Genesis 14:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

NIV: and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

NASB: And he blessed him and said, 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

CSB: He blessed him and said: Abram is blessed by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,

NLT: Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.

KJV: And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

NKJV: And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;

The blessing of verses 19 and 20 comes in a unique context. Two kings have come to meet Abram, who is returning from his victory over the four kings from the east. This victory rescued his nephew, Lot, along with and all of the people and possessions of both Lot and Sodom in tow.

One of the visiting kings is Bera, the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:2). The other king is the enigmatic Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of the "Most High God." Scholars present several possible identities for Melchizedek. One of these is that he was king of the city which would later become Jerusalem, based on the name Salem. Another interpretation is that Melchizedek is a temporary, pre-Christ incarnation of God, known as a theophany or a Christophany.

After serving Abram bread and wine, Melchizedek offers a blessing. In blessing Abram, Melchizedek appeals to the God who made and owns all the earth and all the heavens. Abram will acknowledge God's possession of all things by giving, in the following verse, a tenth of the rescued plunder to God's priest Melchizedek. In doing so, Abram not only shows his growing humility, but also recognition that God does not speak to Abram, alone.

Genesis 14:17–24 tells the story of a meeting between Abram and two kings. Returning as the victor after having defeated the eastern kings and recapturing all their plunder, Abram is met by the king of Sodom and by Melchizedek, the mysterious king of Salem. Melchizedek, also known as a priest of God Most High, gives Abram bread, wine, and a blessing from God. Abram gives this priest ten percent of all the plunder. Sodom's king demands his people back, but offers to let Abram keep the riches. Abram refuses to keep anything. He doesn't want to be associated, in any way, with such an ungodly ruler.

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.