1 And it came to pass in the days H3117 of Amraphel H569 king H4428 of Shinar, H8152 Arioch H746 king H4428 of Ellasar, H495 Chedorlaomer H3540 king H4428 of Elam, H5867 and Tidal H8413 king H4428 of nations; H1471
2 That these made H6213 war H4421 with H854 Bera H1298 king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 and with Birsha H1306 king H4428 of Gomorrah, H6017 Shinab H8134 king H4428 of Admah, H126 and Shemeber H8038 king H4428 of Zeboiim, H6636 and the king H4428 of Bela, H1106 which is H1931 Zoar. H6820
3 All these were joined together H2266 in the vale H6010 of Siddim, H7708 which H1931 is the salt H4417 sea. H3220
4 Twelve H6240 H8147 years H8141 they served H5647 H853 Chedorlaomer, H3540 and in the thirteenth H7969 H6240 year H8141 they rebelled. H4775
5 And in the fourteenth H6240 H702 year H8141 came H935 Chedorlaomer, H3540 and the kings H4428 that were with him, and smote H5221 the Rephaims H7497 in Ashteroth Karnaim, H6255 and the Zuzims H2104 in Ham, H1990 and the Emims H368 in Shaveh Kiriathaim, H7741
6 And the Horites H2752 in their mount H2042 Seir, H8165 unto Elparan, H364 which is by H5921 the wilderness. H4057
7 And they returned, H7725 and came H935 to H413 Enmishpat, H5880 which is Kadesh, H6946 and smote H5221 all the country H7704 of the Amalekites, H6003 and also the Amorites, H567 that dwelt H3427 in Hazezontamar. H2688
8 And there went out H3318 the king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 and the king H4428 of Gomorrah, H6017 and the king H4428 of Admah, H126 and the king H4428 of Zeboiim, H6636 and the king H4428 of Bela H1106 (the same H1931 is Zoar;) H6820 and they joined H6186 battle H4421 with them in the vale H6010 of Siddim; H7708
9 With Chedorlaomer H3540 the king H4428 of Elam, H5867 and with Tidal H8413 king H4428 of nations, H1471 and Amraphel H569 king H4428 of Shinar, H8152 and Arioch H746 king H4428 of Ellasar; H495 four H702 kings H4428 with five. H2568
10 And the vale H6010 of Siddim H7708 was full of slimepits; H875 H875 H2564 and the kings H4428 of Sodom H5467 and Gomorrah H6017 fled, H5127 and fell H5307 there; and they that remained H7604 fled H5127 to the mountain. H2022
11 And they took H3947 all the goods H7399 of Sodom H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 and all their victuals, H400 and went their way. H3212
12 And they took H3947 Lot, H3876 Abram's H87 brother's H251 son, H1121 who dwelt H3427 in Sodom, H5467 and his goods, H7399 and departed. H3212
13 And there came H935 one that had escaped, H6412 and told H5046 Abram H87 the Hebrew; H5680 for he dwelt H7931 in the plain H436 of Mamre H4471 the Amorite, H567 brother H251 of Eshcol, H812 and brother H251 of Aner: H6063 and these were confederate H1167 H1285 with Abram. H87
14 And when Abram H87 heard H8085 that his brother H251 was taken captive, H7617 he armed H7324 his trained H2593 servants, born H3211 in his own house, H1004 three H7969 hundred H3967 and eighteen, H6240 H8083 and pursued H7291 them unto Dan. H1835
15 And he divided H2505 himself against them, he and his servants, H5650 by night, H3915 and smote H5221 them, and pursued H7291 them unto Hobah, H2327 which is on the left hand H8040 of Damascus. H1834
16 And he brought back H7725 all the goods, H7399 and also brought again H7725 his brother H251 Lot, H3876 and his goods, H7399 and the women H802 also, and the people. H5971
17 And the king H4428 of Sodom H5467 went out H3318 to meet H7125 him after H310 his return H7725 from the slaughter H5221 of Chedorlaomer, H3540 and of the kings H4428 that were with him, at the valley H6010 of Shaveh, H7740 which H1931 is the king's H4428 dale. H6010
18 And Melchizedek H4442 king H4428 of Salem H8004 brought forth H3318 bread H3899 and wine: H3196 and he was the priest H3548 of the most high H5945 God. H410
19 And he blessed H1288 him, and said, H559 Blessed H1288 be Abram H87 of the most high H5945 God, H410 possessor H7069 of heaven H8064 and earth: H776
20 And blessed H1288 be the most high H5945 God, H410 which hath delivered H4042 thine enemies H6862 into thy hand. H3027 And he gave H5414 him tithes H4643 of all.
