14:1__24 _Abram's Rescue of Lot. After separating from Abram and settling in Sodom, Lot is taken captive by an alliance of four kings who invade the Jordan Valley and defeat a local confederation of five kings. When Abram learns of his nephew's abduction from Sodom, he marshal's a small force and, after pursuing the invaders northward, successfully recovers Lot a large quantity of plunder. Abram's subsequent encounter with the kings of Sodom and Salem provides an interesting insight into his future aspirations in light of God's promises. Although Abram can compete militarily against powerful kings, he rejects the use of power to achieve God's purpose. Thus he does not use force take control of the land of Canaan. This section falls into three parts: (1) _verses 1__12, the events leading up to Lot's abduction; (2) _verses 13__16, Lot's rescue by Abram; and (3) _verses 17__24, Abram meeting with the kings of Sodom and Salem.
14:1__12 _Alternative names are given in this passage for a number of locations. This suggests that an older account has been reworded for inclusion here in Genesis.
14:1__3 _A brief summary introduces the rival alliances of king. Such alliances were a common and recurring aspect of politics in the ancient Near East. The kings mentioned here have not yet been identified in sources outside the Bible, but their names correspond with known names or name types appropriate to the regions from which they may have come. Shinar is Babylonia (See 10:10). The location of Ellasar is uncertain, although the king's name, Arioch, is found in texts from the ancient cities of Mari and Nuzi; this might suggest that Ellasar is in northern Mesopotamia. Elam was an ancient state lying to the east of southern Babylonia. Tidal is possibly a Hittite name. Goiim in Hebrew means "nations." Zoar probably lay at the southern edge of the valley of Jericho (See 19:22__23).
14:3 _The Salt Sea is the Dead Sea.
14:4 _After twelve years of subjugation, the kings of the Jordan Valley gain independence for one year.
14:5__7 _Under the leadership of Chedorlaomer, the invading kings display their military strength by defeating a number of different tribal groups. The six locations reveal that the invaders moved Southward along the king's highway in Transjordan as far as the Gulf of Aqaba before turning northward, eventually arriving at Hazazon-tamar (verse 7), also known as Engedi (See 2 CHRONICLES 20:2). When this episode was edited for inclusion in Genesis, En-mishpat was known as Kadesh.
14:8__11 __The five kings of the Jordan Valley fail to repel the alliance of eastern kings. Consequently, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are plundered.
14:12 __Paralleling the general report of (verse 11), this verse records the abduction of Lot and his possessions from Sodom.
14:13__16 _Abram the Hebrew. This is the first occurrence of the term "Hebrew" in the Bible and is probably used here to denote the ethnicity of Abram (See 10:21_+32). Dan (14:14). The town of Laish in northern Canaan was renamed "Dan" in the period of the judges (JUDGES 18:29). The use of the name "Dan" here indicates that this account was edited sometime later (See GENESIS 14:1__12). (Dan is to be identified with Tel Dan, a site extensively excavated since the 1960s. A large and significant settlement has been uncovered here from the Middle Bronze Age [2000-1500 B. C.]. A monumental mud-brick arched gateway was found from this time; it is the earliest of its kind ever found).
14:14 - trained men. The Hebrew word for "trained men" is found only here in the OT. The context implies that they may have had some military training.
1415 - A nighttime assault enables Abram's forces to overcome their opponents who flee northward.
14:17__24 - By contrasting Abram's reactions to the king of Sodom and Salem, this passage underlines his reliance on God rather than on military might in order to gain possession of Canaan. Although God has promised the land to Abram, the patriarch will not adopt violent strategies in order to obtain it.
14:17 - The king of sodom greets Abram on his return. The Vally of Shaveh, also known as the King's Valley, lay to the east of Jerusalem (See 2 SAMUEL 18:18).
14:18 - Melchizedek (which means "king of righteousness", See HEBREWS 7:2) generously provides a meal for the returning victors. Salem is possibly a shorted version of "Jerusalem" (See PSALM 76:2) and is related to shalom, the Hebrew word for "peace" (See HEBREWS 7:2). He was priest of God Most High. Although very little is known about Melchizedek, he provides an interesting example of a priest-king linked to Jerusalem. There appears to have been an expectation that later kings of Jerusalem should resemble him (See PSALM 110:4). The book of Hebrews presents Jesus Christ, from the royal line of David, as belonging to the "order of Melchizedek" and therefore superior to the Levitical priest (HEBREWS 5:5__10; 6:20__7:17). "God Most High" in Hebrews is 'El 'Elyon. 'El is the common Semitic term for "God." To this is added the attibute 'Elyon, meaning "Most High." Elsewhere in Genesis other attibutres are added to 'El (GENESIS 16:13 "God of seeing" translates 'El Ro' I, in 17:1 "God Almighty" translates 'El Shadday; in 21:33 "Everlasting God" translates 'El 'Olam). These different names highlight different aspects of God's nature.
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