Genesis 14 Study Notes

14:1 The prosperity of the lower Jordan River Valley attracted not only Lot, but it also got the attention of four Asian kings hundreds of miles to the north and east. While scholars cannot match the names here with the names of the kings found in nonbiblical sources, the following observations have been made: Chedorlaomer = the Elamite name Kutir + a deity name; Arioch = the name Arriwuk/Arriyuk found at Mari; Tidal = the Hittite name Tudkhalia. The name Amraphel seems to be a Semitic name. Shinar (Babylonia) is in modern Iraq; Elam is in modern southwest Iran; Ellasar and Goiim are unknown locations.

14:2 The north Asian kings probably waged war against the peoples of the southern Jordan Valley in order to control a trade route (the King’s Highway in the area of modern Jordan) as well as the food supply. The food produced there would have been particularly useful for armies marching to Egypt or fighting other nations in the region.

14:3 The Siddim Valley is mentioned in the Bible only in this narrative.

14:4 For twelve years the five kings of the southern Jordan Valley were subject to (lit “served”) Chedorlaomer; that is, they sent a portion of their annual income to him.

14:5-7 Chedorlaomer could not mount an immediate military response to the regional rebellion. But having assembled a coalition of kings by the following spring, he led the troops southward down the King’s Highway to subjugate the rebellious city-states. Among those conquered were Ashteroth-karnaim (modern Tell Ashtarah in Syria), Ham . . . Shaveh-kiriathaim (probably near the ancient Moabite city of Kiriathaim, Jr 48:1), and El-paran (in ancient Edom). He then went to En-mishpat . . . Kadesh in the northern Sinai desert and Hazazon-tamar (En-gedi, 2Ch 20:2).

14:8-10 The battlefield, with its many asphalt pits, proved to be more dangerous than the enemy. The literal reading of the Hebrew text states, “The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there”—implying that the two kings fell into the asphalt pits.

14:11-13 One of the survivors (lit “the escapee”) came to Abram’s camp, some seventeen miles west of the Dead Sea. In that semidesert region Abram had established a treaty with some Amorites who gave him permission to encamp in the shade of the oaks belonging to Mamre.

14:14 When the survivor informed Abram that Lot had been taken prisoner, the elderly clan leader hastily assembled his 318 trained men—his adult male slaves—and headed 120 miles north as far as Dan in pursuit of his nephew’s captors. The use of the name Dan—and not Laish—suggests that this verse was edited to include the updated name sometime during or after the period of the judges (Jdg 18:29).

14:15 Mounting a nighttime surprise attack, Abram gave his outnumbered troops the advantage. Caught off guard, the coalition of invaders fled headlong on a caravan route as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus.

14:16 In their hasty retreat the invaders abandoned the loot and captives they had taken from Canaan.

14:17 The king of Sodom, who apparently survived his fall into the asphalt pit (v. 10), met Abram’s triumphant group in the Shaveh Valley, probably located just east of Jerusalem.

14:18 Melchizedek, whose name means “king of righteousness” (Heb 7:2), held two titles: he was king of Salem (lit “King of Peace”)—“Salem” being another name for nearby Jerusalem—and priest to God Most High. Abram considered Melchizedek, who is the first person in the Bible to be called a priest, to be a priest of Yahweh, since he equated the title “God Most High” with “the Lord” (v. 22). The writer of Hebrews drew significant parallels between Melchizedek and Jesus Christ (Heb 5:6; 7:1-28). Jesus is the ultimate king of righteousness and peace. He is the ideal high priest who offered up the ultimate sacrifice that sufficed for all time for the sins of the whole world.

14:19 When Melchizedek blessed Abram, he was performing what would become a major traditional function of priests (Nm 6:23; Dt 10:8). Abram was blessed in the name of God Most High (Hb ’el ‘elyon), Creator of heaven and earth (1:1).

14:20 In a construction that paralleled his blessing to Abram, Melchizedek also blessed (gave praise to) God Most High because of the saving acts he had performed. The priest subtly reminded Abram that his recent victory was really God’s work; God had handed over Abram’s enemies to him. The first recorded act of tithing took place here as Abram gave the priest a tenth of the booty he had acquired from the Mesopotamian kings. Abram’s tithe anticipates Israel’s tithe to God (Lv 27:30-32; Nm 18:21-30; Mt 23:23).

14:21 The king of Sodom then ordered Abram to hand over the liberated captives, including citizens of the king’s city. As payment for his military efforts, however, the king gave Abram the recaptured possessions, a term that can refer to livestock as well as objects.

14:22-24 With Melchizedek king of Salem, who worshiped God, Abram was cooperative (vv. 18-20); but when the Canaanite king of Sodom told him to take the possessions, he refused. Abram would not let the king diminish God’s glory by taking credit for Abram’s prosperity.