21 And the king H4428 of Sodom H5467 said H559 unto Abram, H87 Give H5414 me the persons, H5315 and take H3947 the goods H7399 to thyself.
22 And Abram H87 said H559 to the king H4428 of Sodom, H5467 I have lift up H7311 mine hand H3027 unto the LORD, H3068 the most high H5945 God, H410 the possessor H7069 of heaven H8064 and earth, H776
23 That I will not H518 take from a thread H2339 even to a shoelatchet, H5275 H8288 and that I will not H518 take H3947 any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, H559 I have made H6238 Abram H87 rich: H6238
24 Save H1107 only that which H834 the young men H5288 have eaten, H398 and the portion H2506 of the men H582 which went H1980 with H854 me, Aner, H6063 Eshcol, H812 and Mamre; H4471 let them H1992 take H3947 their portion. H2506
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 14
Commentary on Genesis 14 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 14
Ge 14:1-24. War.
1. And it came to pass—This chapter presents Abram in the unexpected character of a warrior. The occasion was this: The king of Sodom and the kings of the adjoining cities, after having been tributaries for twelve years to the king of Elam, combined to throw off his yoke. To chastise their rebellion, as he deemed it, Chedorlaomer, with the aid of three allies, invaded the territories of the refractory princes, defeated them in a pitched battle where the nature of the ground favored his army (Ge 14:10), and hastened in triumph on his homeward march, with a large amount of captives and booty, though merely a stranger.
12. they took Lot … and his goods, and departed—How would the conscience of that young man now upbraid him for his selfish folly and ingratitude in withdrawing from his kind and pious relative! Whenever we go out of the path of duty, we put ourselves away from God's protection, and cannot expect that the choice we make will be for our lasting good.
13. there came one that had escaped—Abram might have excused himself from taking any active concern in his "brother," that is, nephew, who little deserved that he should incur trouble or danger on his account. But Abram, far from rendering evil for evil, resolved to take immediate measures for the rescue of Lot.
14. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants—domestic slaves, such as are common in Eastern countries still and are considered and treated as members of the family. If Abram could spare three hundred and eighteen slaves and leave a sufficient number to take care of the flocks, what a large establishment he must have had.
15, 16. he divided himself … by night—This war between the petty princes of ancient Canaan is exactly the same as the frays and skirmishes between Arab chiefs in the present day. When a defeated party resolves to pursue the enemy, they wait till they are fast asleep; then, as they have no idea of posting sentinels, they rush upon them from different directions, strike down the tent poles—if there is any fight at all, it is the fray of a tumultuous mob—a panic commonly ensues, and the whole contest is ended with little or no loss on either side.
18. Melchizedek—This victory conferred a public benefit on that part of the country; and Abram, on his return, was treated with high respect and consideration, particularly by the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, who seems to have been one of the few native princes, if not the only one, who knew and worshipped, "the most high God," whom Abram served. This king who was a type of the Saviour (Heb 7:1), came to bless God for the victory which had been won, and in the name of God to bless Abram, by whose arms it had been achieved—a pious acknowledgment which we should imitate on succeeding in any lawful enterprise.
20. he gave him tithes of all—Here is an evidence of Abram's piety, as well as of his valor; for it was to a priest or official mediator between God and him that Abram gave a tenth of the spoil—a token of his gratitude and in honor of a divine ordinance (Pr 3:9).
21. the king of Sodom said … Give me the persons—According to the war customs still existing among the Arab tribes, Abram might have retained the recovered goods, and his right was acknowledged by the king of Sodom. But with honest pride, and a generosity unknown in that part of the world, he replied with strong phraseology common to the East, "I have lifted up mine hand" [that is, I have sworn] unto the Lord that I will not take from a thread even to a sandal-thong, and that that I will not take any thing that [is] thine, lest thou shouldst say, I have made Abram rich" [Ge 14:22, 23].