Chedorlaomer is mentioned in Genesis 14:9 as the king of Elam, which was an ancient civilization in the region that is now Iran. The invasion occurred the next year. The five kings fought back, briefly gaining the upper hand, but by the time Abram — or more precisely, his nephew, Lot — arrives on the scene, the four have beaten down the five again. The foreign kings' goal was to conquer the five southern cities around the Dead Sea. I would add that it goes down to the intention of the giver, Pharoah's intention was simply to bless Abram, while for the King of Sodom, it was for a pagan alliance, like someone above here mentioned. In chapter 14 Abraham had an opportunity to become suddenly very wealthy through his own works by keeping the riches of Sodom and the five kings of the southern Dead Sea. The next point in the story we need to take a deeper look at is when God called Abraham. Abraham's immediate response is to give a tenth of everything to Melchizedek. Soon Abraham received the tragic news that his nephew was taken prisoner together with the king of Sodom. Lot is still considered part of Abraham's family. Abraham received blessings from the Lord God Most High —v20 who has delivered your enemies into your hand— when Melchizedek king of Salem greets him with bread and wine and sustains him. The birth of Isaac Abraham’s son. That would make the odds at least greater than 5 to 1. The title "Five Kings in a Cave" comes from Joshua 10. Avram didnt want anything because not he was the victor but he thanked his G-d for the victory. Instead, he asks only that his allies be recompensed for their efforts." — 1 Kings 5:10 Abraham/Sarah and Brahma/Saraswati are not the only overlapping figures between Hindu and Hebrew traditions. Hagar, an Egyptian slave given to Abraham by the Pharaoh of … He raises Abraham's thought from cultivating a kingdom based on conquests to a kingdom of peace. 18 Melchizedek, king of Salem, # Melchizedek, king of Salem (Jerusalem, cf. The five cities named in thi… The outcome should make clear that even mild dishone… Sodom was a pagan, sinful place destined for destruction, Egypt would shelter the children of Israel for a time because of famine. After this mighty man [Abraham] was weaned, he began to explore and think . Mesopotamia was one of the earliest regions to be inhabited after the greatFlood, and it was here that Abraham lived his early life. Abraham had just recaptured everything. In this case, they were four foreign kings from the East, from the Mesopotamia region, from places that Abraham had left behind. The Israel Bible is the world’s first Tanakh (Bible) centered around the Land of Israel, the People of Israel, and the dynamic relationship between them. . Abraham asks Sarah to say that she is his sister in Gen 12:13 because a sister travelling with her brother would be perceived as sexually available. Amraphel has been thought by some scholars such as the writers of the Catholic Encyclopedia (1907) and the Jewish Encyclopaedia (1906) to be an alternate name of the famed Hammurabi. All rights reserved. Abram) after his return from the slaughter (perhaps too forcible an expression for mere defeat) of Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him (the entire clause from "after" is parenthetical), at the valley of Shaveh. That makes scholars nervous. I also think the more of Elohim he had in his heart and thinking, the less he wanted anything to do with evil entanglements. They take the local population prisoner, Lot among them. On one hand, I think Abram knew the spiritual nature of Sodom from the moment he and Lot arrived in the area. In this chapter Joshua and the armies of Israel literally sealed five kings inside a cave as part of the overall strategy for conquering the land of Canaan. But Abraham had some resources of his own too. In that case, it would be absolutely essential to keep Lot safe. Instead, he replies that he has already sworn an oath not to accept anything — not a thread or a sandal thong — from the king, lest he should one day be able to say that he had made Abraham rich. When he first set out on his journey, he probably didn’t know a lot about what it meant to live by faith on a day to day basis – most people don’t. Even though he is no longer part of Abraham's tribe, Abraham obviously felt some responsibility for him. This provides further details as to the faithfulness of God to Abraham. In light of that, isn't it interesting that it comes right after God has reaffirmed His promises to Abraham? Genesis 14 tells an unusual tale of a battle between four kings from outside the Levant and five city-states situated on the south-eastern side of the Dead Sea. Most commentators argue that it appears to be a tale that is just stuck in the story and really adds nothing to it. Instead, he asks only that his allies be recompensed for their efforts. After eliminating all neighboring people who might stand in their way, the four foreign kings turned their full attention to the rebellious five and decisively defeated them in the Valley of Siddim. One might well wonder how Abraham could do what the five kings could not. Even before knowledge of God was widespread in the Land, the concept of divine justice was present in Jerusalem. The newly-rescued king of Sodom offers Abram a reward, but Abram refuses to give the king the chance to say he made Abram rich. After the first eleven chapters of Genesis, it appears that this “Creation” idea was a failure, but God doesn’t see it this way. Understanding the tale on a literal and allegorical level, he offers intriguing suggestions