Genesis 14:24

21-24 Observe the king of Sodom's grateful offer to Abram, Give me the souls, and take thou the substance. Gratitude teaches us to recompense to the utmost of our power, those that have undergone fatigues, run hazards, and been at expense for our service and benefit. Abram generously refused this offer. He accompanies his refusal with a good reason, Lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: which would reflect upon the promise promise and covenant of God, as if He would not have enriched Abraham without the spoils of Sodom. The people of God must, for their credit's sake, take heed of doing any thing that looks mean or mercenary, or that savors of covetousness and self-seeking. Abraham can trust the Possessor of Heaven and earth to provide for him....

Verse Genesis 14:24. _SAVE ONLY THAT WHICH THE YOUNG MEN HAVE EATEN_] His own servants had partaken of the _victuals_ which the confederate kings had carried away; see Genesis 14:11. This was unavoidable, and this is all he claims; but as he had no right to prescribe the same liberal conduct to his assistants, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, he left them to claim the _share_ that by _right of conquest_ belonged to them of the recaptured booty. Whether they were as generous as Abram we are not told. THE great variety of striking incidents in this chapter the attentive reader has already carefully noted. To _read_ and not _understand_ is the property of the _foolish_ and the _inconsiderate_. 1. We have already seen the danger to which Lot expose

- Abram Rescues Lot 1. אמרפל _'amrāpel_, Amraphel; related: unknown. אלריוך _'aryôk_, Ariok, “leonine?” related: ארי _'arı̂y_, “a lion:” a name re-appearing in the time of Daniel Daniel 2:14. אלסר _'elāsār_ Ellasar (related: unknown) is identified with Larsa or Larancha, the Λάρισσα _Larissa_ or Λαράχων _Larachōn_ of the Greeks, now Senkereh, a town of lower Babylonia, between Mugheir (Ur) and Warka (Erek) on the left bank of the Frat. כדרלעמר kedārlā‛om

EXPOSITION GENESIS 14:17 AND THE KING OF SODOM—Bera, or his successor (_vide_ Genesis 14:10)—WENT OUT TO MEET HIM (_i.e._ Abram) AFTER HIS RETURN FROM THE SLAUGHTER (perhaps too forcible an expression for mere defeat) OF CHEDORLAOMER, AND THE KINGS THAT WERE WITH HIM (the entire clause from "after" is parenthetical), AT THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH. A valley about two stadia north of Jerusalem (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 8.10), supposed to be the valley of the Upper Kedron, where Absalom's pillar was after. wards erected (2 Samuel 18:10); which may be correct if the Salem afterward

SAVE ONLY THAT WHICH THE YOUNG MEN HAVE EATEN,.... His three hundred and eighteen trained servants, and those of his confederates, who having recovered the victuals taken away from the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, had eaten of it for their refreshment, as it was but just and right they should: AND THE PORTION OF THE MEN WHICH WENT WITH ME; the part in the spoil which belonged unto them by the laws of war; wherefore, though he abridged himself of rights and privileges that belonged unto him, which he might do, and thereby showed his great generosity, and that it was not covetousness but kindness that moved him to do what he did; yet he did not take upon him to abridge the rights and privileges of others, which would have been injurious to them: the men he means were Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; his confederates, who went with him in the pursuit of the enemy, and were assisting to him i...

Genesis 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. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God._ One who exercised both the kingship and the priesthood, the only person that we know of who did this, and who, therefore, is a wonderful type of that marvellous King-Priest of whom we read in the 110 th Psalm, and in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Genesis 14:19. _And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all._

CHAPTER 14 THE FIRST RECORDED WAR AND LOT'S DELIVERANCE _ 1. The battle of the confederacy (Genesis 14:1)_ 2. Sodom and Gomorrah spoiled (Genesis 14:11) 3. Abram's rescue (Genesis 14:14) 4. Sodom's king to meet Abram (Genesis 14:17) 5. Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) 6. The king's offer and Abram's answer (Genesis 14:21) The record of the first war is here foreshadowing the last great warfare still to com

GENESIS 12:1 TO GENESIS 25:18. THE STORY OF ABRAHAM. In this section the three main sources, J. E, P are present. Gunkel has given strong reasons for holding that J is here made up of two main sources, one connecting Abraham with Hebron, the other with Beersheba and the Negeb. The former associates Abraham with Lot. (For details, see ICC.) On the interpretation to be placed on the figures of Abraham and the patriarchs, see the Introduction. The interest, which has hitherto been diffused over the fortunes of mankind in general, is now concentrated on Abraham and his posterity, the principle of election narrowing it down to Isaac, Ishmael being left aside, and then to Jacob, Esau being excluded....

_save only that_ Better, as R.V. marg., "let there be _nothing for me; only that_, &c." The expression here used occurs again in Genesis 41:16, It might be expressed in colloquial language: "nothing at all, please, so far as I am concerned." Abram goes on to specify the two necessary exceptions, (1) a claim for the rations of his 318 followers: (2) a claim that an equitable share in the spoil should be assigned to his three confederates, mentioned in Genesis 14:13, who, we here learn for the first time, had joined in the dangers of the enterprise. According to the rights of war, all the booty belonged to Abram: and he magnanimously renounces his claim....

_4. The Biblical Account (ch. 14)._ 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 Goiim, 2 that they 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 Beta (the same is Zoar). 3 All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same 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 Rephaim in Ashterothkarnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shavehkiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat (the same is Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites...