Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Genesis Chapter 14 mean?

Genesis 14 is an action-packed story of war between ancient city-states with a surprising conclusion.

For 12 years, the four kings of an eastern group of city-states—Elam, Shinar, Ellasar, and Goiim—had ruled over the city-states in and around Canaan. Finally, the kings of five cities grouped around the south end of the Dead Sea rebel. A year later, the four kings arrive in the region to reestablish their rule.

Following a southerly route along a line east of the Jordan River, the four kings defeat every city, king, and people group in their path all the way to the edge of Canaan’s southern wilderness. Then they turn back north, eventually arriving at the Valley of Siddim near the Dead Sea. There the five kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar have gathered their forces to take their stand against the eastern kings.

The battle, apparently, doesn’t last long. The five kings are defeated, and their forces flee, some falling into the tar pits in the region. Others escape into the hills. The enemy raiders descend on Sodom and loot all of their possessions, provisions, and many of their people.

Here is where the story of this war connects to the story of Abram, who would later be re-named Abraham. Abram’s nephew Lot was living in Sodom at the time, after separating from Abram to prevent their growing families from competing for resources (Genesis 13:8–9). As a part of this new war, the kings of the east captured Lot and all of his possessions before heading back toward their homeland.

A survivor of the carnage comes and tells Abram what has happened. Without hesitation, Abram—who is more than seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4)—gathers 318 servants trained for battle, along with three Amorite brothers who were his allies. Together they chase down the eastern armies, finally catching up to them in Dan at the far northern edge of Canaan.

What could Abram’s small army do against this force that had conquered all in their path without a loss? With God’s help, they could win. They do so in one night, using clever tactics as part of their rescue. Abram’s forces chase down the enemy farther to the north, and retrieve Lot, all of his possessions, and everything else the eastern kings had plundered along the way.

As Abram returns home, two kings come out to meet him. One is the king of Sodom (Genesis 13:13), who survived the battle. The other is a mysterious figure identified as Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High. His name means “King of Righteousness.” Melchizedek brings Abram bread and wine and a blessing from God. Abram immediately responds by giving ten percent of all the plunder to God’s priest. This encounter is later used, in part, to explain the priesthood of Jesus Christ by writers of the New Testament (Hebrews 7:1–4).

The king of Sodom is less gracious. He curtly demands that Abram return his people and keep the rest for himself. As the victor, Abram likely could have claimed the right to all of it, but he refuses to keep even a thread of Sodom’s plunder. Abram seems to have the same attitude towards Sodom which God will express to Israel many centuries later: some cultures are so depraved that even their material possessions should be shunned. Abram also doesn’t want Sodom’s king to believe his wealth in any way comes from Sodom. Abram won’t stop his allies from keeping their portion, however.

Chapter Context
At first, Genesis 14 seems unrelated to the previous chapter. Four kings from the east come to wage war against the kings and people groups of Canaan, including five kings from cities around the Dead Sea. The eastern kings defeat all challengers, looting Sodom and carrying off Lot and his entire family. Now Abram reappears in the story to chase down the departing army, defeat them in a single night, and retrieve all that was lost. On the way home, he is met by a mysterious king and priest of God Most High known as Melchizedek.

Verse by Verse

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

The first part of Genesis 14 describes battles between various nations and city-states in and around the land of Canaan. It gives us a glimpse into the world at the time of Abram. Verse 1 lists four kings who became allies in a war against another group of kings. Some of the names and places listed may be connected to names mentioned in other historical records from this time.

Amraphel was king of Shinar, also known as Babylonia. Chedorlaomer (or Kedorlaomer) was king of Elam, east of Shinar. The location of the other two places are not now known, but were likely also to the east of the land of Canaan. The dispute seems to be over who has ultimate control of the territory. At this time in history, control over a territory had more to do with taxes and trade than direct influence. The rebellion of these kings will take time to correct (Genesis 14:4–5).

Context Summary
Genesis 14:1–16 is an action-packed story of war between ancient city-states. Four kings from the east arrive to put down a rebellion by five kings from cities around the Dead Sea. After defeating them, the eastern kings loot Sodom, carrying off Abram’s nephew Lot and all he owns in the process. Abram gathers his own small army, along with three Amorite allies, and gives chase. They catch the enemy in the northern reaches of Canaan, defeat them, and recapture all the plunder, including Lot.

