And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;

2 That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

6 And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.

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 same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;

9With 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.

10And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

11And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

12And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.

15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17And the king 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's dale.

18. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

19. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

20. And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

21. And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

22. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

23. That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:

24. Save 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.

And it came to passe in the dayes of Amraphel King of Shinar, Arioch King of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer King of Elam, and Tidal King of nations:

2That these made warre with Bera King of Sodome, and with Birsha King of Gomorrah, Shinab King of Admah, and Shemeber King of Zeboiim, and the King of Bela, which is Zoar.

3All these were ioyned together in the vale of Siddim; which is the salt Sea.

4Twelue yeeres they serued Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth yeere they rebelled.

5And in the fourteenth yeere came Chedorlaomer, and the Kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims, in Ashteroth Karnaim, & the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaueh Kiriathaim;

6And the Horites in their mount Seir, vnto El-Paran, which is by the wildernesse.

7And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, & smote all the countrey of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar.

8And there went out the King of Sodome, and the King of Gomorrah, and the King of Admah, and the King of Zeboiim, and the King of Bela, (the same is Zoar) and they ioyned battell with them, in the vale of Siddim,

9With Chedorlaomer the King of Elam, and with Tidal King of nations, and Amraphel King of Shinar, and Arioch King of Ellasar; foure Kings with fiue.

10And the vale of Siddim was full of slime-pits: and the Kings of Sodome & Gomorrah fled, and fell there: and they that remained, fled to the mountaine.

11And they tooke all the goods of Sodome and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

12And they tooke Lot, Abrams brothers sonne, (who dwelt in Sodome) and his goods, and departed.

13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew, for hee dwelt in the plaine of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.

14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captiue, he armed his trained seruants borne in his owne house, three hundred and eighteene, and pursued them vnto Dan.

15And hee diuided himselfe against them, he and his seruants by night, and smote them, and pursued them vnto Hoba, which is on the left hand of Damascus:

16And hee brought backe all the goods, and also brought againe his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

17. And the king of Sodome went out to meete him, (after his returne from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the Kings that were with him) at the valley of Saueh, which is the Kings dale.

18. And Melchizedek King of Salem brought foorth bread and wine: and he was the Priest of the most high God.

19. And hee blessed him, and saide; Blessed bee Abram of the most high God, possessour of heauen and earth,

20. And blessed bee the most high God, which hath deliuered thine enemies into thy hand: and hee gaue him tithes of all.

21. And the King of Sodome said vnto Abram, giue me the persons, and take the goods to thy selfe.

22. And Abram said to the King of Sodome, I haue lift vp my hand vnto the LORD, the most high God, the possessour of heauen and earth,

23. That I wil not take from a threed euen to a shoe latchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I haue made Abram rich:

24. Saue onely that which the yong men haue eaten, and the portion of the men which went with mee, Aner, Eschol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

I == Gen 10:10 ; 11:2 ; Isa 11:11

 

II == Gen 19:22 ; Deut 29:23

 

 

 

III == Num 34:12 ; Deut 3:17 ; Josh 3:16 ; Ps 107:34

IV == Gen 9:26

V == Gen 15:20 ; Deut 2:10-11 , 20 ; 3:11 ; Josh 12:4 ; 13:12

 

 

VI == Deut 2:12 . 22

 

VII == 2nd Chr 20:2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIV == Gen 13:8 ; 15:3 ; 17:12 . 27

 

 

XV == Isa 41:2-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVII == Judg 11:34 ; 1st Sam 18:6 ; 2nd Sam 18:18 ; Heb 7:1

 

 

XVIII == Ps 110:4 ; Mic 6:6 ; Acts 16:17 ; Heb 5:6 ; 7:1

XIX == Ruth 3:10 ; 2nd Sam 2:5 ; Matt 11:25

XX == Gen 24:27 ; Heb 7:4

 

 

XXII == Gen 14:19 ; 21:33 ; Ex 6:8 ; Dan 12:7 ; Rev 10:5-6

 

XXIII == Gen 14:19 ; 21:33 ; Ex 6:8 ; Dan 12:7 ; rev 10:5-6

 

1 In the days of. . . , Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

2 made war on Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

3 All the latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

4 For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as Elparan, close by the wilderness.

7 They then turned back and came to Enmishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they subdued the whole country both of the Amalekites and of the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazon-tamar.

8 Thereupon the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out, and in the Valley of Siddim they went into battle against them:

9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five.

10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits; and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into these, while the rest fled to the mountains.

