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
And Lot H3876 lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and beheld H7200 all the plain H3603 of Jordan, H3383 that it was well watered H4945 every where, before H6440 the LORD H3068 destroyed H7843 Sodom H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 even as the garden H1588 of the LORD, H3068 like the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 as thou comest H935 unto Zoar. H6820
And the border H1366 of the Canaanites H3669 was from Sidon, H6721 as thou comest H935 to Gerar, H1642 unto Gaza; H5804 as thou goest, H935 unto Sodom, H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 and Admah, H126 and Zeboim, H6636 even unto Lasha. H3962
And that the whole land H776 thereof is brimstone, H1614 and salt, H4417 and burning, H8316 that it is not sown, H2232 nor beareth, H6779 nor any grass H6212 groweth H5927 therein, like the overthrow H4114 of Sodom, H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 Admah, H126 and Zeboim, H6636 which the LORD H3068 overthrew H2015 in his anger, H639 and in his wrath: H2534
Behold now, this city H5892 is near H7138 to flee H5127 unto, and it H1931 is a little one: H4705 Oh, let me escape H4422 thither, (is it not a little one?) H4705 and my soul H5315 shall live. H2421 And he said H559 unto him, See, H2009 I have accepted H5375 thee H6440 concerning this thing H1697 also, that I will not overthrow H2015 this city, H5892 for the which H834 thou hast spoken. H1696 Haste H4116 thee, escape H4422 thither; for I cannot H3201 do H6213 any thing H1697 till thou be come H935 thither. Therefore the name H8034 of the city H5892 was called H7121 Zoar. H6820 The sun H8121 was risen H3318 upon the earth H776 when Lot H3876 entered H935 into Zoar. H6820 Then the LORD H3068 rained H4305 upon Sodom H5467 and upon Gomorrah H6017 brimstone H1614 and fire H784 from the LORD H3068 out of heaven; H8064 And he overthrew H2015 those H411 cities, H5892 and all the plain, H3603 and all the inhabitants H3427 of the cities, H5892 and that which grew H6780 upon the ground. H127 But his wife H802 looked back H5027 from behind him, H310 and she became a pillar H5333 of salt. H4417 And Abraham H85 gat up early H7925 in the morning H1242 to the place H4725 where he stood H5975 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 And he looked H8259 toward H6440 Sodom H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 and toward H6440 all the land H776 of the plain, H3603 and beheld, H7200 and, lo, the smoke H7008 of the country H776 went up H5927 as the smoke H7008 of a furnace. H3536 And it came to pass, when God H430 destroyed H7843 the cities H5892 of the plain, H3603 that God H430 remembered H2142 Abraham, H85 and sent H7971 Lot H3876 out of the midst H8432 of the overthrow, H2018 when he overthrew H2015 the cities H5892 in the which H2004 Lot H3876 dwelt. H3427 And Lot H3876 went up H5927 out of Zoar, H6820 and dwelt H3427 in the mountain, H2022 and his two H8147 daughters H1323 with him; for he feared H3372 to dwell H3427 in Zoar: H6820 and he dwelt H3427 in a cave, H4631 he and his two H8147 daughters. H1323
Except H3884 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 had left H3498 unto us a very small H4592 remnant, H8300 we should have been H1961 as Sodom, H5467 and we should have been like H1819 unto Gomorrah. H6017 Hear H8085 the word H1697 of the LORD, H3068 ye rulers H7101 of Sodom; H5467 give ear H238 unto the law H8451 of our God, H430 ye people H5971 of Gomorrah. H6017
My heart H3820 shall cry out H2199 for Moab; H4124 his fugitives H1280 shall flee unto Zoar, H6820 an heifer H5697 of three years old: H7992 for by the mounting up H4608 of Luhith H3872 with weeping H1065 shall they go it up; H5927 for in the way H1870 of Horonaim H2773 they shall raise up H5782 a cry H2201 of destruction. H7667
From the cry H2201 of Heshbon H2809 even unto Elealeh, H500 and even unto Jahaz, H3096 have they uttered H5414 their voice, H6963 from Zoar H6820 even unto Horonaim, H2773 as an heifer H5697 of three years old: H7992 for the waters H4325 also of Nimrim H5249 shall be desolate. H4923
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].