about what motivates both powerful rulers and forces within the soul. Since so many details are provided, scholars should be able to place Abraham in a precise historical moment. I. Abraham the Watcher. Under God's command, the first step in conquering Canaan was to divide the land by defeating the central cities of Jericho and Ai. It is almost monotonous in its detail of names and places, none of which can be verified by outside Biblical sources. The families set off in pursuit as far as Dan, one of the northernmost cities of Israel. On the other hand, Abram had grown a lot since the beginning of his journey. Abraham again calls Sarah his "sister" and the king "sent for Sarah and took her" -- that is, he abducted her. Yet someone escaped and fled to Abraham with the bad news. Although no less than five kings had banded themselves together to fight Chedarlaomer and his allies, they were defeated, for the four kings were mightier than the five. When God gave Abraham his great victory over the King of Elam, he was met on his return by an enigmatic figure, a priest, by the name of Melchizedek. Moreover people would say of the wealth of Avram he has gained it through those wars and they wouldn't see it was HaShem that blessed him. Terah was also father to Haran, father of Lot. With just 318 men, Abram defeats the four kings and frees the prisoners. Abram made a stand and worshipped the one true God with great faith. All these came as allies unto the vale of Siddim―the same is the Salt Sea. * In the meantime, the king of Sodom regained his kingdom, heard about the battle, and marched out to meet the victorious hero. Perhaps he was dreaming about an alliance with Abraham. Melchizedek was the King of Salem. . Abraham's troops were fresh; they attacked under cover of darkness and by dividing his strike force to simultaneously attack from two sides, he was able to completely surprise the army. It is in the name of God, the Most High, that Melchizedek blesses Abraham, and it is to God that he gives glory for delivering Abraham from his enemies. Instead, he has become a charismatic tribal chieftain, ready to engage in deadly warfare on behalf of his kinsman. It is an international incident, which ultimately will have very personal consequences for Abraham and his family. With just 318 men, Abram defeats the four kings and frees the prisoners. At the end of this chapter, Abraham has made a clear choice between worldly benefits and divine blessings. This is the first war that is recorded in the Scriptures. Add to that the wickedness of the Sodomite king with his own agenda and Abram has the wisdom not to enter into any kind of relationship with an idolater. These were men that had been born into his house, most likely as slaves, and were considered trustworthy. He is a king of Salem, which is suggestive of the Hebrew word "shalom" or peace. Abram refused the spoil from the king of Sodom as he did not want any form of alliance with this pagan king which could affect his family. Now, for twelve years, these local kings had been diligently paying tribute to the foreign entities. Yes, that Lot; but that story comes later. Ancient armies did not usually fight after dark. Like, maybe it really isn't true, after all. They marched against the five local kings of the Jordanian region. I would think it a good possibility all of these kings each had more than Abram had. Up until now, Abraham had had no involvement in the campaign. She was barren, bearing no children. The four kings … 10) - went out to meet him (i.e. 4. God also promised the gift of land, and here come four conquering kings wanting land, placing God's promise in jeopardy. 1. A. We, however, are less interested in the historical nature of the tale as to what it's doing there in the first place. Interestingly, as we will see this coming week, whereas Pharaoh gave Abraham gifts BEFORE he knew Sarah’s true identity, Abimelech gives Abraham gifts AFTER finding out Sarah is actually Abraham’s wife, not (just) sister. Are the Wife-Sister Stories "Doublets"? On the other hand, one can just as easily argue that because we don't know about this specific campaign or these particular kings from other sources, there is no guarantee that this event didn't happen. King – Kingdoms. Copyright © 2021 BibleWise.com. It's a technique in which contrasting items are used to express a totality. But he did not hold others to this same standard. And when they can't, it raises many unnerving questions about the historicity of the whole chapter. Abraham (Genesis 14) Abraham got involved in a battle between two groups of kings. * Include in your discussion his interactions with the various kings mentioned in his life-story. When I think of these possible odds, I think of Gideon who went up against several thousand with just 300 men, and destroyed them all "without firing a shot". Abraham’s Early Life. He used his faith: His force was heavily outnumbered Lot is rescued by Abraham. I think both Kara and SueJean have made great comments. Obviously, some time had elapsed, and Lot had progressed from living in tents near the city to living within the city itself. Ps 76:3), appears with majestic suddenness to recognize Abraham’s great victory, which the five local kings were unable to achieve. Kicked Out – Came Back God Gets the Ball Rolling. But he is undaunted by custom and hopes to cut a deal with him. In this case, they were four foreign kings from the East, from the Mesopotamia region, from places that Abraham had left behind. Melchizadek was a priest from heaven-not born on this earth-read about his description and he was not Jesus. Then, at the call of God, Abram, with his wife, Sarai, and Lot, and the rest of his belongings, went into the Land of Chanaan, amongst other places to Sichem and Bethel, where he built altars to the Lord. There they waited until nightfall, split their forces in two, and routed the unsuspecting army. He is also a priest of God, the Most High. But before this king ever gets a chance to speak, Melchizedek jumps into the story. