Genesis 14

1 Forsooth it was done in that time, that Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar, and Chedorlaomer, king of Elamites, and Tidal, king of folks, (And it happened at that time, that Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar, and Chedorlaomer, king of Elamites, and Tidal, king of Goiim,)

2 began battle against Bera, king of Sodom, and against Birsha, king of Gomorrah, and against Shinab, king of Admah, and against Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and against the king of Bela, that Bela is Zoar (and against the king of Bela, which is now called Zoar).

3 All these came together into the valley of wood, which is now the sea of salt. (And they all came together into the Siddim Valley, which is now the Salt Sea, that is, the Dead Sea.)

4 For in twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they departed from him. (For they served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and then in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.)

5 Therefore Chedorlaomer came in the fourteenth year, and [the] kings that were with him, and they smited Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and Zuzims with them (and the Zuzims in Ham), and Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

6 and Horites in the hills of Seir (and the Horites in the hill country of Seir), till to the field places of Elparan, which is in (the) wilderness.

7 And they turned again, and came till to the well of Mishpat; that is Kadesh (And then they returned, and came unto Enmishpat; that is Kadesh). And they smited all the country of (the) men of Amalek, and (also the) Amorites, that dwelled in Hazazontamar.

8 And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, also and the king of Bela, which is (now called) Zoar, went out, and [they] dressed (the) battle array against them in the valley of wood (and they directed the battle array against them in the Siddim Valley),

9 that is, against Chedorlaomer, king of Elamites, and Tidal, king of folks (king of Goiim), and Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar; four kings against five.

10 Forsooth the valley of wood had many pits of pitch, either strong glue; and so the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah turned the(ir) backs, and felled down there; and they that (were) left fled to the hill(s). (But the Siddim Valley had many pits of pitch, or of strong glue; and when the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah turned their backs to flee, they fell into them; but the other three kings who were left alive, fled to the hill country.)

11 Soothly they took away all the chattel of Sodom and Gomorrah/all the cattle of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all things that pertain[ed] to meat, and went away; (And those four kings took away all of the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah/all of the livestock of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all of their food, and went away;)

12 also and they took away Lot and his chattel/Lot and his cattle, the son of the brother of Abram, which Lot dwelled in Sodom. (and they also took away Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who lived in Sodom, and all of his possessions/and all of his livestock.)

13 And, lo! one that escaped, told to Abram the Hebrew, that dwelled in the valley of Mamre of (the) Amorites, [the] brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; for these [had] made (a) covenant of peace with Abram. (And, lo! one who escaped, went and told all of this to Abram the Hebrew, who lived by the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol, and the brother of Aner; for they had made a covenant of peace with Abram.)

14 And when Abram had heard this thing, that is, (that) Lot, (the son of) his brother, (was) taken, he numbered his born servants made ready, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them till to Dan. (And when Abram had heard this, that is, that Lot, his kinsman, was taken captive, he called together the three hundred and eighteen men who were born in his household, and pursued after the four kings as far as Dan.)

15 And when his fellows were separated (into groups), he felled on them in the night, and smote them, and pursued them till to Hobah, and Phenice, which is at the left side of Damascus (which is north of Damascus).

16 And he brought again all the chattel, and Lot, (the son of) his brother, with his chattel, also (the) women, and the people./And he brought again all the cattle, and Lot, (the son of) his brother, with his cattle, also (the) women, and the people. (And he brought back all of the possessions that had been taken, and Lot, his kinsman, and all of his possessions, and all of the women, and the other prisoners./And he brought back all of the livestock that had been taken, and Lot, his kinsman, and all of his livestock, and all of the women, and the other prisoners.)

17 Soothly the king of Sodom went out into the meeting of him, after that he turned again from [the] slaying of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, in the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king. (And Sodom's king went out to meet him, after that he had returned from killing Chedorlaomer, and the other kings who were with him, in the Shaveh Valley, which is now called the King's Valley.)

