With just 318 men, Abram defeats the four kings and frees the prisoners. Most commentators argue that it appears to be a tale that is just stuck in the story and really adds nothing to it. It is a familiar story of oppression by a coalition of stronger powers. Yes, of “Abrahamic religion”. The foreign kings' goal was to conquer the five southern cities around the Dead Sea. At the end of this chapter, Abraham has made a clear choice between worldly benefits and divine blessings. With just 318 men, Abram defeats the four kings and frees the prisoners. This never works out for anyone in the Scriptures or today either. Ancient armies did not usually fight after dark. Moreover, Abraham and his elite force of 318 were non-aligned with any of the five kings. Some scholars respond to these concerns by arguing that it was added to the story very late, or that it came down as a separate tradition about Abraham. Lot is still considered part of Abraham's family. Copyright © 2021 BibleWise.com. I also think it a good possibility Abram would not have intervened if not for Lot being among the captives. Then, He does what any father would do, rescue us from our trouble. He is a king of Salem, which is suggestive of the Hebrew word "shalom" or peace. 1. We, however, are less interested in the historical nature of the tale as to what it's doing there in the first place. It was also very successful. (Gen. 11:30) The southern kings lost the battle, and their citizens were captured. Sarah was the wife of Abraham. * But he is undaunted by custom and hopes to cut a deal with him. The text says, "He defeated them." "When Abram hears the fate of his nephew, he springs into action. YHVH got His due glory. But during the 13th year, the five kings rebel, and during the 14th year, the great Battle of the Kings occurs. This is no longer just an international incident; it is personal. 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. Thare took Abram and his wife, Sarai, and Lot, the son of Aran, who was dead, and leaving Ur of the Chaldees, came to Haran and dwelt there till he died. Up until now, Abraham had had no involvement in the campaign. 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. 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. But Abraham had some resources of his own too. Abraham's immediate response is to give a tenth of everything to Melchizedek. A reimbursement in this situation was the most equitable agreement for all. This chapter presents the most scholarly difficulty thus far in our story. 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. Soon Abraham received the tragic news that his nephew was taken prisoner together with the king of Sodom. Abraham - Battle of the Four Kings versus Five Kings Genesis 14:1-16 This is a historical account with one main purpose. 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. It is perfectly reasonable to assume that there are many gaps in our knowledge of life 4,000 years ago. In addition, the story clarifies the difference in an undisputable lie and what we may call a “half-truth”. Well put all of you. They were not expecting another attack, especially once they set up camp for the night. When Abram hears the fate of his nephew, he springs into action. On their way there, they pillaged and destroyed all the tribes they encountered. You make some great observations here. The Israel Bible cites the Sages, who identify Melchizedek as Shem, son of Noah, and Salem as the future site of Jerusalem. Designed for both Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike, The Israel Bible offers a unique commentary that seeks to explain God’s focus on the Land of Israel alongside the original Hebrew text, transliteration of select Hebrew verses, and the New Jewish Publication Society translation. Now, of course, the situation had become different. Abram then defeats the invading army, and the people from the five city-states are set free. He was able to muster up 318 of his own men to fight for him. That makes scholars nervous. Why do you think Abram refused to accept gifts from the king of Sodom, but took them willingly from Pharaoh earlier? The outcome should make clear that even mild dishone… He used his faith: His force was heavily outnumbered 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. After this mighty man [Abraham] was weaned, he began to explore and think . He saw to it that his allies and suppliers were reimbursed. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. 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. Abraham distinguished his small force from the opposing regular fighting men in both opposing forces. I. Abraham the Watcher. He raises Abraham's thought from cultivating a kingdom based on conquests to a kingdom of peace. Earlier with Pharoah, this related to his wife Sarai who was also his half sister —- comment in the KJV Bible —- she was his sister in another manner—– the custom of ‘adopting’ one’s wife as sister in order to confer privileges—- however Abimelech was angry and terrified when he realised what Abram had done and gave gifts in order to gain favour with Abram and his God. So, Abram was uncle to Lot. This promise was placed in jeopardy by Lot's exodus out of the Promised Land. Obviously, someone felt it was important enough to include in Abraham's story, which is ultimately a story of God's promises. He is king of the peace that Abraham has now brought to the community. In leaning upon HaShem, and learning a lot by trial and error, he had become spiritually stronger. The armies of any of the nine kings were experienced and well organized. Let’s not confuse stories, however; the incident with Pharaoh and with Abimelech are two different stories. The four kings … Vs 1?12. He's the one that gave the victory. In light of that, isn't it interesting that it comes right after God has reaffirmed His promises to Abraham? It's like Elohim does for us sometimes. A. Abraham (originally Abram) is the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These were men that had been born into his house, most likely as slaves, and were considered trustworthy. On the other hand, Abram had grown a lot since the beginning of his journey. Chazal say Amraphel was Abraham… 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. 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. Perhaps he was dreaming about an alliance with Abraham. The title "Five Kings in a Cave" comes from Joshua 10. Most are satisfied that these possibilities exonerate the inaccuracies of the story. Following the conflict, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brings forth bread and wine, blessing the God of Abram for strengthening his hand. Are the Wife-Sister Stories "Doublets"? The words for this alliance inherently point to a presumption of parity among equals. 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. In exchange for the people, the king offers to allow Abraham to keep all the spoils of war, spoils that already belong to Abraham by virtue of his conquest. 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:. 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. They fled north with Abraham in hot pursuit. 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. When I read this commentary, I think of tremendous odds. I agree with most of your sentiments. 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. The only reason that it is recorded here is because of the involvement of Abraham and Lot. 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. Melchizedek was the King of Salem. 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