Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
Ver. 1. AND it came to paſs, &c.] It is very eaſie to give an Account of this War, which the Kings of the Eaſt made upon the King of Sodom and Gomorrha, &c. if what was ſaid before, XII. 6. be admitted; that the Canaanites had invaded the Rights of the Children of Shem, and gotten Poſſeſſion of a Country belonging to them; which they now endeavoured to recover, (as they had attempted before, verſe 4.) For Elam, of which Chedorlaomer was King, deſcended from Shem, Gen. X. 22.
Amraphel king of Shinar.] i. e. King of Babylon, as it is commonly underſtood. But it cannot well be thought that ſo Potent a King, as he is ſuppoſed to have been in thoſe days, ſhould need any Aſſociates in a War againſt ſuch petty Princes, as thoſe mentioned verſe 2. Or, that the King of Elam (whoſe Quarrel this was, as appears from verſe 4.) ſhould not be able of himſelf to grapple with them: Or, that the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha, &c. durſt have adventured, with a handful of People in compariſon, to rebel againſt him, after he had brought them under his ſubjection. Therefore we muſt either take Amraphel to have been ſome ſmall Prince in the Country of Shinar, i. e. Aſſyria: Or, if he were King of Babylon, that Monarchy was not very great in the days of Abram. And we muſt alſo look upon the reſt as Names of ſome particular Places (like Sodom and Gomorrha) over which Arioch and Chedorlaomer reigned: Who were ſuch Kings as thoſe in Canaan when Joſhua conquered it: Or elſe, Commanders of Colonies, which they had led out of Aſſyria and Perſia, and ſetling thereabouts endeavoured to inlarge their Plantations. As the manner was in thoſe and in ſucceeding Times; when the Captains of a Troop, and Leaders of a ſmall Body of Men, were called Princes or Kings.
Arioch king of Ellaſar.] There was a City (mentioned by Stephanus De urbibus) called Ellas, in Coelo-Syria, on the Borders of Arabia; where Arioch perhaps commanded.
Chedorlaomer king of Elam.] Concerning this Country ſee X. 22. where Chedorlaomer was either Governor of ſome little Province or City; or, a Commander of ſome Troop of that Nation.
Tidal king of Nations.] Some take Gojim in this place, which we tranſlate Nations, for a Country or City. But it is more agreeable to the common uſe of the word in Scripture, to take it to ſignifie a People: Who either wanted a fixed Habitation, or were gathered out of ſundry Regions.
Thus part of Galilee being inhabited by a mixed People of divers Countries, was thence called Galilee of the Nations, or Gentiles, Matth. IV. 15. There were alſo, as Sir W. Raleigh obſerves, ſeveral petty Countries which adjoyned to Phoenicia, (viz. Palmyrena, Batanea, Apamena, Laodicene, &c. which lay towards Meſopotamia on the North, and Arabia on the Eaſt,) over which we may ſuppoſe Tidal reigned. Eupolemus, an ancient Greek Writer, relating this Story, calls them Armenians, who made this inrode upon the Phoenicians, as Euſebius tells us out of Alexander Polyhiſtor. L. IX. Praepar. Evang. c. 17.
Ver. 2. Theſe made war with Bera king of Sodom, &c.] They were Lords of the Country called Pentapolis, or five Cities. Which were ſo ſmall, that there was no need to bring a great King from beyond Tigris, with ſuch a mighty Monarch as he of Babylon, is thought now to have been; and ſeveral other Nations between theſe Kings and Euphrates, to ſubdue their petty Province. It had been madneſs alſo for theſe Kings to reſiſt ſuch powerful Armies, as the Eaſtern Kings are commonly ſuppoſed to have brought againſt them. And therefore I think it reaſonable by the Kings in the firſt Verſe to underſtand ſome ſuch petty Princes as theſe mentioned in the ſecond.
Ver. 3. Valley of Siddim.] The five Cities ſtood in this goodly Valley, which now is the Salt-Sea or Lake: Since the overthrow of theſe Cities by Fire and Brimſtone from Heaven. Some will not have Siddim a proper Name, but tranſlate it ploughed Lands; in which this Valley was very rich.
Ver. 4 Twelve Years they ſerved Chedorlaomer, &c.] This ſhows he was the Principal in this War: And if he had been King of all that Country called Elam, we cannot think he would have paſſed through ſo great a part of the World, as Aſſyria, Meſopotamia, and part of Arabia to conquer five Towns. All whoſe Riches could not countervail the Charge; though he had ſent only one of his Lieutenants, with a ſmall Force to bring them under.
