Here are some excerpts from Swedenborg's "Arcana Coelestia" that help explain the inner meaning of this chapter:

AC 1535. This chapter treats of the external man in the Lord which was to be conjoined with His internal man. The external man is the Human Essence, the internal is the Divine essence. The former is here represented by Lot, but the latter by Abram.

AC 1536. There is here described the state of the external man such as it was in childhood, when first imbued with knowledges (scientifica et cognitiones)--that it thence advanced more and more to conjunction with the internal man (verses 1 to 4).

AC 1537. But that there were still many things in His external man that impeded the conjunction (verses 5 to 7); from which, however, He desired to be separated (verses 8, 9).

AC 1538. That the external man appeared to the Lord such as it is in its beauty when conjoined with the internal; and also such as it is when not conjoined (verses 10 to 13).)

AC 1539. A promise that when the external man was conjoined with the internal, that is, when the Lord‘s Human Essence "as conjoined with His Divine Essence, all power and authority (potestas) should be given to Him (verses 14 to 17). Concerning the Lord’s interior perception (verse 18).

1535. Genesis 13

1. And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife, and everything he had, and Lot with him, towards the south.

2. And Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold.

3. And he went in accordance with his journeys from the south and even to Bethel, even to the place where his tent had been at the start, between Bethel and Ai,

4. To the place of the altar that he made there in the beginning; and there Abram called on the name of Jehovah.

5. And Lot also who went with Abram had flocks and herds and tents.

6. And the land was unable to bear them, that they might dwell together, for their acquisitions were great, and they could not dwell together.

7. And there was strife between Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were then dwelling in the land.

8. And Abram said to Lot, Let there not be strife, now, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are men who are brothers.

9. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, now, from me. If you go to the left then I will go to the right, but if you go to the right I will go to the left.

10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and he saw all the plain of Jordan, that the whole of it was well-watered, before Jehovah destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Jehovah, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar.

11. And Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot travelled from the east, and they were separated, man from his brother.

12. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

13. And the men (vir) of Sodom were evil and great sinners before Jehovah.

14. And Jehovah said to Abram after Lot had been separated from him, Lift up your eyes, now, and look from the place where you are, towards the north, and towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the west.

15. For all the land which you see I will give to you, and to your seed even for ever.

16. And I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, so also will your seed be numbered.

17. Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for to you will I give it.

18. And Abram moved his tent, and came and dwelt in the oak-groves of Mamre which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to Jehovah.

CONTENTS

The subject in this chapter is the external Man in the Lord which was to be joined to His Internal Man. The external Man is the Human Essence, the Internal the Divine Essence. The former is represented here by Lot, but the latter by Abram.