11 The victors seized all the possessions and food supplies of Sodom and Gomorrah and then went their way,

12 taking with them Abram's nephew Lot, who had been living in Sodom, as well as his possessions.

13 A fugitive came and brought the news to Abram the Hebrew, who was camping at the terebinth of Mamre the Amorite, a kinsman of Eshcol and Aner; these were in league with Abram.

14 When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he mustered three hundred and eighteen of his retainers, born in his house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

15 He and his party deployed against them at night, defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

16 He recovered all the possessions, besides bringing back his kinsman Lot and his possessions, along with the women and the other captives.

17 When Abram returned from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the kings who were allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).

18 Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words:

19 Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth;

20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people; the goods you may keep."

22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom: "I have sworn to the LORD, God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth,

23 that I would not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap from anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I made Abram rich.'

24 Nothing for me except what my servants have used up and the share that is due to the men who joined me - Aner, Eshcol and Mamre; let them take their share."

v 1-10. Remember from 10:10 that Shinar was the land of two rivers, or the area of Babylon, so they had come a long way. Excavations have proved that indeed, there were such expeditions in early days. The local kings had served these foreign kings 12 years, which would have started while Abram was still in Haran. He had been in this land 10 years in Gen. 16:3. They rebelled in the 13th year and were invaded to bring them into subjection in the 14th year. They came a roundabout way in hill country, defeating everyone they confronted. The local kings thought they would have the advantage in their familiar area filled with holes from which bitumen had been mined. However they ended up defeated in their own slime pits with a few escaping to the mountain. Of slime: Bituminis. This was a kind of pitch, which served for mortar in the building of Babel, Gen. 11. 3, and was used by Noe in pitching the ark.

 

 

 

v 11,12. This ancient battle would not have been recorded had it not involved Lot and Abram. Lot with his family and wealth were taken captive along with the others.

v 13. This is the first time Abram is called a Hebrew, probably from his ancestor Eber, the great grandson of Shem. Hebrew means “from the region beyond the (Euphrates) river”. The three Amorite brothers with their armed men apparently had a protection agreement with Abram.

v 14-16. Abram did not hold his nephew Lot’s greed against him, but went to his rescue. That Abram had 318 trained servants born in his own house indicates the wealth and power he had achieved . (In the few years elapsed, many had to be born in Ur.) He pursued nearly the length of Palestine, finally catching up with the slower moving army and captives on the northern border by Dan. Outnumbered, he surprise attacked at night, and in their confusion, the kings fled another 50 miles more or less before being defeated and relinquishing the last of their captives and booty. Abram’s courage and victory remind us of Rom. 8:31, if God be for us, who can be against us. We will proceed with Melchisedec,

V 18-20 Hebrew tradition says that Priest-King of salem (Jerusalem) was Shem, survivor of the flood who was the earth's oldest living man that was still alive, priest, in the parriarchal age, of the whole race. Thus early right after the flooe, God chos Jerusalem to be the scene of Human Redemption and that he was a type of Christ Psalm 110 ; Hebrews 5 , 6 , 7

v 18. Melchisedec was not a pre incarnate appearance of Christ as some claim. Hebrews 5:6 and 7:11,17 speak of Christ being “after the order of Melchisedec”, and 7:15 says He is “after the similitude of Melchisedec. Melchisedec was not an angel because he was called a man, Heb. 7:4. Neither was he Shem as some think, because we know the father of Shem (cp. Heb. 7:3). He is simply a Gentile king who was a priest and knew the Lord Jehovah as El Elyon, the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. Moses used the name Most High God, Deut. 32:8, and Daniel did repeatedly. It is not that the man had no ancestry, Heb. 7:3. Like most if not all Gentiles, it was just not important that it be recorded. All the arguments have problems,l so I would not be dogmatic.

v 19,20. Though not involved in any of the battles, Melchisedec recognized Abram’s victory as a benefit to all the area, and blessed him. Abram must have been thrilled to find he was a priest of the true God and in recognition of his position, gave him tithes of all the spoils. Tithing was appropriate before and after the Law given. (Elijah was likewise surprised that there were 7000 more believers, 1 Kings 19:18.)

v 21. Legally Abram was entitled to the loot, Bera just wanted the people back. Valley of Shaveh is along brook Kedron 1200 feet from Jerusalem, according to Josephus.

v 22-24. By refusing the spoils, Abram was making it clear to all that it was God who had won the battle for them. He only asked for expenses, the captured food that had been consumed. He did not hold his neighbor helpers to his standard though, and neither should we expect as high a standard from our unsaved friends.