Genesis 14
Melchizidek
1At that time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations
This chapter details the battle of four kings against five kings. This is the first military engagement mentioned in the Bible. Verse 1 listed the four invaders.
Amraphel was the king of Shinar, which is Babylon. Shinar is where the Tower of Babel was built. Rabbi Rashi claimed that this was Nimrod, but there is no Biblical evidence to support this premise. Others claim it was Hammurabi, but Hammurabi did not become king until twenty years later. The Code of Hammurabi is taught in secular history as the first written law of mankind.
Arioch was the king of Ellasar, meaning southern Babylon.
Kedorlaomer was the King of Elam, which was Persia or Iran.
The Hebrew word for “nations” is גּוֹיִֽם (goyim), meaning Gentiles. This one Hebrew word gives evidence that Hebrew was the first spoken language. Tidal was the king of the Gentiles, or those of the Hittite Empire.
The Hittite Empire was a large area of land populated by Gentiles but ruled by the Hittites. For many years, secular historians could find no archaeological evidence of the Hittites. They claimed that the Bible was inaccurate. Then, Hugo Winkler dug up 40 Hittite cities. Skeptics no longer use this argument.
Therefore, the four invading kings were the Babylonians, southern Babylonians, Persians, and Hittites. These were four very powerful tribes.
2went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
There were five kings who were invaded. The Hebrew name for Bera means “victor” or “in evil.” Bera was the king of Sodom. Lot lived near the gates of this city.
The Hebrew name for Birsha is “sturdy man” or “in wickedness.” He was the king of Gomorrah, which was the sister city of Sodom.
Shinah means “Sin is father.” Sin was the name of the moon god. He was the king of Admah.
Shemember means “your name is mighty.” He was the king of Zeboim.
The King of Bela was unnamed. This was the same town as Zoar, the city that Lot would escape to during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
These five “cities of the plain” were formerly thought by critics to be fictional. However, the Ebla tablets found in northern Syria contain numerous names of these Genesis cities, including the five listed in this verse. Four of these cities will be destroyed supernaturally by God in Genesis 19. Zoar will be the only city to escape destruction.
3These last five kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
Siddim means “cultivated fields.” Siddim was very fertile, supporting five cities on the plains. These five kings joined forces at the Salt Sea which is now called the Dead Sea. The Salt Sea was most likely a later editorial made by Moses. At the time of Abram, the Dead Sea was still a freshwater remnant of the great Flood, because the whole region was “well watered everywhere” (Genesis 13:10).
4For twelve years they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
These five kings paid tribute to King Kedorlaomer of Persia/Iran for twelve years. After that, they rebelled.
5In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were his allies came and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
The five kings rebelled and refused to pay tribute, so the four kings combined and began their attack one year later. The five kings defeated four different family tribes who were living in Canaan. They defeated the Rephaites in the modern Golan Heights area. They defeated the Zuzites in the city of modern Ammon, which is currently the capital of Jordan. They defeated the Emites in the modern Golan Heights area.
6and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is near the desert.
The four invading kings defeated the Hurians in the hill country of Sier, which is the modern area of the Golan Heights.
7Then they attacked En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) again, and they conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
The area of attack continued into modern Ammon which is the capital of modern Jordan. The route that the four kings took was the King’s Highway, which was one of the three major trade routes of Canaan. They attacked the geographical area which would later be inhabited by the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites. By the providence of God, this battle prepared the way for the future takeover of this area by the descendants of Abram.
The Amalekites probably were descended from Amalek, a grandson of Esau. This note was most likely inserted by Moses in his editing of Genesis. Moses edited Genesis, but he wrote Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
The Amorites were probably the most powerful tribe in Canaan at this time, yet they were defeated by the four invading kings.
8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and prepared for battle. In the Valley of Siddim they met
The five kings of Canaan prepared to defend themselves against their invaders.
9Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar. Four kings fought against five.
The four kings of Mesopotamia began their attack. Many skeptics have claimed that these kings never existed, but they have actually been found in excavations dating from the patriarchal period. King Chedorlaomer (Kedorlaomer) and King Arioch were found on the Mari Tablets.
10Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, but some survivors fled to the hills.
These tar pits were used to make bricks in Mesopotamia. These pits were so large and spread out, that the Dead Sea was called the Asphalt Sea by many early writers. These tar pits were caused by the Great Flood.
11The four victorious kings took all the possessions and food of Sodom and Gomorrah and left.
The four attacking kings plundered the five defending kings.
12They also took Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions when they left, for Lot was living in Sodom.
Lot was now living in the city. The four kings took away all of Lot’s possessions, including his wife and children. These were the same possessions that caused Lot’s men to dispute with Abram’s men.
13A fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty with Abram.)
A prisoner escaped and told Abram about Lot’s capture. This was the first time that the word “Hebrew” was used in the Bible. Abram was the first Hebrew. Abram was so powerful at this time, that Eschol and Aner had made alliances with him. This alliance mobilized all three tribes together for war. These other two tribes may have joined Abram in public worship of Jehovah as well.
