for a school and a sanitarium, without crowding either institution.... LS 397.4 “A good location for the printing office has been chosen within easy distance of the post office; and a site for a meetinghouse, also, has been found. It seems as if Takoma Park has been specially prepared for us, and that it has been waiting to be occupied by our institutions and their workers. LS 397.5"
Both passages involve God showing someone a land and promising it for a specific purpose. EGW's statement echoes the idea of divine provision and a land being prepared, similar to God's promise to Abram.
And now a panoramic view of the Land of Promise was presented to him. Every part of the country was spread out before him, not faint and uncertain in the dim distance, but standing out clear, distinct, and beautiful to his delighted vision. In this scene it was presented, not as it then appeared, but as it would become, with God's blessing upon it, in the possession of Israel. He seemed to be looking upon a second Eden. There were mountains clothed with cedars of Lebanon, hills gray with olives and fragrant with the odor of the vine, wide green plains bright with flowers and rich in fruitfulness, here the palm trees of the tropics, there waving fields of wheat and barley, sunny valleys musical with the ripple of brooks and the song of birds, goodly cities and fair gardens, lakes rich in “the abundance of the seas,” grazing flocks upon the hillsides, and even amid the rocks the wild bee's hoarded treasures. It was indeed such a land as Moses, inspired by the Spirit of God, had described…
Both passages involve God showing land to a patriarch and promising it to his descendants. While Deuteronomy 34 focuses on Moses and the specific view from Mount Nebo, Genesis 13:14-15 describes God showing Abram the land in all directions. The EGW passage connects to the general theme of God showing and promising land.