Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. II:
City of God: Chapter 20

Chapter 20.—Of the Parting of Lot and Abraham, Which They Agreed to Without Breach of Charity.

On Abraham’s return out of Egypt to the place he had left, Lot, his brother’s son, departed from him into the land of Sodom, without breach of charity.  For they had grown rich, and began to have many herdmen of cattle, and when these strove together, they avoided in this way the pugnacious discord of their families.  Indeed, as human affairs go, this cause might even have given rise to some strife between themselves.  Consequently these are the words of Abraham to Lot, when taking precaution against this evil, “Let there be no strife between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.  Behold, is not the whole land before thee?  Separate thyself from me:  if thou wilt go to the left hand, I will go to the right; or if thou wilt go to the right hand, I will go to the left.” 905   From this, perhaps, has arisen a pacific custom among men, that when there is any partition of earthly things, the greater should make the division, the less the choice.

Footnotes

Gen. 13:8, 9.