Ver. 5. Smote the Rephaims.] In their way to Sodom, they ſubdued theſe Warlike People, who, it is likely, oppoſed their Paſſage into Pentapolis. And theſe Rephaims, it appears by XV. 20. were a part of Canaan's Poſterity, ſituate (as one may gather from Joſh. XII. 4. XIII. 12.) on the other ſide Jordan, in Baſhan, or Batanea. They were of a Giant-like Stature: And therefore the LXX here and in other places, inſtead of Rephaim, have Giants.
Aſhtaroth-Karnaim.] It is plain from the fore-named place, and from Deut. I. 4. that Aſhtaroth was a place in Baſhan. Whether ſo called, becauſe the Goddeſs Aſtarte, i. e. Diana or Juno, was here worſhipped, no Body can reſolve. They that are of this Opinion fanſie that Karnaim, which in Hebrew ſignifies two horned, denotes the New Moon. But this word may as well note that Aſhtaroth was a City in the form of a half Moon.
And the Zuzims.] Another Warlike People thereabouts: Who, ſome think, are the ſame with the Zamzummims, Deut. II. 10.
The Emims.] It appears from Deut. II. 9, 10, &c. that theſe were alſo a Gigantick People, and near Neighbours to the Horites, mentioned in the next Verſe. For the Emims poſſeſſed Ar and the Field of Kirjath-Jearim; and the Horites poſſeſſed Mount Seir; till the former were driven out by the Moabites, and the latter by the Children of Eſau: And then the Country of the Emims was called Moab, and the Country of the Horites was called Edom.
Ver. 7. And they returned.] From the Conqueſt of the fore-named People.
And came to En-miſhpat.] Fell upon this Country, which was called afterward by this Name; becauſe God here judged the Iſraelites for their Murmurings, and Contention with Moſes. From whence alſo it was called Kadeſh, becauſe here the Lord was ſanctified among them, Numb. XX. 13.
All the Country of the Amalekites.] The Country which was afterwards poſſeſſed by the Amalekites; who were not yet in being: For they were the Deſcendants of Eſau, as Moſes ſhows, Gen. XXXVI. 16.
And alſo the Amorites, who dwelt in Hazezon-Tamar.] Which is the ſame with En-Gaddi, near the dead Sea, 2 Chron. XX. 2.
Ver. 10. Full of Slime-pits.] Into which they hoped their Enemies might fall, and ſo be broken: Which made them draw up their Army, and wait for them in this place.
And the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha fled.] Were routed, as we now ſpeak. Of the word Slime ſee XI. 3.
And fell there.] i. e. A great ſlaughter was made of their Armies: For they themſelves eſcaped, it appears by the following part of the Story. Some will have it, that many of them fell into thoſe Slime-pits, in which they hoped to have ſeen their Enemies plunged. But the ſimpleſt Sence is; many of them were ſlain, and the reſt, as it follows, eſcaped to the Mountain. But made ſuch ill uſe of their Preſervation, from being killed with their Fellows, that they only lived to ſuffer a greater Vengeance.
Ver. 11. And they took all the Goods, &c.] This is a further proof that Chedorlaomer, and the reſt of his Confederates in this War, were but petty Princes, (like the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha, &c.) for having broken the Army of the Five Kings, they reſted contented and march'd away with the Priſoners and Booty; but took not one of their Cities: Which, if they had been ſuch great Kings, as is imagined, they would have certainly ſack'd, and perhaps burnt, if they had not thought fit to keep them. But we read, Verſe 17. the King of Sodom ſtill reigned after this Victory, and went out of his City, to meet Abram.
Ver. 12. And they took Lot, &c.] Who is here called his Brother's Son, and Verſe 14, and 16. Abram's Brother. This was the Foundation of Abram's Quarrel with the Four Kings; whoſe War was juſt againſt the King of Sodom and his Confederates: But they unjuſtly ſeized upon Lot and his Goods; who was but a Sojourner in that Country, and had no hand in their Revolt.
Who dwelt in Sodom.] In the Country of Sodom, where he hired ſome Ground for his Cattle; but it is not likely he yet dwelt in the City, (for then he had not been taken Captive,) but afterwards, for more ſecurity, betook himſelf thither.