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

The early verses of Genesis 14 are the Bible’s first mention of the word “war.” This narrative gives us some insight into the culture which surrounded men like Abram and Lot. This culture included various city-states, some of which used the military power to control smaller, weaker groups. Compared to modern warfare, ancient armies were small, and it took a long time to march from one area to another. And so, when kings chose to rebel against each other, it took some time to resolve (Genesis 14:4–5).

Verse 1 listed four kings who became allies to go to war against another group of five kings. The five kings include Bera, king of Sodom, and Birsha, king of Gomorrah. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are often mentioned together in Scripture (Genesis 13:10. The other three were kings of Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. These five cities may have been grouped together near the southern end of the Dead Sea (or Salt Sea) in the Jordan River valley.

Verse 3. And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

The previous two verses listed two sets of kings. The first set of four kings went to war against the second set of five kings, which included the kings of the city-states of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13:13). Their dispute was over who had ultimate control of the region. Specifically, whether or not the rebelling kings would continue to be submissive to the existing regime. The forces led by the four kings were there to put down the rebellious forces led by the five kings.

The five kings gathered their forces at a place called the Valley of Siddim (or the Dead Sea Valley). This region is toward the southern end of the Dead Sea. The five kings of the cities of the plain around the Dead Sea prepared to meet the attack of the four kings.

Verse 4. Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

The previous few verses set the stage for a battle. The rebellious kings of five cities grouped at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee had gathered their forces in the Valley of Siddim to await the attack of the kings of four eastern cities. In response, the four kings were coming west to attack. These four were from city-states loyal to the ruling regime.

Apparently, these five kings (and perhaps other city-states in the region) had rebelled against the twelve-year rule of the four kings of the east, headed by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam. This control probably involved taxes and other contributions, rather than direct military occupation.

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

For twelve years, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and three other kings of eastern city-states had ruled Canaan’s city-states. In the thirteenth year, five of those city-states grouped at the southern end of the Dead Sea (including Sodom and Gomorrah) rebelled. Perhaps other city-states in the region also rebelled. In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the other three kings went to war against the Canaanite city-states. This demonstrates just how long war and politics could take in this era: more than a year passed between the initial rebellion and the resulting invasion.

Their route took them south along a line east of the Jordan river, where they defeated peoples known as the Rephaim, the Zuzim, and the Emim. The following verses will describe how this path led the four eastern kings back up and around to the Dead Sea, then back northward.

Verse 6. and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness.

The previous verse describes how the four eastern kings, led by Chedorlaomer, went to war against the city-states in the Canaan in response to a rebellion against their rule. Their route took them south through Canaan along a line east of the Jordan River, defeating all in their path, including in this verse the Horites in the hill country of Seir all of the way to the edge of the southern wilderness.

The next verses will describe where their route of destruction took them next as they turned back toward the north. This path will take them through the region occupied by Lot, the nephew of Abram (Genesis 11:31; Genesis 12:4). Their conquest will inspire Abram to take drastic, heroic action.

Verse 7. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.

The previous verses described how four eastern kings, led by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, went to war against the city-states in Canaan in response to a rebellion against their rule.

Their route took them south along a line east of the Jordan River, defeating all in their path all of the way to the edge of the southern wilderness at El-paran. Next, they turned back to the north and west, defeating En-mishpat (Kadesh), along with the Amalekites and Amorites in the region. That would have brought the four kings, at last, to the southern end of the Dead Sea. There the five kings of the city-states in that region had gathered in the Valley of Siddim to await their attack (Genesis 14:3).

In the verses to follow, it will finally become clear what all of this has to do with God’s man Abram, who was living in the region. Specifically, the connection is to Abram’s nephew, Lot, who has chosen to live very near to one of these rebelling cities, Sodom (Genesis 13:10–12).

Verse 8. Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim

The previous verses describe the war of the four kings of the east, led by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, against the city-states and peoples of the land of Canaan. Defeating all in their path, their route took them south along a line east of the Jordan River all of the way to the edge of the southern wilderness before turning back north to defeat Kadesh and the peoples south of the Dead Sea.