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. When Abram hears the fate of his nephew, he springs into action. The victory is complete; the invaders seized all the wealth from Sodom and Gomorrah, all needed provisions, and went on their way. 3. Avram was already rich and didn't need anymore, especially from a wicked king. Ishmael the son of Hagar and Abraham. On their way there, they pillaged and destroyed all the tribes they encountered. Ahuva you may need to add more insight here, thank you. It is a familiar story of oppression by a coalition of stronger powers. There is no difference. He is king of the peace that Abraham has now brought to the community. But during the 13th year, the five kings rebel, and during the 14th year, the great Battle of the Kings occurs. Ajit Vadakayil points out that there is also Adam/Eve and Adhama/ Havyavati, along with Noah and Nyuha or Manu (Blogspot.com). Abraham is no longer a pastoral nomad, moving from watering hole to watering hole. The war came about because the five kings of the city-states in the plain of Jordan rebelled against the four kings of the eastern city-states. The newly-rescued king of Sodom offers Abram a reward, but Abram refuses to give the king the chance to say he made Abram rich. * Historically speaking, the story’s setting is problematic. From a practical standpoint, however, it makes sense that the large armies had just finished a long and exhausting campaign. Only after this exchange does the King of Sodom speak. They were not expecting another attack, especially once they set up camp for the night. Abraham raises his own personal army, rescues Lot and other captives during a night attack, and presents part of the plunder to Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God, as a tithe. Read More, Copyright © 2021 The Israel Bible All Rights Reserved. God is establishing a good reputation and a good name for Abraham who will be respected and feared in the land. They were tired and probably enjoying the spoils of war. In leaning upon HaShem, and learning a lot by trial and error, he had become spiritually stronger. God has promised Abraham innumerable descendants. He's the one that gave the victory. It's like Elohim does for us sometimes. * When I read this commentary, I think of tremendous odds. It is possible that since there was still no other apparent heir, Abraham was still holding out hope that his promised descendants would come through Lot. The armies of any of the nine kings were experienced and well organized. The words for this alliance inherently point to a presumption of parity among equals. It is after the slaughter of the kings (which Abraham takes part in) during which the evil king and his allies are defeated and killed, that Abraham is met and blessed by the priest-king Melchizedek. He has established some sort of an alliance with three other families in the area. Baruch Hashem. What can we learn from Abraham’s dealings with other people. Thare had three sons, Abram, Nachor, and Aran. For some reason, they chose to withhold that tribute in the thirteenth year. An alliance of four kings waged war against five kings, oppressing them. Unlike Melchizedek who brought an offering of bread and wine, this king arrived empty-handed and shouted, "Give me the people..." Now, in fact, this demand is quite outrageous. Obviously, the foreign kings were not about to allow such a rebellion to go unchecked. As he see’s Elohim’s hand directing his life and the provision that has been made for him along the way, he starts to understand just how involved in his life Elohim actually is and gains confidence in that. Hebrews 11:10 is a wonderful verse to contemplate as Abraham is described as one who looked for “a city with foundations whose builder and architect is God.” I agree with most of your sentiments. We read of Chedorlaomer and four other kings coming down and wantonly ravaging and destroying other countries, besides the five kings who had rebelled against them, and at last carrying off captive the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot, Abraham's nephew. (Gen. 11:30) They take the local population prisoner, Lot among them. This chapter presents the most scholarly difficulty thus far in our story. The Israel Bible cites the Sages, who identify Melchizedek as Shem, son of Noah, and Salem as the future site of Jerusalem. So, Abram was uncle to Lot. Chazal say Amraphel was Abraham… King David in 2Sam 11:14-17 arranges to have Uriah killed in the front line of the battle so that he can hide his adulterous act with Uriah's wife Bathsheba. Yes, of “Abrahamic religion”. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. The Bible is relatively silent on the first few decades of Abraham’s life, telling us that he was the son of Terach and husband of Sarah, but not much else.But many crucial details are filled in by the Midrash and Talmud.Here is how it is summed up by Maimonides:. This mighty man [ Abraham Tested ] some time later God Tested Abraham from Pharaoh?... His family has now brought to the faithfulness of God was with.. 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