Genesis 14

Melchizedek

1 About this time *war broke out in the region. King **Amraphel of ***Babylonia, King Arioch of ****Ellasar, King *****Kedorlaomer of ******Elam, and King *******Tidal of Goiim

*war - This is the first war mentioned in the Bible.
**Amraphel - Amraphel may be Hammurabi.
*** Babylonia – Hebrew Shinar.
****Ellasar – the leading tribe in southern Babylonia.
*****Kedorlaomer – spelled “Chedorlaomer” in the King James version.
******Elam – the son of Shem, and the name of the country inhabited by his descendants, to the east of Babylonia. Elam was later conquered by Persia. A tablet enumerates among the enemies of Hammurabi, Kudur-Lagamar ("the servant of the goddess Lagamar") or Kedorlaomer, Arioch, and Tidal. Hammurabi drove the Elamites out of Babylonia.
*******Tidal is the Hittite Tudhalia.




These 4 kings are descendants of Shem and are kings of city-states. Babylon is not yet an Empire. These kings have come down and subjugated the cities near what is now the Dead Sea in order to protect the trade route, and exacted tribute from them. And now the cities rebel by withholding their tribute.

2 fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of *Admah, King Shemeber of **Zeboiim, and the king of ***Bela (now called ****Zoar).

All these kings are descendants of Ham.

*Admah – was destroyed with Sodom.
**Zeboiim – was destroyed with Sodom
***Bela –A city on the south-east side of the Dead sea, was destined, with the other four cities, to be consumed by fire from heaven; but at the intercession of Lot it was preserved, Genesis 9:20-23,30. It was originally called Bela; but after Lot entreated the angel’s permission to take refuge in it, and insisted on the smallness of this city, it had the name Zoar, which signifies small.
****Zoar - The Mishnah calls Zoar "the City of Palms" and Ptolemy claimed that Zoar was widely famous for its balsam and date palms.

3 The kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela formed an alliance and mobilized their armies in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the *Dead Sea).

*Dead Sea - Hebrew Salt Sea.

4 For twelve years they had all been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but now in the thirteenth year *they rebelled.

*They rebelled - they refused to pay their tribute. They probably hoped they weren’t important enough to bother with.

5 One year later, Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived. They conquered the *Rephaites in **Ashteroth-karnaim, the ***Zuzites in Ham, the ****Emites in the plain of *****Kiriathaim,

*Rephaites – Means “the dead ones”. These are the Nephilim after the flood.
**Ashteroth-karnaim - Meaning: Ashteroth of the two horns.
***Zuzite means “roving creatures”.
****Emites means “terrible ones”.
*****Kiriathaim -

6 and the Horites in *Mount Seir, as far as **El-paran at the edge of the wilderness.

*Mount Seir – In Edom. The name Edom was given to Esau, the first-born son of Isaac and twin brother of Jacob. The country which the Lord subsequently gave to Esau was hence called "the country of Edom," and his descendants were called Edomites (e’-dom-ites). Edom was called Mount Seir and Idumea also.

**El-paran This city, today called Elath of Israel, and Aqaba of Jordan, lies at a crossroad between Palestine, Egypt, and the King’s Highway through Edom [Jordan]. Aqaba is 210 miles from Amman. Its location ensured it would be fought over by the adjoining countries. The inhabitants, never large enough to become independent, simply paid tribute to the country which controlled it at tax time. Whenever raiders came, the population disappeared into the hills. Thus, the population never increased to a very large size.


The purpose of this attack was clearly to secure the trade routes, but it is quite possible that some or all of these places had also refused tribute.

7 Then they swung around to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and destroyed the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.

Archaeologist Nelson Glueck documents the destruction left by these kings: "I found that every village in their path had been plundered and left in ruins, and the countryside was laid waste. The population had been wiped out or led away into captivity. For hundreds of years thereafter, the entire area was like an abandoned cemetery, hideously unkempt, with all its monuments shattered and strewn in pieces on the ground."

