Expedition of the four kings 1 And it came to pass at that time, that Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus, and Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations, 2 Made war against Bara king of Sodom, and against Bersa king of Gomorrha, and against Sennaab king of Adama, and against Semeber king of Seboim, and against the king of Bala, which is Segor. 3 All these came together into the woodland vale, which now is the salt sea. 4 For they had served Chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they revolted from him. 5 And in the fourteenth year came Chodorlahomor, and the kings that were with him: and they smote the Raphaim in Astarothcarnaim, and the Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Save of Cariathaim. 6 And the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, even to the plains of Pharan, which is in the wilderness. 7 And they returned, and came to the fountain of Misphat, the same is Cades: and they smote all the country of the Amalecites, and the Amorrhean that dwelt in Asasonthamar. 8 And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha, and the king of Adama, and the king of Seboim, and the king of Bala, which is Segor, went out: and they set themselves against them in battle array in the woodland vale: 9 To wit, against Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus: four kings against five. 10 Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs and were overthrown there: and they that remained fled to the mountain. 11 And they took all the substance of the Sodomites, and Gomorrhites, and all their victuals, and went their way: 12 And Lot also, the son of Abram's brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his substance. 13 And behold one that had escaped told Abram the Hebrew, who dwelt in the vale of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol, and the brother of Aner: for these had made league with Abram.
Abram pursues and defeats the kings 14 Which when Abram had heard, to wit, that his brother Lot was taken, he numbered of the servants born in his house, three hundred and eighteen well appointed: and pursued them to Dan. 15 And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night: and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hoba, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 16 And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with his substance, the women also the people. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of Chodorlahomor, and of the kings that were with him in the vale of Save, which is the king's vale.
Melchisedec blesses Abram 18 But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God, 19 Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection the enemies are in your hands. And he gave him the tithes of all.
Abram refuses payment for his services 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the persons, and the rest take to yourself. 22 And he answered him: I lift up my hand to the Lord God the most high, the possessor of heaven and earth, 23 That from the very woof thread unto the shoe latchet, I will not take of any things that are yours, lest you say I have enriched Abram: 24 Except such things as the young men have eaten, and the shares of the men that came with me, Aner, Escol, and Mambre: these shall take their shares.
Commentary on Genesis 14
14:1-17 It must not be thought that the author of Holy Scripture recorded these things for the sake of the study of history alone. Rather, it was done for the sake of the divine blessing that was to be entrusted to us, for in the victory of Abram, whereby he conquered so many kings with so few men, it teaches us what the power of faith is, with which he was fortified, and how great the grace of the divine blessing is, with which he was provided, and that only by the same faith would the saints who were to be born thereafter conquer kingdoms, work justice, and obtain those promises. (St. Bede Com Gen 14:1)
14:18-20 Melchisedec: This name Melchizedek, in the Hebrew and Syriac language means King of righteousness; he ruled over Salem, and the word Salem is translated peace. His intention, therefore, is to present him in this way as a type of Christ the Lord. (Theodoret of Cyrus Com Heb 7:1) St. Paul says he is without father or mother or genealogy, etc. (Heb 7:3), because in Scripture no mention is made of his father or mother or genealogy. Hence, some of the ancients made this matter of their error, saying that since God alone is without beginning and without end, Melchizedek was the Son of God. But this has been condemned as heretical. (St. Thomas Aquinas Com Heb 7:3) For Melchizedek was a man. Paul says ‘Without father or mother,’ not because he had no father or mother, but because his father and mother are not explicitly named in Sacred Scripture. And of how many others is the ancestry not expressly given? Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Elijah, etc. their fathers nor mothers are found anywhere in the Scriptures.
Samaritans believe that he is Noah’s son Shem. If we follow the succession of the patriarchs and count the number of years, Shem would have been 1241 years old. But Shem did not live that many years. He was 102 when he became the father of Arphazad, in the second year of the flood. And after that he lived 500 years, as the Scripture says. (St. Epiphanius of Salamis Pan 4)
14:18 Salem: Some say that Salem is called Jerusalem. But Jerome denies this in a letter, because, as he says, he could not run into him from Jerusalem, which he proves from its location. (St. Thomas Aquinas Com Heb 7:1) bread and wine: Melchizedek even foretold the holy communion of the New Covenant by the unique nature of his sacrifice, of which he |
made Abram a participant at the same time as he blessed him. Our Lord himself not only first offered it in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, but he also left it to the Church to be offered always for the remission of sins. By the participation of the individual in the communion, Melchizedek taught that all the children of promise were to be blessed, so much so that no one can be a sharer in eternal life without participation in it. "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day." Jn 6:54-55 Therefore (St. Bede Com Gen 14:18) priest of the most high God: The Psalms says of Christ priesthood, according to the order of Melchizedec Ps. 110:4. Christ is said to be a priest according to the order of Melchizedec first by reason of its kind, since it has no genealogy, since nothing is read about his physical father and mother. And Christ said (Mat 12:48) Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Secondly, by reason of his name: Melchizedec means "king of Salem", which means "king of peace". And of Christ is it said (Is 9:5) He will be called Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. —Eph 2:14 He is our peace. Thirdly, by reason of his work: For Melchizedec blessed Abraham (Gen 14:19). [Of Christ it can be said] (Num 6:27) They must call down my name on the Israelites, and then I shall bless them. Melchizedec received tithes; similarly we must give Christ first offerings and tithes, acknowledging with Paul (Phil 2:13) God, for his good will, works in you that you may will and carry out what you will. Melchizedec offered bread and wine (Gen 14:18). So Christ offered his disciples his blood under the form of wine and his flesh under the form of bread. He offered this to God the Father and has it offered daily (Mat 26:26-29). (Ps. St. Albert Com Ps 110.4)
14:20 tithes: But it seems from Numbers 18:21 that the giving of tithes dated from the Law; therefore, there was none before the Law. I answer that the ceremonial precepts of the Old Testament are amplifications of the precepts of the natural law and of the moral precepts; therefore, in regard to what they had from the natural law, they were observed before the Law without any precept. For the fact that something is offered to God in recognition of His creation and dominion is natural. (St. Thomas Aquinas Com Heb 7) |
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