Ver. 13. Told Abram the Hebrew.] So called from his Anceſtor, Heber, as was before obſerved. To which may be added, That if he had been called by this Name, as many think, only from his paſſing over Euphrates, (which the LXX took to be the reaſon, when they tranſlated it, foreign,) it would not have deſcended to all his Poſterity, who did not come from beyond the River. So little a thing as that, would not have given a Name to a whole and eminent Nation; who are uſually denominated from ſome eminent Progenitor.
And theſe were confederate with Abram.] The three forenamed Families were near Neighbours to Abram; who, it is likely, farmed (as we now ſpeak) ſome Ground of them: And ſo entred into a League of Mutual Defence, having the ſame Intereſt. I ſhould think alſo, that having the Prieſt of the moſt High God not far from them, Verſe 18. they were good, pious People, (rather than conclude, as I find ſome do, that they were utter ſtrangers to the true Religion) which made Abram more forward to embrace, if not to court, their Friendſhip. For the Sins of the Amorites being not yet full, (XV. 16.) there might be ſome remainders of true Piety among them: And it is no argument, that becauſe theſe three Families were of that Nation, they were wicked Idolaters.
Ver. 14. Armed his trained Servants.] Drew forth a ſelect number of his Servants, whom he had inſtructed to handle Arms; in caſe of any Aſſaults by Robbers or injurious Neighbours. We read before, XII. 5. of the Servants they brought with them from Haran; and now they were more increaſed, as their Cattle were, (XII. 16. XIII. 2, 6.) ſo that he might well make a little Army out of them.
And purſued them to Dan.] As far as that place, where one of the Heads or Springs of Jordan breaks forth, called Dan, as Joſephus relates, where he ſpeaks of this very Hiſtory, L. I. Antiq. c. 10. This plain and ſhort Account of this word Dan, overthrows the Argument which Cavillers draw from hence to prove that Moſes did not write this Book.
Ver. 15. And he divided himſelf againſt them, he and his ſervants by night.] The Vulgar Latin here reads, His Companions being divided, he fell upon them by Night: Minding rather the ſence, than the words. For here is no mention of any but Abram and his Servants: Though it appears by the laſt Verſe of the Chapter, that his Confederates before-mentioned, Verſe 13. Aner, Eſhcol, and Mamre, joyned with him in this Expedition. Which they managed with great Judgment, (for Stratagems in War were never wanting, from the beginning) Abram and his Servants making one Troop, or Battalion, (as they now ſpeak) and the Confederates making three more. Who, dividing themſelves, fell upon the Four Kings, in the four Quarters of their Camp: That they might the more diſtract them; and make them apprehend their Forces to be more numerous, than indeed they were. They were put alſo into the greater Confuſion, becauſe this Aſſault was made in the Night: When, perhaps, they were buried both in Wine and in Sleep.
Ver. 15. Ʋnto Hobah.] Which lay in the Vale between Libanus and Antilibanus: Called by Amos, I. 5. the Valley of Aven, and Beth-Eden, or the Seat of Pleaſure. In this Vale was Damaſcus ſeated.
Ver. 16. He brought back all the Goods, &c.] All the Prey, whether in Money, Cattle, or other things, which the Four Kings had carried away.
The Women alſo, and the People.] It ſeems they had carried away all the People of Pentapolis, who did not flee to the Mountains, or fenced Cities. And Women, in thoſe days, were a ſpecial part of their Booty.
Ver. 17. Went out to meet him.] To congratulate his Victory; and to deſire his People might be reſtored to him.
At the Valley of Shaveh.] This ſeems to have been a pleaſant Place, wherein the King (that is Melchizedeck, I gueſs by what follows) took delight. Whence it was called the King's-Dale. In which the King of Sodom met Abram; and Melchizedeck entertained him with Bread and Wine.