Now the four kings come to the Valley of Siddim to do battle against the five kings listed in this verse. Those five kings include the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. It will be helpful to remember that Abram’s nephew Lot had pitched his tents near the city of Sodom, as described in Genesis 13. This puts his family directly in the path of this counter-revolutionary army.

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

In this passage, four kings of the east, led by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, have gone to war against the city-states and peoples of the land of Canaan. This is in response to rebellion among these Canaanite tribes. So far, the army has defeated everyone in its path, a southerly line east of the Jordan River all the way to the edge of the southern wilderness. Then, this counter-revolutionary force turns back north to defeat Kadesh and the peoples south of the Dead Sea.

Now the four kings listed in this verse come to the Valley of Siddim to do battle against the five kings of the city-states grouped at the southern end of the Dead Sea. Those five kings include the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. Apparently, the battle won’t last long, since the Bible only describes the aftermath, rather than the battle itself.

Verse 10. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country.

The previous verses in this chapter set up a showdown between the four eastern kings led by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and the five kings of the city-states grouped around the southern end of the Dead Sea. These five kings were rebelling against Chedorlaomer’s dozen-year rule over them.

After all that set-up, though, the text tells us nothing of the battle itself. Apparently, it didn’t last long. The forces of the four kings from the east were strong and had already defeated several peoples and places along their route without ever suffering any loss that we know of. The five kings of the southern Dead Sea region were no match for them.

The Valley of Siddim, where the battle took place, was full of bitumen (or tar) pits. A petroleum substance apparently oozed up from under the ground there—an interesting point to consider when one looks ahead to the fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in the near future (Genesis 19). On the run from the forces of the four eastern kings, some of the men of the five kings fell into those tar pits. The rest ran into the hills that slope steeply up from the Dead Sea to the east and west.

In any case, the five rebellious kings were thoroughly defeated.

Verse 11. So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.

The five kings of the city-states grouped near the southern end of the Dead Sea, including Sodom and Gomorrah, took their stand against their eastern overlords. They lost. In fact, their loss seems to be so thorough that the Bible makes no mention of the battle itself. Instead, the narrative skips directly to the aftermath, which includes the rebellious forces fleeing into tar pits and hiding in the wilderness. The four kings of the east literally sent the forces of the five rebellious kings running.

Afterwards, the forces of the eastern kings looted the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for all their possessions and provisions, leaving the people destitute. Among those taken in this plunder are Lot, the nephew of Abram, who has recently moved into Sodom (Genesis 13:10–12; Genesis 14:12).

Verse 12. They also took Lot, the son of Abram ‘s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

After routing the five rebellious kings in battle, the forces of the four kings of the eastern cities sack Sodom and Gomorrah. They take all of the possessions and provisions, leaving the people destitute. This brings us to the moment where this war story crosses paths with God’s story of the people of Israel: The four kings also took Abram’s nephew Lot and all of his possessions.

It’s important to note that Lot was now living in the city of Sodom—a place known for its obscene wickedness (Genesis 13:13). When last we saw him in Genesis 13:12, Lot had settled his family “near” Sodom. At some point, then, he and his family moved into this town where the people were known for their wickedness. We are not told why. Clearly, though, Lot has grown accustomed to Sodom’s sin, at least to the point where he is comfortable living in the middle of it.

Now Lot and all he owns has been taken away by eastern armies, creating another opportunity for God to prove himself faithful to (and through) Abram.

Verse 13. Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram.

Lot and all he owns has been taken by a powerful military force from the east led by the king of Elam, Chedorlaomer. Lot was scooped up along with all of Sodom’s and Gomorrah’s possessions and provisions after Chedorlaomer’s forces had defeated them in battle. Lot, it seems, has quickly gone from choosing to live in the region of Sodom (Genesis 13:10), to living very near Sodom (Genesis 13:12), to actually living in Sodom (Genesis 14:11–12; Genesis 19:1). This, despite its reputation for depravity (Genesis 13:13).

Now Abram learns from a survivor of that battle of Lot’s capture. Abram is referred to here as a Hebrew, the first use of this term in the Bible. This was, apparently, the name for a particular kind of outsider in Canaanite society. Abram is still living near Hebron, near the oaks (or large trees) on land owned by an Amorite named Mamre. Abram and Mamre are called allies, along with two of Mamre’s brothers.

