Genesis 14
14
Abram Rescues Lot
1In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, # Gn 10:10; 11:2 Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, # A region in southwest Iran # Gn 10:22; Is 11:11; Dn 8:2 and Tidal # The name Tidal may be related to the Hittite royal name Tudhaliya. king of Goiim # Or nations 2waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, # Hs 11:8 as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar # Gn 19:22-23). 3All of these came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea # Nm 34:12; Dt 3:17; Jos 3:16). 4They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim # Gn 15:20; Dt 2:11,20-21; 3:11,13; Jos 12:4 in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, # Dt 1:4; Jos 9:10 the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6and the Horites # Gn 36:20; Dt 2:12,22 in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran # Gn 21:21; Nm 10:12 by the wilderness. 7Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh # Nm 13:26), and they defeated all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. # 2Ch 20:2
8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim 9against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings against five. 10Now the Valley of Siddim contained many asphalt pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, # Sam, LXX; MT reads fell there but the rest fled to the mountains. # Gn 19:17 11The four kings took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on. 12They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom, # Gn 13:12 and they went on.
13One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, # Gn 39:14; 40:15 who lived near the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with # Lit were possessors of a covenant of Abram. 14When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled # Sam; MT reads poured out his 318 trained men, born in his household, # Gn 12:5; 15:3; 17:27; Ec 2:7 and they went in pursuit as far as Dan. # Dt 34:1; Jdg 18:29; 1Kg 15:20 15And he and his servants deployed against them by night, attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus. 16He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.
Melchizedek’s Blessing
17After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley # 2Sm 18:18). 18Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, # = Jerusalem # Ps 110:4; Heb 5:6; 7:1 brought out bread and wine; he was a priest to God Most High. # Ps 57:2 19He blessed him and said:
Abram is blessed by God Most High,
Creator # Or Possessor of heaven and earth,
20and I give praise to # Or and blessed be God Most High
who has handed over your enemies to you.
And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. # Heb 7:4
21Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the possessions for yourself.”
22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to Yahweh, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23that I will not take a thread or sandal strap or anything that belongs to you, so you can never say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24I will take nothing # Lit Nothing to me except what the servants have eaten. But as for the share of the men who came with me — Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre — they can take their share.”
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B'resheet (Gen) 14
14
1(iv) When Amrafel was king of Shin‘ar, Aryokh king of Elasar, K’dorla‘omer king of ‘Elam and Tid‘al king of Goyim; 2they made war together against Bera king of S’dom and against Birsha king of ‘Amora, Shin’av king of Admah, Shem’ever king of Tzvoyim, and the king of Bela (which is the same as Tzo‘ar). 3All the latter kings joined forces in the Siddim Valley, where the Dead Sea is. 4They had served K’dorla‘omer twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5In the fourteenth year K’dorla‘omer and the kings with him came and defeated the Refa’im in ‘Asht’rot-Karnayim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Eimim in Shaveh-Kiryatayim 6and the Hori at Se‘ir, their mountain, all the way to Eil-Pa’ran by the desert. 7Next they turned back, came to ‘Ein-Mishpat (which is the same as Kadesh), and defeated all the country of the ‘Amaleki, and also the Emori, who lived in Hatzatzon-Tamar. 8Then the kings of S’dom, ‘Amora, Admah, Tzvoyim and Bela (that is, Tzo‘ar) came out and arrayed themselves for battle in the Siddim Valley 9against K’dorla‘omer king of ‘Elam, Tid‘al king of Goyim, Amrafel king of Admah and Aryokh king of Elasar, four kings against the five.
10Now the Siddim Valley was full of clay pits; and when the kings of S’dom and ‘Amora fled, some fell into them; while the rest fled to the hills. 11The victors took all the possessions of S’dom and ‘Amora and all their food supply; then they left. 12But as they left, they took Lot, Avram’s brother’s son, and his possessions; since he was living in S’dom. 13Someone who had escaped came and told Avram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Emori, brother of Eshkol and brother of ‘Aner; all of them allies of Avram. 14When Avram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, who had been born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15During the night he and his servants divided his forces against them, then attacked and pursued them all the way to Hovah, north of Dammesek. 16He recovered all the goods and brought back his nephew Lot with his goods, together with the women and the other people. 17After his return from slaughtering K’dorla‘omer and the kings with him, the king of S’dom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley, also known as the King’s Valley.
18Malki-Tzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine. He was cohen of El ‘Elyon [God Most High], 19so he blessed him with these words:
“Blessed be Avram by El ‘Elyon,
maker of heaven of earth.
20and blessed be El ‘Elyon,
who handed your enemies over to you.”
Avram gave him a tenth of everything.
(v) 21The king of S’dom said to Avram, “Give me the people, and keep the goods for yourself.” 22But Avram answered the king of S’dom, “I have raised my hand in an oath to Adonai, El ‘Elyon, maker of heaven and earth, 23that I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal thong of anything that is yours; so that you won’t be able to say, ‘I made Avram rich.’ 24I will take only what my troops have eaten and the share of the spoil belonging to the men who came with me — ‘Aner, Eshkol and Mamre; let them have their share.”
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