Ver. 18. And Melchizedeck.] The Jews generally ſay this was Shem, the Son of Noah. But we have reaſon to look upon this Opinion, as proceeding from their Pride and Vanity: Which could not endure to think the Father of their Nation had any Superior in another Nation, eſpecially among the Canaanites. And therefore they will have Abram to have been bleſſed by his great Anceſtor, Shem; to whom alſo he paid Tithes: Which is a fancy ſo plainly confuted by the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, that it is ſtrange any Chriſtian ſhould follow it. For he ſaith expreſly, that Melchizedeck was not foreign, VII. 6. his Deſcent, or Pedigree, was not counted from them: Which is not true of Shem. Nor could Shem be ſaid to be without Father or Mother; whoſe Genealogy is evident from Adam. Nor was Shem's Prieſthood, if he had any, of a different Order from Levi's; who was in his Loins, as well as in the Loins of Abram. And therefore it could not be ſaid that Levi paid him Tithes in the Loins of Abram, but it would be as true that he received Tithes in the Loins of Shem: For, according to this Interpretation, he was in the Loins both of him that received Tithes, and of him that paid them; and ſo the whole Argumentation of the Apoſtle falls to the Ground. But ſetting aſide theſe and other Chriſtian Reaſons, (which are ſtrongly urged by Bochartus, L. II. Phaleg, c. 1.) there is no Cauſe, that we can diſcern, why Moſes ſhould call Shem (whom he ſo often mentions) by any other Name than his own: Nor is it likely that Shem reigned in the Land of Canaan; which now was in the poſſeſſion of his Brother's Son: Nor could Abram be ſaid to ſojourn there as in a ſtrange Country, if his Noble Anceſtor, Shem, had been a King there. Nor is this an ancient Opinion among the Jews, at leaſt not conſtantly believed: For Joſephus ſays expreſly, that Melchizedeck was foreign, a Potentate of the Canaanites, L. VII. De Bello, Jud. c. 18. And yet it was ſo common that it went to the Samaritans, as Epiphanius tells us, Haereſ. LV. n. 6. (though not to the Arabians, who ſay he was the Son of Peleg. See Hotting. Smegma Orient. 256, 269, 306.) and many Chriſtians have embraced it, merely (as far as I can diſcern) becauſe they would not acknowledge any good Man to have been then among the Canaanites. Some Hereticks held him to be foreign, as Epiphanius tells us in the place fore-mentioned. Num. I. Which was the Opinion of Hieracas, a great Scholar and famous Phyſician in Egypt. Haereſ. LXVII. n. 3. And ſome of the Church took him to have been the Son of God himſelf, who then appeared to Abram, foreign, in the form of a Man. Haereſ. LV. n. 7. But the plain truth is, he was a King and Prieſt (for thoſe two Offices anciently were in the ſame Perſon) in that Country: Where Men were not as yet wholly degenerated, and faln from the true Religion.
King of Salem.] It is a great Error to think that this Salem, was the ſame with Jeruſalem. For it is plain, as Bochart obſerves, (L. II. Phaleg, c. 4.) that Salem was in the way which led from the Valley of Damaſcus unto Sodom: Which we learn from this very place of Scripture. And ſo St. Hierom ſays, that he learnt from the Jews in his time, that it was ſeated on this ſide of Jordan: And it retained it's Name in our Saviour's days, as appears by the Story of John's Baptizing near Salim, Joh. III. 23. Several of the Fathers are of the ſame Mind, quoted by Mr. Selden in his Review of the Hiſtory of Tithes, p. 452.
Brought forth Bread and Wine.] This he did as a King, not as a Prieſt: For it was not an act of Religion but of Hoſpitality. Thus Heathens themſelves underſtood this Hiſtory, as we find by Eupolemus, (quoted by Euſebius, L. IX. c. 17.) who ſaith he received Abram as they were wont to do ſtrangers; in a City called Argarizin, which he interprets the Mount of the moſt High: We know not in what Language it ſo ſignifies, or whether it be miſprinted for Harelion: But, I think, the plain Sence is, that he treated Abram and his followers, by cauſing Proviſions to be brought forth for their Refreſhment after the Fight. For Bread and Wine comprehend all ſort of Proviſion for their Repaſt: As to eat Bread with another, in this Book, is to feaſt with him, XLIII. 25. And thus Tertullian it is certain underſtood it; who ſaith expreſly, he brought them forth to Abram and offered them to him, and not to God, L. adv. Judaeos, c. 3. And Epiphanius obſerves that the word in the Greek is not foreign, but foreign, not he offered, but brought out. So it ſeems his Copy had it.
Ver. 19. And he bleſſed him.] This he did as a Prieſt, (which Office is juſt before mentioned) as he did the other as a King.
Bleſſed be Abram of the moſt high God.] He prayed God to confirm the Bleſſing, which he had pronounced upon him.
