The expedition of the four kings; the victory of Abram; he is blessed by Melchisedech.

¹ Now it happened in that time that Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Pontus, and Chedorlaomer, king of the Elamites, and Tidal, king of the Nations,

² went to war against Bera, king of Sodom, and against Birsha, king of Gomorrah, and against Shinab, king of Admah, and against Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and against the king of Bela, that is Zoar.

³ All these came together in the wooded valley, which is now the Sea of Salt.

⁴ For they had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they withdrew from him.

⁵ Therefore, in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer arrived, and the kings who were with him. And they struck the Rephaim at Ashteroth of the two horns, and the Zuzim with them, and the Emim at Shaveh-Kiriathaim.

⁶ and the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, even to the plains of Paran, which is in the wilderness.

⁷ And they returned and arrived at the fountain of Mishpat, which is Kadesh. And they struck the entire region of the Amalekites, and the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazontamar.

⁸ And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and indeed the king of Bela, which is Zoar, went forth. And they directed their point against them in the wooded valley,

⁹ namely, against Chedorlaomer, king of the Elamites, and Tidal, king of the Nations, and Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Pontus: four kings against five.

¹⁰ Now the wooded valley had many pits of bitumen. And so the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah turned back and they fell there. And those who remained, fled to the mountain.¹²

1. 14:10These two armies did not want to fight amidst the tar pits, so they turned back and were caught in battle by the enemy, having to way to retreat. The word ‘cecideruntque’ indicates that they fell in battle, not that they fell into the tar pits.(Conte)
2. 14:10Of slime. Bituminis: This was a kind of pitch, which served for mortar in the building of Babel, Gen. 11.3, and was used by Noe in pitching the ark.(Challoner)

¹¹ Then they took all the substance of the Sodomites and the Gomorrhites, and all that pertained to food, and they went away,¹

1. 14:11All that pertains to food includes food, utensils, cooking material, etc.(Conte)

¹² along with both Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who lived in Sodom, and his substance.

¹³ And behold, one who had escaped reported it to Abram the Hebrew, who lived in the steep valley of Mamre the Amorite, who was the brother of Eshcol, and the brother of Aner. For these had formed an agreement with Abram.

¹⁴ When Abram had heard this, namely, that his brother Lot had been taken captive, he numbered three hundred and eighteen of his own armed men and he went in pursuit all the way to Dan.¹

1. 14:14These 318 were not servants, but a group of armed men who worked for Abram, guarding his possessions and his servants. There were no police in those days, and someone with a very large contingent of servants and a very large family needed armed men to protect them. These men are analogous to a large corporation having its own security guards. Also, it was brave and daring for such a small and lightly armed group, without experience in warfare, to actually attack a large army deployed in the field.(Conte)

¹⁵ And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night. And he struck them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

¹⁶ And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with his substance, likewise the women and the people.

¹⁷ Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter at Chedorlaomer, and the kings who were with him at the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king.

¹⁸ Then in truth, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, for he was a priest of the Most High God;¹

1. 14:18Salem (Shalom) means peace; Melchizedek is the king of peace and a foreshadowing of Christ, the King of Peace.(Conte)

¹⁹ he blessed him, and he said: “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, who created heaven and earth.

²⁰ And blessed be the Most High God, through whose protection the enemies are in your hands.” And he gave him tithes from everything.

²¹ Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me these souls, and take the rest for yourself.”

²² And he responded to him: “I lift up my hand to the Lord God, the Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth,

²³ that from one thread within a blanket, even to a single shoelace, I will not take anything from that which is yours, lest you say, ‘I have enriched Abram,’

²⁴ except that which the young men have eaten, and the shares for the men who came with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. These will take their shares.”