The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
Genesis 14
Chapter XIV · Vol. I, pp. 234–236
1 The battle of four kings against five. 11 Lot is taken prisoner. 14 Abram rescueth him. 18 Melchizedek blesseth Abram. 20 Abram giveth him tithe. 22 The rest of the spoil, his partners having had their portions, he restoreth to the king of Sodom.
1 And it came to pass, in the days of Amraphel king of aShinar, Arioch king of bEllasar, Chedorlaomer king of cElam, and Tidal king of nations;
2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom,d and with Birsha king of dGomorrah, Shinab king of dAdmah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim,d and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
d ch. 10.19; 13.10; 19.20. Is. 1.9,10. Ho. 11.8. This is the first war we read of.
5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims4 in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the gEmims in 5Shaveh Kiriathaim,6
A.M. 2091. B.C. 1913.
4 Or, giants, De. 2.11,20,22. 2 Sa. 5.18,22.
g De. 2.10,11.
5 Or, the plain of Kiriathaim.
6 The Rephaims, Zuzims, and Emims were different families of that gigantic aboriginal race which inhabited Syria in prehistoric times. Ashteroth-Karnaim was in Bashan; Ham and the plain of Kiriathaim lay east of the Dead Sea. When the Israelites under Moses entered Palestine, Og, the last of the Rephaim, reigned over Bashan; and at a much later period Goliath and other descendants of the Rephaim still lived among the Philistines.—P.
6 And the hHorites7 in their mount Seir, unto El-paran,8 which is by the wilderness.
h ch. 36.20-30. 1 Ch. 1.38-42; 16.7; 21.21.
7 Horites, 'dwellers in caves,' the primeval inhabitants of Mount Seir, or Edom. They were doubtless the original excavators of those remarkable grottoes which still abound in Petra.—P.
8 Or, the plain of Paran.
7 And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is iKadesh,9 and smote all the country of the kAmalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in lHazezon-tamar.1
i ch. 16.14; 20.1. De. 1.19,46. Nu. 20.1.
9 Situated in the valley of Arabah, on the western border of Edom. The Israelites long encamped at the fountain of Kadesh, which appears to have been, as the name implies, an ancient 'holy place.'—P.
k Ex. 17.8. Nu. 14.45. 1 Sa. xv. xxvii. xxx.
1 Afterwards called Engedi, 'the fountain of the kid.'—P.
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 msame is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them nin the vale of Siddim;
m ver. 2; ch. 19.20,22. See ch. 13.10.
n See ver. 3,10.
9 Witho Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
o See ver. 1.
10 And the vale of Siddim was full of pslimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and qfell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
13 And there came one that had tescaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for uhe dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite,2 brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
14 And when Abram heard that his vbrother was taken captive, he armed3 his trained4 servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto wDan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the xleft hand of Damascus.
x North of it, ch. 15.2. 1 Ki. 15.18.
16 And he ybrought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17 And the zking of Sodom went out to meet him (after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him) at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king'sa dale.
18 And bMelchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.2
b He. 7.1-21; 5.6,10; 6.20. Ps. 110.4.
2 Salem was one of the primeval names of Jerusalem, Ps. 76.3; and it appears to have been close to that city the interview took place. This has been questioned by some late authorities, but without just cause.—P.
19 And he cblessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20 And dblessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him etithes of all.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons,3 and take the goods to thyself.
3 Heb. souls.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, If have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, gthe most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That hI will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.
h Es. 9.15,16. 1 Ki. 5.16; 13.8. He. 13.5.
24 Savei only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
i Pr. 3.27. Ro. 13.7,8. Mat. 7.12.
Notes
[Ver. 1. These princes were all from Mesopotamia, and one of them was from Elam, or Chaldea, Abraham's native country. It is a remarkable fact that within the last few years bricks have been found in the ruins of Mugheir (Ur), the capital of Elam, bearing the name of a king, apparently contemporary with Abraham, and closely resembling Chedorlaomer. It is written Kudor-Mabuk. The first part is evidently identical with the Hebrew Chedor. This prince also has a title which signifies 'ravager of the west.' The direct distance from Elam to the Dead Sea is about 800 miles. P.]
Ver. 14. [The well-known border city, anciently called Laish, did not get the name Dan till the time of the judges; but there was another ancient city in the same region called Dan-jaan, which may perhaps be that alluded to in this passage and in De. 34. 1. P.]
Ver. 18. Who this Melchizedek was, this priest of God among the Canaanites, greater than Abram, the friend of God, who were his parents or his successors, is on purpose concealed by the Holy Ghost. And hence he is without father or mother, predecessor or successor, in historical account, in order that he might typify the incomprehensible dignity, the amazing pedigree, and unchangeable duration of Jesus Christ, our great High-priest. He. 6. 20, 'Jesus was made an high-priest after the order of Melchizedek;' 5. 6, 10; Ps. 110. 4; He. 7. 1-24, 'For this Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all the spoil: first being Melchizedek, which is, by interpretation, king of righteousness; and after that also, king of Salem, which is king of peace; without father, without mother, mentioned in history, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, recorded in scripture, but made like unto the Son of God, who abideth a priest continually. Consider how great this man was, unto whom even Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils, and who blessed him that had the promises. And, without all contradiction, the less is blessed of the greater. Levi, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. After the similitude of Melchizedek there ariseth another priest, even Jesus, who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life; and, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.'
Ver. 22. In matters of importance, it is sometimes necessary to interpose an oath for the confirmation of our assertions or engagements, He. 6. 13-17; ch. 21. 31; 26. 31; 31. 53; 1 Sa. 20. 17; Nu. 5. 21; Ex. 22. 11; 1 Ki. 8. 31; 2 Ch. 6. 22, &c. All oaths are to be sworn by God alone, and import a taking of him to witness the truth of what we declare or engage, and calling him to avenge himself upon us if we utter falsehood, or neglect to perform our engagement, ch. 31. 53; De. 6. 13; 10. 20; Is. 45. 23; 65. 16; Je. 12. 16; Ps. 63. 11; He. 6. 13-17. In some cases, the putting of the hand of the inferior under the thigh of his superior was the declaratory sign used in swearing, ch. 24. 9; 47. 29; but lifting up of the hand was the common sign, Ex. 17. 16; De. 32. 40; Da. 12. 7; Re. 10. 5, 6.
Reflections.—How dreadful is the curse of God! After four hundred years' respite, it breaks forth upon the sinners of Sodom and the places about. From what distant quarters does God bring the executioners of it! How short-lived is that pleasure or quiet which saints attempt to procure by unnecessary connections with wicked men! How becoming and godlike to forget the injuries which we have received; and to risk, or even to lay down, our lives for the brethren! What honour—what comfort—what blessings—attend such a conduct!—But in this Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the most high God, let me behold Him who is a priest for ever—Jesus, without father as man, without mother as God—the Lord from heaven! He is King of Righteousness. In his obedience and suffering he made reconciliation for iniquity, and brought in an everlasting righteousness; in righteousness he rules his subjects, and causeth them to work righteousness. He is King of Peace. By his blood he secured our peace with God, with our conscience, and with one another; in his intercession he pleads for it; and by his word and Spirit he effects it. He is our incomparable High-priest, who received not his office from any creature, nor leaves it to another. In and by him we are blessed of God with all spiritual and everlasting blessings; and with his bread and wine, presented in the gospel—his flesh, which is meat indeed, and his blood, which is drink indeed—he refresheth our souls while we are engaged in and after our warfare with sin, Satan, the world, and death. And to him is due, from every minister and saint, the voluntary tithes of everlasting praise.