Poſſeſſor of Heaven and Earth.] Rather Creator, as the LXX and vulgar Latin tranſlate it. See Dr. Spencer, L. I. De Leg. Hebr. c. 4. §. 10. and Lud. de Dieu before him, in his Notes on this place, and Hotting. Smegma Orient. p. 87. By this, and the next Verſe, wherein he gives Glory to the moſt high God for Abram's Victory, it is apparent that he was a worſhipper of the One only True God, the Maker and Governor of all things: To whom he alſo miniſtred in the Office of a Prieſt; who bleſſed Men in his Name.
And he gave him.] i. e. Abraham gave to Melchizedek, as the Apoſtle explains it, Hebr. VII. 2. But the words are ſo doubtful as they lie here, that Eupolemus (in the place above-mentioned) thought Melchizedek had beſtowed Gifts upon Abram.
Tithes of all.] He doth not ſay of what all; but that which goes before leads us to think he means Tithes of all the Spoil, which he had taken from Chedorlaomer, &c. For he had nothing elſe there to Tithe; unleſs it were the remainder of the Proviſions he had carried along with him in this Expedition: All the reſt of his own Eſtate being many Miles off, at Mamre. And thus Joſephus interprets it, foreign, the Tithe of what was gotten by War. And thus the Apoſtle himſelf ſeems to expound it, Hebr. VII. For having ſaid, Verſe 2. he gave him the tenth part of all: When he comes to argue from this, he calls it the tenth part of the ſpoils, Verſe 4. And indeed it was a very ancient Cuſtom to offer to God (whoſe Prieſt Melchizedek was) the tenth part of what they took in War. Diodorus Siculus reports it of the Greeks; and many Authors of the Romans. From whence we cannot inferr that they gave only Tithe of ſuch things; but, rather, that theſe were extraordinary Acknowledgments of God's Mercy to them: Which it was uſual to make, out of thoſe Poſſeſſions which he had bleſſed them withal. For why ſhould they give Tithe of the Spoils, if they were not wont to pay Tithe of other things? And therefore St Chryſoſtom makes this Reflection upon this Practice of Abram; That it ſhould teach us to be willing and ready to offer unto God, foreign, the Firſt-Fruits of all that he hath beſtowed on us. This is confirmed by the Story of Jacob: Which, together with this of Abram, ſhows plainly the Cuſtom of paying Tithes was before the Law of Moſes: And that not only of the Spoils of War, but of their Flocks, Corn, and other Fruit, which Jacob vowed unto God, XXXVIII. 22. See there.
Ver. 21. Give me the Perſons, &c.] A truly generous Diſpoſition becoming a King; to love the Perſons of his Subjects better than their Goods.
Ver. 22. I have lift up my Hand.] i. e. Sworn, as the Phraſe is uſed in many places, Exod. VI. 8. Numb. XIV. 30, &c.
Poſſeſſor of Heaven and Earth.] See Verſe 19.
Ver. 23. I will not take from a Thred, &c.] i.e. The meaneſt thing.
I have made Abram rich.] He would have this to be only the Work of God; who promiſed, a great while ago, to bleſs him, and had now renewed his Promiſe by Melchizedek. And he would not have it thought that love of Spoil had carried him to the War; but only love of Juſtice. In ſhort, here is a moſt noble Example (as Maimonides obſerves, P. III. More Nevoch. c. 50.) of Contentedneſs with what he had, of deſpiſing Riches, and ſeeking Praiſe rather from Vertue.
Ver. 24. Except only that which the young Men (i. e. the Soldiers) have eaten.] For which he did not think it reaſonable they ſhould pay.
And the Portion of them that went with me.] He could not bind his Confederates by his own Act; but left them to deal with their Countrymen as they pleaſed: In either keeping their ſhare of the Spoil, or parting with it, as he had done. The Jews truly obſerve, that they who ſtaid with the Stuff and Carriages, had their Portion equal with thoſe that fought: As we read in the Story of David, 1 Sam. XXX. 25. But it is not certain that this Cuſtom was as old as Abram's time; which they would gather from this place. For here they take the young Men for thoſe who fought and purſued the Enemy: And Aner, Eſhcol, and Mamre, ſtaid to guard the Carriages. But I ſee no ground for this; it being moſt probable, as I obſerved before, that they attack'd the Enemy, as well as Abram's Servants; and thereby acquired a Title to part of the Spoil. But whether we conſider it this way, or the other, Abram could not give away their Right, when he generouſly parted with his own.