Verse 14. When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

After learning that Lot has been taken captive by the forces of Chedorlaomer and the kings from the east, Abram immediately takes action. He gathers 318 of his most reliable trained men, servants born and raised in his household. That number provides a glimpse of how large Abram’s overall household must have been at this point, likely numbering well above 1,000 people.

A key point of context should be considered here. The “armies” of city-states of that era would have numbered in the thousands. These were not groups of tens or hundreds of thousands. So, Abram’s forces were not chasing after a force outnumbering them hundreds-to-one. At the same time, the combined forces of four kings would have numbered significantly more than Abram’s allies. And, Abram is himself more than seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4)! So, this rescue operation is not only preparing for long odds, they are effectively rebelling against Chedorlaomer, themselves.

Abram and his men—and his three Amorite allies and their men—set out after Chedorlaomer’s army, chasing them all of the way to Dan, in the far northern reaches of Canaan.

Verse 15. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus.

After learning that Lot had been taken captive by the forces of Chedorlaomer and the kings from the east, Abram immediately gathered 318 of his most reliable trained men and began his pursuit of the departing armies. Armies of the ancient world were significantly smaller than those of modern times. However, the combined forces of four kings, even after a campaign, would have been many, many times the size of Abram’s army.

Abram apparently caught up to them at Dan, in the northern reaches of the land of Canaan. Here, strategy helps Abram and his men overcome the numbers of their enemy. Abram divides his men and attacks by night, defeating the enemy. They continue to chase the retreating eastern soldiers down as they flee farther north toward the ancient city of Damascus. This is a strong contrast to Chederlaomer’s previous battle, which saw five kings literally fleeing from him in defeat (Genesis 14:10–11).

What a victory! The four kings from the east had defeated multiple kings, city-states, and people groups in Canaan with apparent ease, never suffering any loss that we know of. Clearly, they were a strong fighting force. Still, with God’s help, Abram and his personal army of 318 men and three Amorite allies defeats them in a single night.

God had promised to bless Abram, as well as to bless all who blessed him and curse all who dishonored him. The mighty Chedorlaomer had dishonored Abram by taking his nephew (Genesis 14:12), and now God keeps His promise once again.

Verse 16. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

After learning of Lot’s capture by the forces of King Chedorlaomer, Abram and his 318 men and three Amorite allies chased them down, defeated them at Dan, and kept pursuing them until the battle was finished. This was quite a victory, given that Abram’s men had taken on a force which had recently routed the armies of five kings, and sacked several cities.

Now Abram returns the victor with all of the spoils. Not only did he save Lot and his possessions, Abram recovered all the possessions of the people of Canaan, including those of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. By any measure, Abram’s actions were heroic. They were especially amazing for a man more than seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4). As a man of faith, Abram understood it was the Lord who made it possible, something he will make clear in the following verses.

Verse 17. After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King ‘s Valley).

Abram returns now after his unlikely victory over the four kings from the east and their forces. With a fighting force of only 318 men, Abram has rescued his nephew Lot and Lot’s possessions. In addition, he has reacquired all of the possessions and peoples taken by King Chedorlaomer after he defeated the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the rest of the city-states of Canaan.

Now Bera, the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:2), comes out to meet Abram at a place called the Valley of Shaveh or the King’s Valley. After being soundly defeated by Chedorlaomer, Sodom’s king would have been interested in speaking with the man who just rescued his people and possessions. The Bible indicates only that Bera went to speak with Abram, and gives us no other details on how or when they communicated prior to this moment.

The following verse will reveal that another king will join this gathering. What happens during this encounter will help shape many aspects of Judeo-Christian theology. The meeting will be described in a back-and-forth style comparing the way Abram interacts with Bera, and how he interacts with this other, mysterious character.

Context Summary
Genesis 14:17–24 tells the story of a meeting between Abram and two kings. Returning as the victor after having defeated the eastern kings and recapturing all their plunder, Abram is met by the king of Sodom and by Melchizedek, the mysterious king of Salem. Melchizedek, also known as a priest of God Most High, gives Abram bread, wine, and a blessing from God. Abram gives this priest ten percent of all the plunder. Sodom’s king demands his people back, but offers to let Abram keep the riches. Abram refuses to keep anything. He doesn’t want to be associated, in any way, with such an ungodly ruler.

