Genesis 14:21

21 Forsooth the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give thou the men to me; take thou (the) other things to thee. (And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give thou to me the people; and thou take the other things for thyself.)

Genesis 14:21 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 14:21

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram
After the conversation between him and Melchizedek was over: give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself;
meaning by "persons" or "souls", as in the original, his own subjects that had been taken and carried away by the four kings, and were now brought back by Abram; and by "the goods", those of his own and his subjects, which their conquerors had spoiled them of, but were now recovered, and which he was very willing Abram should have as his right, according to the laws of war, and as a reward of his labours; and very modestly asks for the other, which he did not deny but he might claim as the fruits of his victory: and this also shows, that the king of Sodom, though a Heathen prince, and perhaps a wicked man, yet had more regard to the persons of his subjects than to his own or their goods: the word for "goods" includes all the substance and possession of a man, gold, silver, cattle, and all movables ^F23.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 21. 2.

Genesis 14:21 In-Context

19 and he blessed Abram, and said, Blessed be Abram of [the] (most) high God, that made heaven and earth of nought, (and he blessed Abram, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, who made heaven and earth out of nothing,)

20 and blessed be [the] (most) high God, by whom defending (thee), (thine) enemies be betaken into thine hands. And Abram gave tithes of all things to him. (and blessed be the Most High God, who hath delivered thy enemies into thy hands. And Abram gave him a tithe of all the things that he had recovered.)

21 Forsooth the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give thou the men to me; take thou (the) other things to thee. (And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give thou to me the people; and thou take the other things for thyself.)

22 And Abram answered to him, I raise [up] mine hand to the high Lord God, Lord of heaven and of earth, (But Abram answered to him, I raise up my hand, and swear to the Lord, the Most High God, the Maker of heaven and earth,)

23 that from the thread of [the] woof till to the lanyard of the hose, I shall not take (anything) of all things that be thine, lest thou say, I [have] made Abram rich;