Genesis 14
The Battle of Sodom and Gomorrah
14:1
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;
14:2
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.
14:3
All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt
sea.
14:4
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they
rebelled.
14:5
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 Emins in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
14:6
And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the
wilderness.
14:7
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.
(14:7) They ... smote all the country of the Amalekites.
The Amalekites were smitten before Amalek
(from whom they descended) was born. Amalek was the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12).
14:8
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;
14:9
With 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.
(14:8-15) Soon after Lot moved to Sodom, a war broke out between the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and
some of the other local kingdoms. The Sodomites were defeated and Lot was taken prisoner. That's when Abraham got involved. He sent an
army of slaves to pursue and smite Lot's captors.
(14:8) The king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah ... joined battle with them [the surrounding kingdoms].
14:10
And 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.
14:11
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals,
and went their way.
(4:10) And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
14:12
And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and
departed.
14:13
And 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.
(14:12) And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom.
14:14
And 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.
14:15
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and
smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
(14:14-20)
To free Lot from captivity, Abraham sends an army of slaves ("servants" in the KJV) to pursue and smite his captors.
Drunk with Blood: Abraham's war to rescue Lot
(14:14-15) When Abram heard that his brother [Lot] was taken captive, he armed his trained servants ... three hundred and eighteen,
and pursued them into Dan ... and smote them.
Does God approve of slavery?
(14:15) Pursued them into Dan
"Dan" is an obvious anachronism, since the city of Dan was not named "Dan" until the time of the Judges
(Judges 18:29). In fact, Dan (for whom the city
was named) was not even born yet (Genesis 30:6).
When was the city of Dan named?
14:16
And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot,
and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
(14:16) And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot.
14:17
And 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.
(14:17) The king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter.
14:18
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the
priest of the most high God.
(14:18) And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Melchizedek, by the way, had no father or mother, no beginning or end, just like the Son of God. (Hebrews 7:1-3)
14:19
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God,
possessor of heaven and earth:
14:20
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into
thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
14:21
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the
goods to thyself.
14:22
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,
14:23
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:
14:24
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.
(14:20) Blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into
thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Melchizedek praises God for delivering Abraham's enemies into his hand, for which he is paid a tenth of all the spoils.
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