Genesis 14

Ge 14:1-24.

WAR.

1. And it came to pass--This chapter presents Abram in the

unexpected character of a warrior. The occasion was this: The king of

Sodom and the kings of the adjoining cities, after having been

tributaries for twelve years to the king of Elam, combined to throw off

his yoke. To chastise their rebellion, as he deemed it, Chedorlaomer,

with the aid of three allies, invaded the territories of the refractory

princes, defeated them in a pitched battle where the nature of the

ground favored his army

(Ge 14:10),

and hastened in triumph on his homeward march, with a large amount of

captives and booty, though merely a stranger.

12. they took Lot . . . and his goods, and

departed--How would the conscience of that young man now upbraid

him for his selfish folly and ingratitude in withdrawing from his kind

and pious relative! Whenever we go out of the path of duty, we put

ourselves away from God's protection, and cannot expect that the choice

we make will be for our lasting good.

13. there came one that had escaped--Abram might have excused

himself from taking any active concern in his "brother," that is,

nephew, who little deserved that he should incur trouble or danger on

his account. But Abram, far from rendering evil for evil,

resolved to take immediate measures for the rescue of Lot.

14. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he

armed his trained servants--domestic slaves, such as are common in

Eastern countries still and are considered and treated as members of

the family. If Abram could spare three hundred and eighteen slaves and

leave a sufficient number to take care of the flocks, what a large

establishment he must have had.

15, 16. he divided himself . . . by night--This war

between the petty princes of ancient Canaan is exactly the same as the

frays and skirmishes between Arab chiefs in the present day. When a

defeated party resolves to pursue the enemy, they wait till they are

fast asleep; then, as they have no idea of posting sentinels, they rush

upon them from different directions, strike down the tent poles--if

there is any fight at all, it is the fray of a tumultuous mob--a panic

commonly ensues, and the whole contest is ended with little or no loss

on either side.

18. Melchizedek--This victory conferred a public benefit on that

part of the country; and Abram, on his return, was treated with high

respect and consideration, particularly by the king of Sodom and

Melchizedek, who seems to have been one of the few native princes, if

not the only one, who knew and worshipped, "the most high God," whom

Abram served. This king who was a type of the Saviour

(Heb 7:1),

came to bless God for the victory which had been won, and in the name

of God to bless Abram, by whose arms it had been achieved--a pious

acknowledgment which we should imitate on succeeding in any lawful

enterprise.

20. he gave him tithes of all--Here is an evidence of Abram's

piety, as well as of his valor; for it was to a priest or official

mediator between God and him that Abram gave a tenth of the spoil--a

token of his gratitude and in honor of a divine ordinance

(Pr 3:9).

21. the king of Sodom said . . . Give me the

persons--According to the war customs still existing among the Arab

tribes, Abram might have retained the recovered goods, and his right

was acknowledged by the king of Sodom. But with honest pride, and a

generosity unknown in that part of the world, he replied with strong

phraseology common to the East, "I have lifted up mine hand" [that is,

I have sworn] unto the Lord that I will not take from a thread even to

a sandal-thong, and that that I will not take any thing that [is]

thine, lest thou shouldst say, I have made Abram rich"

[Ge 14:22, 23].