Genesis 14:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people.

NIV: He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

NASB: He brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the other people.

CSB: He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the other people.

NLT: Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

KJV: And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

NKJV: So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

After learning of Lot's capture by the forces of King Chedorlaomer, Abram and his 318 men and three Amorite allies chased them down, defeated them at Dan, and kept pursuing them until the battle was finished. This was quite a victory, given that Abram's men had taken on a force which had recently routed the armies of five kings, and sacked several cities.

Now Abram returns the victor with all of the spoils. Not only did he save Lot and his possessions, Abram recovered all the possessions of the people of Canaan, including those of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. By any measure, Abram's actions were heroic. They were especially amazing for a man more than seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4). As a man of faith, Abram understood it was the Lord who made it possible, something he will make clear in the following verses.

Genesis 14:1–16 is an action-packed story of war between ancient city-states. Four kings from the east arrive to put down a rebellion by five kings from cities around the Dead Sea. After defeating them, the eastern kings loot Sodom, carrying off Abram's nephew Lot and all he owns in the process. Abram gathers his own small army, along with three Amorite allies, and gives chase. They catch the enemy in the northern reaches of Canaan, defeat them, and recapture all the plunder, including Lot.

This short chapter is packed with action, adventure, and war. An army from the east comes to reestablish its rule over the kings of the city-states of Canaan. Five kings from the Dead Sea region rebel, are defeated, and Sodom is looted. Abram's nephew Lot is captured and taken away. Abram and his own small army chase down the eastern kings, defeating them and recapturing all that was lost. Returning home, Abram is met by a mysterious king and priest of God Most High called Melchizedek.

At first, Genesis 14 seems unrelated to the previous chapter. Four kings from the east come to wage war against the kings and people groups of Canaan, including five kings from cities around the Dead Sea. The eastern kings defeat all challengers, looting Sodom and carrying off Lot and his entire family. Now Abram reappears in the story to chase down the departing army, defeat them in a single night, and retrieve all that was lost. On the way home, he is met by a mysterious king and priest of God Most High known as Melchizedek.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/27/2024 3:59:13 PM