18 And soothly Melchizedek, (the) king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the highest God (for he was the priest of the Most High God);

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;

24 except these things which the young men ate, and the parts of (the) men that came with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; these men shall take their parts. (except for those things which the young men have eaten, and a portion for the men who came with me, that is, for Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let these men take their portion, or their share.)

Genesis 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

The battle of the kings, Lot is taken prisoner. (1-12) Abram rescues Lot. (13-16) Melchizedek blesses Abram. (17-20) Abram restores the spoil. (21-24)

Verses 1-12 The wars of nations make great figure in history, but we should not have had the record of this war if Abram and Lot had not been concerned. Out of covetousness, Lot had settled in fruitful, but wicked Sodom. Its inhabitants were the most ripe for vengeance of all the descendants of Canaan. The invaders were from Chaldea and Persia, then only small kingdoms. They took Lot among the rest, and his goods. Though he was righteous, and Abram's brother's son, yet he was with the rest in this trouble. Neither our own piety, nor our relation to the favourites of Heaven, will be our security when God's judgments are abroad. Many an honest man fares the worse for his wicked neighbours: it is our wisdom to separate, or at least to ( 2 Corinthians. 6:17 ) of Abram should have been a companion and a disciple of Abram. If he chose to dwell in Sodom, he must thank himself if he share in Sodom's losses. When we go out of the way of our duty, we put ourselves from under God's protection, and cannot expect that the choice made by our lusts, should end to our comfort. They took Lot's goods; it is just with God to deprive us of enjoyments, by which we suffer ourselves to be deprived of the enjoyment of him.

Verses 13-16 Abram takes this opportunity to give a real proof of his being truly friendly to Lot. We ought to be ready to succour those in distress, especially relations and friends. And though others may have been wanting in their duty to us, yet we must not neglect our duty to them. Abram rescued the captives. As we have opportunity, we must do good to all.

Verses 17-20 Melchizedek is spoken of as a king of Salem, supposed to be the place afterwards called Jerusalem, and it is generally thought that he was only a man. The words of the apostle, Heb. 7:3 , state only, that the sacred history has said nothing of his ancestors. The silence of the Scriptures on this, is to raise our thoughts to Him, whose generation cannot be declared. Bread and wine were suitable refreshment for the weary followers of Abram; and it is remarkable that Christ appointed the same as the memorials of his body and blood, which are meat and drink indeed to the soul. Melchizedek blessed Abram from God. He blessed God from Abram. We ought to give thanks for other's mercies as for our own. Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, is the Mediator both of our prayers and praises, and not only offers up ours, but his own for us. Abram gave him the tenth of the spoils, ( Hebrews 7:4 ) . When we have received some great mercy from God, it is very fit we should express our thankfulness by some special act of pious charity. Jesus Christ, our great Melchisedek, is to have homage done him, and to be humbly acknowledged as our King and Priest; not only the tithe of all, but all we have, must be given up to him.

Verses 21-24 Observe the king of Sodom's grateful offer to Abram, Give me the souls, and take thou the substance. Gratitude teaches us to recompense to the utmost of our power, those that have undergone fatigues, run hazards, and been at expense for our service and benefit. Abram generously refused this offer. He accompanies his refusal with a good reason, Lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: which would reflect upon the promise promise and covenant of God, as if He would not have enriched Abraham without the spoils of Sodom. The people of God must, for their credit's sake, take heed of doing any thing that looks mean or mercenary, or that savors of covetousness and self-seeking. Abraham can trust the Possessor of Heaven and earth to provide for him.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 14

This chapter gives an account of a war that was waged, and a battle fought between four kings on one side, and five on the other, and of the occasion and issue of it, who were the first kings, and this the first battle the Scriptures speak of, Ge 14:1-11; Lot and his goods being taken and carried off, with those of Sodom, by the conquerors, Abram hearing of it armed his men, and pursued after them, and overtook and overcame them, and rescued Lot and his goods, with others, and returned, Ge 14:12-16; when he was met by the kings of Sodom and Salem, who congratulated him on his victory, Ge 14:17-19; and what passed between him, and those great personages, is related, Ge 14:20-24.