14When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he mobilized his 318 trained men who had been born in his household, and he pursued the invaders as far as Dan.
The man of peace became a man of war. Abram was backed up by the divine promise of the Abrahamic Covenant, so he could not lose this war.
15Then, during the night, Abram divided his forces against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
Night attacks were rare in that day, because there were no electrical lights. The night attack hid Abram’s lack of numbers. Hobah was a long distance to chase an enemy.
16He retrieved all the stolen property. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the rest of the people.
Abram was able to rescue the army and all of the citizens of the five plains cities. Abram was able to witness about the one true God to all of the citizens of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. However, none of these people listened even though they were rescued by the God of Abram. Every one of them (except for Zoar) ended up dying in Genesis 19, when God brought down fire and brimstone from heaven.
17After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh (known as the King’s Valley).
Abram met the new king of Sodom, since the old king was killed in battle.
18Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (Now he was the priest of the Most High God.)
Melchizidek means “king of righteousness.” Salem means “peace.” Salem would become the future Jerusalem, which means “city of peace.” In these days, Jerusalem was a Jebusite city.
Melchizidek was also a priest. This is the first priest mentioned in the Bible.
The Hebrew for “Most High God” is אֵל עֶלְיוֹן (el elyon), meaning the most High God. Melchizidek was a priest of the same God that Abram worshiped. This shows that Jehovah initiated contact with other earthly tribes besides Abram.
Melchizidek was not a theophany, meaning a pre-incarnate Christ. Rabbinic tradition claims that Melchizidek was Shem, the seed-son of Noah.
The bread and wine has nothing to do with a modern communion service.
19He blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God,
Melchizidek recognized that Abram served the same God that he served. Melchizidek recognized אֵל עֶלְיוֹן (el elyon) as the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Those from Sodom and Gomorrah were also hearing of the one true God through the testimony of Melchizidek. Therefore, when they later attempt homosexual gang rape against God's two angels, they had no excuse.
20Worthy of praise is the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
Melchizidek informed Abram, his 318 soldiers, and all of the citizens of the five plains cities that it was אֵל עֶלְיוֹן (el elyon), not any Canaanite mythological gods, that delivered them from a powerful enemy.
Abram was the victor, so he owned all of the plunder of nine different kings, including Lot’s possessions. With all of this combined wealth, Abram could have become the next great secular emperor. He could have become the next Hammurabi.
This is not a tithing verse for greedy pastors to use in order to milk their congregations. Abram did not give a tenth of his income to Melchizidek. He gave a tenth of his spoils of war. It is unbiblical for pastors to use this verse as a proof-text to support tithing before the Mosaic Law.
Notice that there was no command for Abram to tithe this plunder. He did it on his own free will. This was also a one-time event that was never repeated. This was not a tithe from his income, but a tithe from his spoils of war.
21Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.”
Since Abram was the victor, these people belonged to Abram. He could have made them slaves under his own authority. The King of Sodom wanted them back, because without them, he would be a king without any people. He would have no one to rule and no one to collect taxes.
The plunder belonged to Abram by conquest. Abram could have kept both the people and the plunder if he wished.
22But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I raise my hand to the Lord, the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, and vow
Abram gives testimony of the one true God to the Sodomites a second time. The Sodomites had no excuse.
23that I will take nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the strap of a sandal. That way you can never say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’
Abram was an ambassador for God in the land of Canaan. He would not be compromised by power, wealth, or slaves. He wanted these surrounding Canaanites to know that it was God, not the Sodomite King, who blessed him.
24I will take nothing except compensation for what the young men have eaten. As for the share of the men who went with me – Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre – let them take their share.”
Abram only wanted food for his 318 soldiers. He did not allow any of his servants to take plunder. The Canaanite world had never met a general who was not motivated by plunder. This gesture had to make Abram’s name great among the nations of these nine kings.
Abram did not speak for his alliance. He allowed them to take plunder. The alliance helped Abram to victory, so they were blessed by the Abrahamic Covenant. The five kings captured Abram’s nephew, so they suffered the curses of the Abrahamic Covenant.
In conclusion, the human viewpoint of the satanic world system teaches that Melchizidek was a fictional character.
The divine viewpoint of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God teaches that Melchizidek was an actual historical figure and all of the Levitical priests paid tithes to him.
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1, SAQ--What is the theme of Genesis 1?
2. Who were the nations of the four kings?
3. Who were the nations of the five kings?
4. How many soldiers did Abraham command?
5. How did Abraham testify to the nine kings of both armies?
6. How was Abram a different general than other generals of his day?
7. Why did Abram refuse to accept plunder?
8. How could Abram become the next world ruler?
9. Who was Melchizidek?
10. Why can modern pastors not use this chapter to demand tithes from their congregation?