8 But now the army of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (now called Zoar) prepared for battle in the *valley of the Dead Sea

*valley of the Dead Sea - Hebrew in Siddim Valley . The Valley of Siddim was located in the general area between Engedi and the "cities of the plain," which in the time before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah may have included the area of what has today become the underwater southern section of the Dead Sea

For years the account in Genesis 14, including Abraham's victory over several Mesopotamian kings, was said by some to be unreliable because the five "Cities of the Plain" (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela or Zoar) were thought to be merely fictitious legend. -----However, starting in the 1960’s, tens of thousands of tablets with writing on them were discovered in northwestern Syria, in the rubble-mounds of the ancient city of Ebla, and one tablet from about 1900 B.C., refers to all five of the "Cities of the Plain." Dr. David Noel Freedman points out that the factuality of the time of these five cities precedes the rescue of Lot as well as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

9 against King Kedorlaomer of Elam and the kings of Goiim, Babylonia, and Ellasar--four kings against five.

The five kings know that they are next on the list and pick their ground. They have no choice. But the four kings are too powerful and their cause is hopeless.

10 As it happened, the valley was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some slipped into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains.

Even today, these tar pits can be seen as they bubble to the surface at the south end of the Dead Sea which now covers the area. Some even call it the Sea of Asphalt. The five kings are hoping to draw the invaders chariots and horses into the tar pits where they would be useless.

They had probably hoped that the particular site, with its related problems with which they were familiar, would offer them an advantage but they had no chance against a superior force and the two main kings were killed while the remainder fled to safety in the mountains.

We have already been told that Sodom was a wicked city (13:13) so it may well be that in the context of the narrative as a whole this is seen as God’s preliminary judgment on Sodom.





11 The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and began their long journey home, taking all the wealth and food with them.

12 They also captured *Lot--Abram's nephew who lived in Sodom--and took everything he owned.

*Lot chose the worldly advantages of living near wicked Sodom and lost everything he had not once but twice! Abram was the one who saved Lot twice in Genesis 14 & 19. When Lot was separated from Abram, he suffered loss. When he was with Abram, he was blessed.

13 One of the men who escaped came and told Abram the *Hebrew, who was camped at the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram's allies.

*Hebrew – First occurrence of the word “Hebrew” in the Bible “”Hebrew” probably means “crossed over”. “Hebrew” occurs 30 times in the Bible. Probably derived from “Eber”, the great-grandson of Shem. Abram is called ‘the Hebrew’ only here, a term which represents him as a stateless person.

14 When Abram learned that Lot had been captured, he called together the men born into his household, 318 of them in all. He chased after Kedorlaomer's army until he caught up with them in *Dan.

*Dan – Dan is at the base of Mount Hermon. The city was known by the name Leshem (Joshua 19:47) or Laish (Judges 18:29). During the 18th century BC, Laish was fortified with huge man-made earthen embankments which created ramparts encircling the entire city. On the eastern side of the city, an intact city gate complex was preserved, consisting of two towers flanking a recessed arched gateway. Stone steps led from the outside to the entrances. The 18th century BC ramparts with the gate provided adequate defense for Canaanite Laish.



Abram was not indifferent to his nephew’s well-being. "Well, he must reap what he has sown."



With his Ur background and the constant possible dangers to a small but wealthy family tribe, such a force would be seen by him as necessary, and he has clearly trained them well.

15 There he divided his men and attacked during the night from several directions. Kedorlaomer's army fled, but Abram chased them to Hobah, north of Damascus.

Abram is aware that, in spite of his strength, he has little chance against the kings in a straight fight. They would have two or three times the number. But he knows that they are weary after a hard expedition, laden with booty, and not expecting pursuit and that he can catch them unawares, and he makes his plans accordingly. Indeed the forces of the kings may not have been keeping close together in formation. He may well have caught stragglers and forced them to divulge where Lot could be found, so that he knew exactly where to attack.

The enemy is taken totally by surprise. They had been so confident of their security from attack, and so satisfied with themselves as they rested, that the attack, which was not only unexpected but from a completely unknown source, throws them into disarray.

Abram finds the Mesopotamian army at Dan, though this may not have been the full army, but an escort group bringing the spoil and prisoners of war back to Mesopotamia. Abram sets the strategy, which involves two elements:
• A night attack for maximum confusion
• A divided force attacking from several directions

The result is a surprise that scares the soldiers into fleeing for their lives. Then Abram's men chase them for 50 miles or more, to north of Damascus. It was a complete rout.

