Genesis 14

Genesis 14 is a chapter in the Abram narrative of Genesis. Lot, who parted from Abram in Genesis 13, has settled in Sodom, and in this chapter Sodom is drawn into war. The chapter centers on a war among several kings and on the appearance of Melchizedek.

Outline

• Verses 1–7 Four kings, of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim, make war against five kings, of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar). The five kings had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years and rebelled in the thirteenth. In the fourteenth year the four kings invade and defeat in turn the Rephaim, the Zuzim, the Emim, the Horites, the Amalekites, and the Amorites.
• Verses 8–12 In the battle in the Vale of Siddim the five kings are defeated; their soldiers fall into the slime pits or flee to the mountains. The four kings seize the goods and provisions of Sodom and Gomorrah and also take Lot captive.
• Verses 13–16 On hearing the news, Abram "the Hebrew" leads 318 trained servants born in his house and pursues the enemy as far as Dan. He attacks by night, drives them as far as Hobah, on the left hand of Damascus, and recovers Lot, the goods, and all the people.
• Verses 17–20 The king of Sodom comes out to meet Abram in the king's dale. Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the most high God, then brings out bread and wine and blesses Abram. Abram gives him a tenth of what he has gained.
• Verses 21–24 The king of Sodom tells Abram to return the people and keep the goods for himself. Abram replies with an oath to God that he will take nothing, not even a thread or a shoelatchet. He sets aside only what the young men have eaten and the share of his allies Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.

Key Verses

• Genesis 14:18 "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine" — the first appearance of the figure whom the New Testament Epistle to the Hebrews uses to explain Christ. Verses 18–20 are treated separately in the article Genesis 14:18–20.
• Genesis 14:20 "And he gave him tithes of all" — the first recorded tithe in the Bible.
• Genesis 14:23 "I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet" — the verse shows Abram's resolve that no one should say the king of Sodom had made him rich.

Characters and Places

• Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer, and Tidal: the kings of four eastern nations. Chedorlaomer king of Elam appears as the leader of the coalition.
• Bera, Birsha, Shinab, and Shemeber: the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, respectively.
• Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner: Amorite brothers who were Abram's allies.
• The Vale of Siddim: the text explains it as the place "which is the salt sea," that is, the region of the Dead Sea.
• En-mishpat (Kadesh): commonly identified with Kadesh Barnea in the wilderness.
• Salem: the city ruled by Melchizedek. Jewish and Christian tradition generally understand it to be Jerusalem.
• Sodom and Gomorrah, Damascus, and Amalek also appear.

Points for Reflection

• Verse 13 is the first place in the Bible where the word "Hebrew" is used.
• Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 7 interpret Melchizedek as a figure who foreshadows the eternal priesthood of Christ. The description of him in Hebrews as "without father, without mother" is generally read to mean that Genesis records no genealogy for him. The view that he was a Christophany (a preincarnate appearance of Christ in human form) is held by a minority. Some Jewish traditions identify him with Shem, the son of Noah, but the text says nothing of this.
• The Catholic Church understands the bread and wine as a type of the Mass (the Eucharist). Protestant interpreters often connect them with the priesthood of Christ, and some see them as food provided for weary soldiers.
• Abram's tithe predates the Law. For this reason it is still cited in support of the claim that tithing remains binding today. Others counter that it was a one-time gift from the spoils of war and is therefore difficult to treat as a general principle (see Tithing Debate).
• The identification of Amraphel king of Shinar with Hammurabi of Babylon was once proposed but is not widely accepted today.

In the Korean Church

Verses 18–20 are frequently cited in sermons explaining the tithe. The phrase "not even a thread" in verse 23 is often used in sermons emphasizing honesty in material matters and a faith that relies on God alone.