Genesis 14:13-14

ABRAM RESCUES LOT

"And there came one that escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew: now he dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, the brother of Eschol, and the brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan."

"These were confederate with Abram ..." Nothing is said of the numbers of soldiers Abram's three confederates were able to contribute to the mission, but they might have been significant. We may easily suppose that each of these three (brothers, probably) was able to arm and send forth as many soldiers as did Abram. Should we suppose that Abram had made a confederacy with men who would not have been able to do so? Although speculative, it is quite possible that the armed force commanded by Abram in the rescue mission numbered 1,300 men, an army fully as large as that of General Sam Houston who defeated the vastly superior forces of Santa Ana in the battle of San Jacinto, April 21,1836.

"Trained men born in his house ..." It is often overlooked that Abram was the possessor of many indentured servants, and slaves born in his house, including, no doubt, many natural sons born to his concubines:

"But unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country." - Genesis 25:6.

Concubinage was common in Abram's family, his brother Nahor also having at least one concubine, and possibly others (Genesis 22:24). We are surprised that none of the scholars whose works we have studied make mention of this likely source of Abram's "trained men."

"Pursued as far as Dan ..." This place was in northern Palestine, and it was this fact that brought Abram into the Jerusalem area on his return trip to his residence in Hebron, thus providing the setting for his extremely significant meeting with Melchizedek. The entire record was constructed in such a manner as to focus upon that event.

As to how Abram was able to overtake them, that was easily done. The army of the raiding kinglets was licking its wounds following the victory over Sodom and Gomorrah. They were flushed with victory. They were encumbered by the host of captives, including women, whom they had seized. And, after the manner of such forces, they were also very likely overconfident, careless in the posting of sentries, perhaps having none at all, and feeling quite secure in the possession of their gains. If we should add that many of them were intoxicated, it would merely be to cite a probability.