An interesting insight

An interesting insight from my Israeli mentor, Yosef ["Joe"] Shulam:

"And Abram said to Lot, 'Let there please not be contention between me and you, and between my shepherds and your shepherds, for we are men [and] brethren'" (Gen 13:8).

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל־לֹ֗וט אַל־נָ֨א תְהִ֤י מְרִיבָה֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔יךָ וּבֵ֥ין רֹעַ֖י וּבֵ֣ין רֹעֶ֑יךָ כִּֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אַחִ֖ים אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃

Abraham calls Lot to discuss their problem. Abraham is the older and the more powerful and the stronger person. He first tells Lot, "Let us not fight between us . . . because we are men and brethren." I know that in English the translation only says, "we are brethren." But the Hebrew phrase “men and brethren” [אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אַחִ֖ים] is used specifically in conflicts between people who are close. It is used in the story of Joseph and his brothers, and it is used in the book of Acts several times. Peter uses this same phrase in the book of Acts 1:16, 2:29, 37, 7:2, 26, 13:15, 26, 38, 15:7,13, 23:1, 6, 28:17. ALL THESE TEXTS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. If you follow these texts you will see that most of the time that the book of Acts uses this phrase the address is to Jewish people who are in opposition or in conflict with Peter or Paul.

-      - Michael Millier