Verse 18. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

As Abram returns from his defeat of mighty Chedorlaomer and the forces of the kings of the east, he brings with him Lot and all of Lot’s possessions. Abram’s forces have also captured all of the possessions and peoples of Sodom and the other sacked Canaanite city-states. In the previous verse, Bera, the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:2), has come out to meet Abram at a place called the Valley of Shaveh. Now another king joins them. Melchizedek is a mysterious figure who is described as both the king of Salem and a priest of “God Most High.” He brings to conquering Abram a royal feast of bread and wine. The king of Sodom, apparently, brought nothing worth mentioning to the meeting.

Many Bible scholars speculate that Melchizedek may be what is referred to as a theophany: the Lord taking human form for a specific purpose before His arrival on earth as Jesus. Others suggest Melchizedek was merely a local king, faithful to God, sent by God to bless Abram. It’s even possible that Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem, the future capital of Israel. According to linguists, Salem might be a shortened version of the word that would become eventually become the name Jerusalem. Either way, this figure will be monumental in our understanding of the ministry of Jesus Christ.

The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 110:4, in which Jesus is referred to as “a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:6). That writer also summarizes this moment in Genesis, pointing out that Melchizedek means “king of righteousness” and that “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” The seventh chapter of Hebrews expands on these connections between Melchizedek and Jesus.

Verse 19. And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,Possessor of heaven and earth;

The blessing of verses 19 and 20 comes in a unique context. Two kings have come to meet Abram, who is returning from his victory over the four kings from the east. This victory rescued his nephew, Lot, along with and all of the people and possessions of both Lot and Sodom in tow.

One of the visiting kings is Bera, the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:2). The other king is the enigmatic Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of the “Most High God.” Scholars present several possible identities for Melchizedek. One of these is that he was king of the city which would later become Jerusalem, based on the name Salem. Another interpretation is that Melchizedek is a temporary, pre-Christ incarnation of God, known as a theophany or a Christophany.

After serving Abram bread and wine, Melchizedek offers a blessing. In blessing Abram, Melchizedek appeals to the God who made and owns all the earth and all the heavens. Abram will acknowledge God’s possession of all things by giving, in the following verse, a tenth of the rescued plunder to God’s priest Melchizedek. In doing so, Abram not only shows his growing humility, but also recognition that God does not speak to Abram, alone.

Verse 20. and blessed be God Most High,who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Abram is returning from defeating the four kings of the east, in order to rescue his nephew Lot and all of Lot’s possessions. In doing so, Abram has also recovered the plunder taken by the enemy, including all that was taken from Sodom. Bera, the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:2), has come out to meet Abram, as has the king of Salem: a mysterious figure called Melchizedek. Here, King Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God, continues his blessing for conquering Abram begun in the previous verse.

The blessing given states clearly that the Lord was responsible for this victory, something Abram was clearly already aware of. Abram responds by tithing on the plunder he has recovered from the four kings of the east. He gives ten percent of all of it to this priest of God, Melchizedek. This may have been a customary response to a blessing at this time, but it certainly would not have been required of Abram. As the victor, the spoils of war would likely have been his to claim. He chose not to keep them.

This act of tithing will also serve as an example to Israel and God’s people in the future. Tithing to the priests will become required by God’s Law (see Numbers 18; Leviticus 27:30-33).

Verse 21. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.”

Both Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) and Bera, the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:2) have come out to meet Abram on his way home from defeating the enemy and rescuing all that had been taken by the four kings of the east. The structure of this passage is meant to compare Bera, the King of Sodom, to Melchizedek, the King of Salem, and their interaction with Abram. At this time, Sodom was already known for its extreme wickedness (Genesis 13:13).

The demand given here from the king of Sodom stands in stark contrast to the exchange which just took place between Abram and Melchizedek. Melchizedek greeted Abram with a royal meal of wine and bread and a blessing from God. Abram responded by giving ten percent of all of the plunder to this priest and king.

Bera has witnessed this, but only offers a curt order to Abram: “Give me the people; keep the material possessions.” This might have been the beginning of negotiations to recover from Abram some of what was taken by the enemy. The people likely would have included both the citizens of Sodom, as well as the slaves and servants of the king. Bera’s lack of humility seems all the more rude considering that he had been conquered and sent running by the very enemy Abram—really, Abram’s God—had so quickly defeated. The next verse contains Abram’s humble, faithful response.

