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
And they called H7121 the name H8034 of the city H5892 Dan, H1835 after the name H8034 of Dan H1835 their father, H1 who was born H3205 unto Israel: H3478 howbeit H199 the name H8034 of the city H5892 was Laish H3919 at the first. H7223
And Moses H4872 went up H5927 from the plains H6160 of Moab H4124 unto the mountain H2022 of Nebo, H5015 to the top H7218 of Pisgah, H6449 that is over against H6440 Jericho. H3405 And the LORD H3068 shewed H7200 him all the land H776 of Gilead, H1568 unto Dan, H1835
And all the men H582 of his house, H1004 born H3211 in the house, H1004 and bought H4736 with money H3701 of the stranger, H1121 H5236 were circumcised H4135 with him.
If thou forbear H2820 to deliver H5337 them that are drawn H3947 unto death, H4194 and those that are ready H4131 to be slain; H2027 If thou sayest, H559 Behold, we knew H3045 it not; doth not he that pondereth H8505 the heart H3826 consider H995 it? and he that keepeth H5341 thy soul, H5315 doth not he know H3045 it? and shall not he render H7725 to every man H120 according to his works? H6467
And he that is eight H8083 days H3117 old H1121 shall be circumcised H4135 among you, every man child H2145 in your generations, H1755 he that is born H3211 in the house, H1004 or bought H4736 with money H3701 of any stranger, H1121 H5236 which is not of thy seed. H2233
And Abram H87 took H3947 Sarai H8297 his wife, H802 and Lot H3876 his brother's H251 son, H1121 and all their substance H7399 that they had gathered, H7408 and the souls H5315 that they had gotten H6213 in Haran; H2771 and they went forth H3318 to go H3212 into the land H776 of Canaan; H3667 and into the land H776 of Canaan H3667 they came. H935
Brethren, G80 if G1437 G2532 a man G444 be overtaken G4301 in G1722 a G5100 fault, G3900 ye G5210 which G3588 are spiritual, G4152 restore G2675 such an one G5108 in G1722 the spirit G4151 of meekness; G4236 considering G4648 thyself, G4572 lest G3361 thou G4771 also G2532 be tempted. G3985 Bear ye G941 one another's G240 burdens, G922 and G2532 so G3779 fulfil G378 the law G3551 of Christ. G5547
Little children, G3813 it is G2076 the last G2078 time: G5610 and G2532 as G2531 ye have heard G191 that G3754 antichrist G500 shall come, G2064 even G2532 now G3568 are there G1096 many G4183 antichrists; G500 whereby G3606 we know G1097 that G3754 it is G2076 the last G2078 time. G5610
Now these are the generations H8435 of Terah: H8646 Terah H8646 begat H3205 Abram, H87 Nahor, H5152 and Haran; H2039 and Haran H2039 begat H3205 Lot. H3876 And Haran H2039 died H4191 before H6440 his father H1 Terah H8646 in the land H776 of his nativity, H4138 in Ur H218 of the Chaldees. H3778 And Abram H87 and Nahor H5152 took H3947 them wives: H802 the name H8034 of Abram's H87 wife H802 was Sarai; H8297 and the name H8034 of Nahor's H5152 wife, H802 Milcah, H4435 the daughter H1323 of Haran, H2039 the father H1 of Milcah, H4435 and the father H1 of Iscah. H3252 But Sarai H8297 was barren; H6135 she had no child. H2056 And Terah H8646 took H3947 Abram H87 his son, H1121 and Lot H3876 the son H1121 of Haran H2039 his son's H1121 son, H1121 and Sarai H8297 his daughter in law, H3618 his son H1121 Abram's H87 wife; H802 and they went forth H3318 with them from Ur H218 of the Chaldees, H3778 to go H3212 into the land H776 of Canaan; H3667 and they came H935 unto Haran, H2771 and dwelt H3427 there.
Who raised up H5782 the righteous H6664 man from the east, H4217 called H7121 him to his foot, H7272 gave H5414 the nations H1471 before H6440 him, and made him rule H7287 over kings? H4428 he gave H5414 them as the dust H6083 to his sword, H2719 and as driven H5086 stubble H7179 to his bow. H7198 He pursued H7291 them, and passed H5674 safely; H7965 even by the way H734 that he had not gone H935 with his feet. H7272
A friend H7453 loveth H157 at all times, H6256 and a brother H251 is born H3205 for adversity. H6869
Kings H4428 of armies H6635 did flee H5074 apace: H5074 and she that tarried H5116 at home H1004 divided H2505 the spoil. H7998
Gird H2296 thy sword H2719 upon thy thigh, H3409 O most mighty, H1368 with thy glory H1935 and thy majesty. H1926 And in thy majesty H1926 ride H7392 prosperously H6743 because H1697 of truth H571 and meekness H6037 and righteousness; H6664 and thy right hand H3225 shall teach H3384 thee terrible things. H3372 Thine arrows H2671 are sharp H8150 in the heart H3820 of the king's H4428 enemies; H341 whereby the people H5971 fall H5307 under thee.
Then all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went out, H3318 and the congregation H5712 was gathered together H6950 as one H259 man, H376 from Dan H1835 even to Beersheba, H884 with the land H776 of Gilead, H1568 unto the LORD H3068 in Mizpeh. H4709
Hear us, H8085 my lord: H113 thou art a mighty H430 prince H5387 among us: H8432 in the choice H4005 of our sepulchres H6913 bury H6912 thy dead; H4191 none H3808 H376 of us shall withhold H3607 from thee his sepulchre, H6913 but that thou mayest bury H6912 thy dead. H4191
For I know H3045 him, that H834 he will command H6680 his children H1121 and his household H1004 after him, H310 and they shall keep H8104 the way H1870 of the LORD, H3068 to do H6213 justice H6666 and judgment; H4941 that the LORD H3068 may bring H935 upon Abraham H85 that which he hath spoken H1696 of him.
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].