Genesis 14

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:20

Verse 20 20.And he gave him tithes of all. There are those who understand that the tithes were given to Abram; but the Apostle speaks otherwise, in declaring that Levi had paid tithes in the loins of Abram, (Hebrews 7:9,) when Abram offered tithes to a more excellent Priest. And truly what the expositors above-mentioned mean, would be most absurd; because, if Melchizedek was the priest of God, it behaved him to receive tithes rather than to give them. Nor is it to be doubted but Abram offered... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:21

Verse 21 21.And the king of Sodom said. Moses having, by the way, interrupted the course of his narrative concerning the king of Sodom, by the mention of the king of Salem, now returns to it again; and says that the king of Sodom came to meet Abram, not only for the sake of congratulating him, but of giving him a due reward. He therefore makes over to him the whole prey, except the men; as if he would says ‘It is a great thing that I recover the men; let all the rest be given to thee as a... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:22

Verse 22 22.And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand, etc (368) This ancient ceremony was very appropriate to give expression to the force and nature of an oath. For by raising the hand towards heaven, we show that we appeal to God as a witness, and also as an avenger, if we fail to keep our oath. Formerly, indeed, they raised their hands in giving votes; whence the Greeks derive the word ( χειροτονεῖν,) (369) which signifies to decree: but in the rite of swearing, the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:23

Verse 23 23.That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe - latchet. The Hebrews have an elliptical form of making oath, in which the imprecation of punishment is understood. In some places, the full expression of it occurs in the Scriptures, “The Lord do so to me and more also,” (1 Samuel 14:44.) Since however, it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, in order that the obligation of oaths may be the more binding, this abrupt form of speech admonishes men to reflect... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:1

And it came to pass. After the separation of Abram and Lot, the latter of whom now appears as a citizen of Sodom, and not merely a settler in the Jordan circle; perhaps about the eighty-fourth year of Abram's life (Hughes). The present chapter, "the oldest extant record respecting Abraham" (Ewald), but introduced into the Mosaic narrative by the Jehovistic editor (Knobel, Tuch, Bleek, Davidson), possesses traces of authenticity, of which not the least is the chronological definition with... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:1-24

The kingdom of God in its relation to the contending powers of this world. I. GOD 'S JUDGMENTS ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO FALL . War is made by confederate kings or princes against the people of the wicked cities of the plain, who by their propinquity would naturally be leagued together, but by their common rebellion against Chedorlaomer were involved in a common danger. Notice the indication of the future judgment given in the course of the narrative—"the vale of Siddim was full... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:2

That these made war. The LXX . connect the present with the preceding verse by reading "that Arioch," &c.; Ewald interpolates "of Abram," before "that Amraphel." With Bera . "Gift— בֶּש־רַע (Gesenius). King of Sodom . "Burning, conflagration," as being built on bituminous soil, and therefore subject to volcanic eruptions; from סָדַם , conjectured to mean to burn (Gesenius). "Lime place," or "enclosed place;' from סָדָה , to surround (Furst). A mountain with fossil salt... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:3

All these— the last-named princes— were joined together — i.e. as confederates (so. and came with their forces)—in (literally, to ) the vale of Siddim . The salt valley ( LXX .); a wooded vale (Vulgate); a plain filled with rocky hollows (Gesenius), with which Genesis 14:10 agrees; the valley of plains or fields (Onkelos, Raschi, Keil, Murphy). Which is the salt sea. i.e. where the salt sea afterwards arose, on the destruction of the cities of the plain— Genesis 19:24 , ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:4

Twelve years —dating from the commencement of his reign (Murphy)— they served —and paid tribute (cf. 2 Kings 18:7 )— Chedorlaomer. If the king of Elam was a Shemite prince, this was m accordance with the Noachic prophecy ( Genesis 9:26 ); but according to the monuments the Elamits dynasty was Turanian. And in the thirteenth year— during the whole of the thirteenth year— they rebelled , or had rebelled. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:5

And in (or during) the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote (because of actual or probable rebellion) the Rephaims . Γίγαντας ( LXX .) , a tribe of gigantic stature (from an Arabic root, to be high), the iron bed of whose last king, Og, measured nine yards in length and four in breadth ( Deuteronomy 3:11 ); forming a portion of the aboriginal inhabitants of Palestine prior to the invasion of the Canaanites, though existing as a remnant... read more

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:20

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:21

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:22

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 14:23

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:1

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:1-24

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:2

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:5

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