Verse 22. But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth,

Abram has recaptured from the four kings of the east all that formerly belonged to Sodom, including all of the possessions and the people. Bera, Sodom’s king, (Genesis 14:2) has come out to meet Abram. In doing so, he has observed a blessing (Genesis 14:19) given by Melchizedek. This mysterious figure’s name means “King of Righteousness.” Bera has also witnessed Abram’s gift of a tithe to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:20). Not only does Bera fail to bring anything to Abram, he steps in with a demand: Keep the possessions, and give me the people (Genesis 14:21).

Abram’s response to the king of Sodom’s begins in this verse and continues through the following two verses.

As the victor over those who had plundered Sodom, Abram could have claimed the right to keep everything for himself. Instead, he tells Bera that he has sworn an oath to God not to keep any of it. Specifically, Abram says that he has raised his hand to swear this oath to “the Lord, God Most High, Possessor (or Creator) of heaven and earth.” Having just received a blessing from the Lord’s priest Melchizedek and giving a tenth of the plunder to him, Abram now declares his own loyalty to the One who owns all things.

This contrast is spectacular in its implications for Christians today. Faced with both the “king of righteousness” (Genesis 14:18) and a king of depravity (Genesis 13:13), Abram accepts a blessing from the righteous king and gives him a tithe. Abram flatly refuses to keep even a single coin—not even a thread—from the king of depravity. Abram’s stance is explicitly clear: His oath to God means having absolutely nothing to do with wicked Sodom or its king. This choice parallels the need for believers, today, to draw a hard line between godly pursuits and a love of this fallen world, even material things associated with the world (1 John 2:15; Jude 1:23).

Verse 23. that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

Abram’s response to the king of Sodom continues in this verse. Bera, Sodom’s king (Genesis 14:2), has demanded that Abram give him back the people he has rescued from the enemy and keep the possessions for himself. This was after watching Melchizedek, whose name means “King of Righteousness” bless Abram and receive a tithe of Abram’s spoils (Genesis 14:19–20). The contrast between these two kings is a major factor in interpreting this story.

Abram could have claimed the right to keep all of the war loot for himself. Instead, he responds by saying that he has taken an oath before God not to keep even a thread or a sandal strap from Sodom. Why? He doesn’t want the king of Sodom, or anyone else, to take credit for Abram’s success. Abram does not want to be associated, in any way, or in any sense, with the wicked culture of Sodom, or her king (Genesis 13:13).

This oath demonstrates Abram’s commitment to making it clear that all he had was given to him by the Lord. For God’s glory, Abram didn’t want any hint of confusion about the source of his wealth, or his victory over the enemy, or his allegiance to God. God Most High was the one who would get the credit for Abram’s success.

Verse 24. I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”

The king of Sodom has demanded that Abram return to him the people Abram rescued from the four kings from the east. Abram’s response began in verse 22 and concludes here. Abram had taken an oath before God not to keep even a thread of the plunder for himself; he would return both it and the people to Sodom. In fact, from Abram’s perspective, he never took it in the first place!

Why? Abram didn’t want the king of Sodom (or anyone else) to be able to take the credit for his wealth. That credit belonged to God. Abram understood God to be the one who blessed him and made him successful. He wanted others to see that, as well.

However, in this concluding verse, Abram does say that those who fought with him, his allies, the brothers Mamre, Aner, and Eshkol, are entitled to their fair share of the plunder. Abram is not going to speak for them—this oath is his, and the burden in his. In the same way, Abram will not repay the food his men have already eaten on the way; strictly speaking, he cannot, since it’s already gone. Everything that can be returned to Sodom will be returned.

In making this statement, Abram also makes it clear that this is not a gift to Bera, the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:2). From Abram’s perspective, these people and goods are still the property of Sodom—he had sworn not to take any of it. Abram’s commitment to avoid any connection with the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah is crystal clear (Genesis 13:13).

Of course, the share of the plunder that went to Melchizedek and Abram’s three allies would have been significant. In this way, God continues to keep His promise to bless those who bless Abram (Genesis 12:3).

End of Chapter 14.

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