16 Abram and his allies recovered everything--the goods that had been taken, Abram's nephew Lot with his possessions, and all the women and other captives.

Abram's objective is not to destroy the Mesopotamian army, but to rescue Lot.

The description shows that what he brought back is carefully weighed up, ‘all the goods, the women also, and the people’, for there is to be a reckoning. Messengers have no doubt gone on ahead and the new King of Sodom comes out to welcome the returning heroes, and to negotiate what he can salvage from the affair.

17 As Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the *valley of Shaveh (that is, the *King's Valley).

*King's Valley - Mentioned in 2 Samuel 18:18 as the location of Absalom's monument, just south of Jerusalem.

18 Then *Melchizedek, the king of **Salem and a priest of ***God Most High, brought him bread and wine.

*Melchizedek is a title not a name. “Melch” means “king”. “Zedek” means “righteousness”. The caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found yielded a series of thirteen fragments on Melchizedek. From these, it appears the belief that Melchizedek was the Messiah was a strongly held conviction among the Qumran community, as well as among some other Jewish and Gnostic sects in the first century A.D.

Melchizedek priesthood - Encyclopædia Britannica in the Mormon church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), the higher of the two priesthoods, concerned with spiritual rather than secular matters. One of the unique doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons or LDS) is their Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods. The Mormon church teaches that this is their authority from God to act in his name and do his work. The Aaronic Priesthood was allegedly given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by John the Baptist on May 15, 1829, and sometime later, but before August 1830, they received the Melchizedek Priesthood from Apostles Peter, James and John.

**Salem is Jerusalem. In Psalm 76:2, the temple mount is called Salem.
***God Most High – el elyon.

So two kings meet Abraham there -- Melchizedek, king of Salem, and Bera, king of Sodom. These two kings are clear opposites:
King of Salem King of Sodom
Melchizedek = "king of righteousness" Bera = "be evil"
Righteous Sinful
Salem = "peace" Sodom = a symbol for sinfulness
Abraham accepts Melchizedek's food and blessing. Abraham rejects the offer of Sodom's captured property.
Priest of the Most High God (worshipper of false gods)

Only 3 people in the Bible are king and priest – Melchizedek, Jesus and us (1 Peter 2:9).

In Melchizedek, the offices of priest and king were combined, and thus was he a type of our great High Priest who was not of the tribe of Levi, but of the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe.

19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:

"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
*Creator of heaven and earth.

*Creator – Usually translated “possessor” or “owner”.

Just who is this "God Most High"? Melchizedek's name for God is a pair of words, Hebrew ’el ‘elyon (found also in Psalm 78:35). ’ēl is the generic term for God. Hebrew ‘elyôn, "most high," (from the root ‘ālā, "go up, climb, ascend). "‘elyôn, as a divine name signifying the supremacy of the deity, is known from both Ugaritic and Phoenician texts appearing there as epithets of the highest gods of the pantheons." Melchizedek sees El Elyon as being "Creator of heaven and earth" in the same way as Abraham does -- in other words, both Melchizedek and Abraham see El Elyon as totally supreme over everything in earth and heaven. Abraham clearly identifies El Elyon with Yahweh in 14:22 and seems to welcome Melchizedek's blessing. Melchizedek is a priest serving the same God that Abraham himself serves.

20
And blessed be God Most High,
who has helped you conquer your enemies."

Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.

What is the significance of one tenth of all the spoils of war being given to Melchizedek? He didn't even participate in the rescue mission. "Tenth" or "tithes" (KJV) is the Hebrew noun ma‘ăsēr, "tithe, tenth part." Before tithing was made part of the Mosaic law, we see two examples of tithing in Genesis -- here and Jacob's promise as an act of worship in response to a dream of a ladder into heaven at Bethel, "of all that you give me I will give you a tenth" (28:22). Though sometimes tithing indicates submission to a king (1 Samuel 8:15, 17), here it is clearly is an act of worship, which immediately follows Melchizedek's blessing of both Abraham and God Most High:

By tithing to God's priest Melchizedek, Abram is worshipping God for giving him the victory. Melchizedek hadn't helped in the military victory and wasn't entitled to a share of the spoils, but Melchizedek, the priest and representative of God, received Abraham's gift as an act of worship of God Most High. Abram, as the general of the expedition, divides up the spoils of war and begins with God who had given them the victory.


Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-10: that is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. Now a high priest is a man chosen to represent other human beings in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers their sacrifices for sins. And because he is human, he is able to deal gently with the people, though they are ignorant and wayward. For he is subject to the same weaknesses they have. That is why he has to offer sacrifices, both for their sins and for his own sins. And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He has to be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. That is why Christ did not exalt himself to become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him,
"You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father." (Psalm 2:7)

And in another passage God said to him,
"You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4)

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God. So even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the line of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:19-20: This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the line of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 7: This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against many kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had won in the battle and gave it to Melchizedek. His name means "king of justice." He is also "king of peace" because Salem means "peace." There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors--no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized how great Melchizedek was by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. Now the priests, who are descendants of Levi, are commanded in the law of Moses to collect a tithe from all the people, even though they are their own relatives. But Melchizedek, who was not even related to Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to bless is always greater than the person who is blessed. In the case of Jewish priests, tithes are paid to men who will die. But Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. In addition, we might even say that Levi's descendants, the ones who collect the tithe, paid a tithe to Melchizedek through their ancestor Abraham. For although Levi wasn't born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham's loins when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him. And finally, if the priesthood of Levi could have achieved God's purposes--and it was that priesthood on which the law was based--why did God need to send a different priest from the line of Melchizedek, instead of from the line of Levi and Aaron? And when the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. For the one we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members do not serve at the altar. What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned Judah in connection with the priesthood. The change in God's law is even more evident from the fact that a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has now come. He became a priest, not by meeting the old requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he said of Christ,

"You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek." (Psalm 110:4)

Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law made nothing perfect, and now a better hope has taken its place. And that is how we draw near to God. God took an oath that Christ would always be a priest, but he never did this for any other priest. Only to Jesus did he say,

"The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
`You are a priest forever.' " (Psalm 110:4)

Because of God's oath, it is Jesus who guarantees the effectiveness of this better covenant. Another difference is that there were many priests under the old system. When one priest died, another had to take his place. But Jesus remains a priest forever; his priesthood will never end. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save everyone who comes to God through him. He lives forever to plead with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has now been set apart from sinners, and he has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he sacrificed himself on the cross. Those who were high priests under the law of Moses were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made perfect forever.

21 The king of Sodom told him, "Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered."

22 Abram replied, "I have solemnly promised the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

23 that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich!’

24 All I'll accept is what these young men of mine have already eaten. But give a share of the goods to my allies--Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre."

In denying any claim to the property he had recovered, Abram gave strong evidence to his complete trust in God for his wealth and well-being. Abram’s devotion to God was one of the reasons Melchizedek came out to bless Abram. Abram’s refusal to keep the spoils for himself stands in stark contrast to Lot’s attraction to the pleasures and wealth Sodom offered (chapter 19). Abram is a witness to the Most High God – to everyone around and to us today.

What he has done he has done for Lot, not for gain, and he is rich enough. He is not a paid mercenary leader, he is a servant of the Most High God.

So, behind the account is a covenant in accord with local politics and customs, and the sharing out of the spoils in accordance with them. This is the firm record of what has been agreed. Abram comes well out of the whole matter in many respects. We can now understand even more why he is treated with such great respect by the people of the land who would never forget his exploit. And he has shown generosity of spirit and a wariness of being seen as indebted to anyone. To accept the king’s offer in a solemn covenant might have been seen as putting him under treaty obligation.

In this passage we see the continued working out of God's initial promise to Abram:
I will cause you to become the father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I will make you a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you." (12:2-3)

Those who attacked Abram's nephew Lot are cursed, while Abram begins his ministry of blessing all the peoples of the earth, beginning with the abducted residents of the Cities of the Plain, just as our Father sends his blessings of sun and rain "on the evil and the good" and "on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45).