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Genesis 14

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The War of the Four Kings 1–12

1
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, ​
2
that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar). ​
3
All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea). ​
4
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, ​
6
and the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness.
7
And they returned, and came to En-mishpat (the same is Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon-tamar.
8
And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar); and they set the battle in array against them in the vale of Siddim;
9
against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.
10
Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain. ​
11
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12
And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. ​

Abram Pursues and Rescues Lot 13–16

13
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew: now he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram. ​
14
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. ​
15
And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16
And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

Abram Blessed by Melchizedek 17–20

17
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the same is the King’s Vale). ​
18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High. ​
19
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth: ​
20
and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all. ​

Abram Refuses the Spoils 21–24

21
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22
And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, ​
23
that I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
24
save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Genesis 14

Verse 1

Amraphel king of Shinar — Shinar is the land of Babel and Erech (Gen 10:10) and of the plain where men built the tower (11:2); Elam is a son of Shem (10:22). V.9 counts the sides, 'four kings with five'. 'Tidal king of nations' renders goyim, 'nations'.

Verse 2

Bera king of Sodom — The five kings of the plain: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela, 'which is Zoar'. Admah and Zeboim are named with Sodom as overthrown (Deut 29:23). Bela is the little city Lot asks for, spared and so called Zoar (Gen 19:20–22). 'War' is milchamah.

Verse 3

joined together — Chabar, to unite as allies. The vale of Siddim 'is the salt sea', the water named as the border in Num 34:12 and 'the sea of the plain, even the salt sea' (Deut 3:17). Gen 13:10 had described the plain of Jordan as 'well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom'.

Verse 5

the fourteenth year — The rebellion began in the thirteenth, after twelve years of service (v.4). Of the Emims Deut 2:10–11 says 'a people great, and many, and tall'; the Rephaims are the people of which Og king of Bashan 'remained of the remnant' (Deut 3:11).

Verse 10

slimepits — Be'erot chemar, wells of bitumen, the 'slime' with which the builders of Babel bound their brick (Gen 11:3). The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah 'fled, and fell there', while those who remained fled to the mountain; the valley itself is part of the defeat.

Verse 12

who dwelt in Sodom — Lot had first 'pitched his tent toward Sodom' (13:12); now he is counted among its dwellers (yashab), and carried off with his 'goods' (rekush, the word for the substance gathered in 12:5). He is 'Abram's brother's son', the son of Haran (11:27).

Verse 13

Abram the Hebrew — Ivri, first used here; it is taken from Eber (Gen 10:21). Joseph is later called 'an Hebrew' (39:14; 41:12). Mamre, Eshcol and Aner are literally 'lords of a covenant' (baale berith) with Abram, which is what 'confederate' renders.

Verse 14

three hundred and eighteen — 'Trained' is chanik, found only here; the men are 'born in his own house' (cf. 15:3; 17:27). 'Armed' is ruq, to empty out: he drew them out. Dan was the name given later, 'Laish at the first' (Judg 18:29).

Verse 17

the king's dale — The valley of Shaveh is 'the king's dale', where Absalom later raised his pillar (2 Sam 18:18). The king of Sodom goes out to meet Abram, but his words wait until v.21, after Melchizedek has spoken. Heb 7:1 recalls the scene: Melchizedek 'met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings'.

Verse 18

Melchizedek king of Salem — Malki-tsedeq, 'king of righteousness', and Salem means peace (Heb 7:2); Salem is named with Zion in Ps 76:2. He is 'priest of the most high God' (El Elyon), the priesthood of Ps 110:4, 'a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek'.

Verse 19

possessor of heaven and earth — Qoneh, owner; the root (qanah) also means to create or to acquire. 'Most high' is Elyon. Abram repeats the title in v.22 and names him: 'the LORD, the most high God'. Hebrews 7:7 draws from the blessing that 'the less is blessed of the better'.

Verse 20

he gave him tithes of all — Abram gives, as Heb 7:4 reads it: 'Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils'. Ma'aser, a tenth, is used here for the first time in Scripture and returns in the law (Lev 27:30). 'Delivered' (magan) is to hand over safely: the victory is credited to the most high God.

Verse 22

I have lift up mine hand — Rum, to raise: the hand lifted to swear, as in Dan 12:7, where the man in linen 'held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven' and swore. Abram takes Melchizedek's title (v.19) and puts the divine name before it: 'the LORD, the most high God'.

Verse 24

their portion — Abram claims nothing except what the young men (na'ar) have eaten; Aner, Eshcol and Mamre, the allies of v.13, take their share (cheleq). He refuses the rest 'from a thread even to a shoelatchet' (v.23). David later ruled that the share of him who 'tarrieth by the stuff' equals the fighter's (1 Sam 30:24).