“Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich’” (Gen. 14:22–23). The King of Sodom. And Tidal was the king of Goyim. Sodom was wicked and full of great sinners and Melchizedek was the priest of God and also the king of Salem. In this passage we have the story of the four kings of Mesopotamia [the kings] making war on five kings of the Plains of Jordan around the Dead Sea [the cities]. Once Abram victoriously conquered the Babylonian Kings in Genesis 14, the King of Sodom went out to meet him at the Kings’ Valley (the valley of Shaveh). Vv. After Abram has come back from defeating Kedorlaomer, two kings came and meet him, king of Sodom and Salem. John Calvin perceptively remarks that if Abram had not refused the spoils due him, others would falsely accuse him of using the rescue of Lot as a pretense to get rich. Sodom’s king confers a reward upon Abram for being a conquering hero. Abram gives Melchizedek a tenth of all they had recovered. Following the conflict, Melchizedek, king of Salem, brings forth bread and wine, blessing the God of Abram for strengthening his hand. Jack Kelley published over 9,000 Bible Study resources here from 1999, until the Lord called him home in the fall of 2015. The war participants included Amraphel (Nimrod) of Shinar, Arioch Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and king … King of Sodom said — His northward journey to meet Abram is mentioned in Genesis 14:17, but his action was anticipated by that of Melchizedek. A wealthy man once became frustrated with his elders’ refusal to follow his advice for running the church more efficiently. They had come from different directions. The Battle of the Vale of Siddim, also often called the War of Nine Kings or the Slaughter of Chedorlaomer, was an event in the Hebrew Bible book of Genesis 14:1–17 that occurred in the days of Abram and Lot. The Lord promised to reward Abram (12:1–3), and though He can do so through men, Abram knew that He had not chosen to use the king of Sodom for this purpose. For permissions, view our Copyright Policy. The newly-rescued king of Sodom offers Abram a reward, but Abram refuses to give the king the chance to say he made Abram rich. ABRAM AND THE KING OF SODOM, Genesis 14:21-24. Genesis 14:21 Context. king of Salem and a priest of God, and by the king of Sodom. Abram’s victory stemmed from his desire to save his nephew, but the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah also benefited. 20:4). His wife Samantha maintains this site as well as their missionary outreaches. Kedorlaomer was the king of Elam. The king of Salem, Melchizedek, was also a priest, and he blessed Abram and praised God. During the capital campaign for a new sanctuary, other members of the church were greatly impressed by his generous offer to fund the entire project. Melchizedek, also a king, is present in this valley as well. What qualities define the kind of leader you are willing to follow or want to become? Abram is also strategic as he attacks during the night. I think they both went out to congratulate Abraham when he returned from defeating the 5 kings. After the War of the Nine Kings, God mad a covenant with Abraham at Beersheba and appointed him as the father of a great nation ( Genesis 22 ). Before all the people he tells the king of his oath to God. 2 thoughts on “ Salem or Sodom – Bera, King of Sodom ” Melchizedek brings out to Abram “bread and wine” (vs. 18). Notice the phrase “from a thread even to a shoelatchet” . - Genesis 14:21–24. in all its fullness to as many people as possible. The text doesn’t say, only that this was the Valley of the Kings. ABRAM BLESSED BY MELCHIZEDEK (KING/PRIEST) Amraphel was the king of Babylonia, Arioch was the king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer was the king of Elam, and Tidal was the king of Goiim (nations). Find & sort all our resources. Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. After he rescued Lot, Melchizedek, priest and king of Salem and the king of Sodom meet Abram. Abram avoided even the smallest part of a reward. Why were a king of such a sinful and wicked city and a king and priest of God together like that when God could easily have made their meetings separate with the same outcome? Chedorlaomer was clearly an able general and a shrewd, clever enemy. 16 WAR WITH KINGS OF SODOM. The Vale of Siddim was the battleground for the cities of the Jordan River plain revolting against Mesopotamian rule. ‘I have lifted up my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, that I will take nothing … that is yours, lest you should say, “I have made Abram rich” ‘ (Genesis 14:22-23). Genesis 14:21, NLT: "The king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give back my people who were captured. Instead of attributing victory to Abram, the Lord’s man, the king greeted him with an ungrateful demand, grasping for his own glory and influence, something God-fearers do not do (1 Thess. Sodom was wicked and full of great sinners and Melchizedek was the priest of God and also the king of Salem. Be wise when it comes to accepting presents and do not give gifts in order to exercise control over others. 17-24 • After his successful campaign against the 4 kings of the East, Abram encounters two very different kings, the king of Sodom and the king of Salem (probably Jerusalem). Genesis 14 International Standard Version (ISV) Abram Battles Kings for Lot. Notice how Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20) but then refused to accept even a thread or the thong of a sandal from the King of Sodom (Gen 14:22-23). All rights reserved. Although Sodom’s authority over the loot is never contested, Abram gave a tenth of everything including the king of Sodom’s loot to Melchizedek. It is in the name of God, the Most High, that Melchizedek blesses Abraham, and it is to God that he gives glory for delivering Abraham from his enemies. He was the Priest of the Most-High GOD that Abram met after his enemies were delivered to him. He is king of the peace that Abraham has now brought to the community. Four Kings with Eight Hundred Thousand Men War against Sodom and the Cities of the Plain, and destroy and plunder their people. All these kings fought a war against King Bera of Sodom: King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela. ‘Never!’, cries Abram. As he came back, Abraham met two kings: the king of Sodom and the king of Salem. A long section about kings, and that in verse 1 is our first mention of the word "king." Whereas the king of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and allowed some of the men to fall into enemies’ hands while the rest fled to the hills. Abram fights despite being outnumbered. On the other hand, the king of Sodom requested to take the people while Abram can keep the … He is also a priest of God, the Most High. Plainly it would have been wrong of Abram to accept the king’s offer? If Abram were to accept this offer, the king could enhance his prestige, claiming that he enriched the patriarch. Genesis 14:21, KJV: "And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself." Even though he could keep the spoils of war, Abram returns all the rest to the king of Sodom, and keeps nothing for himself, asking only for gifts for three of the men who went to battle with him. The best way to view our articles and Q&A. 21. Now he wants them back READ Gen 14:21. 2. Sodom’s regent offers to share the spoils from the battle with Abraham, and unlike Melchizedek, he brings no blessing with him (vv. 10:16 Acts 8:9–25 1 Tim. Their excitement turned to dismay when the elders rejected his gift, but the leaders feared he would use his philanthropy to influence the congregation unduly. They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. The name of this king was Melchizedek, and unlike most other kings in the land at that time, he was a priest of God Most High, as Abram was. Deal, I’ll take people, u=stuff. His teachings made the Bible clear and easy to understand, and impacted millions of lives. He is the author of all the teachings here, and all materials are available free of charge! How would Abram’s acceptance of a reward from the wicked king, even one of very little value, have been like giving in to a small temptation? You can also download them to your computer, phone, or tablet. With him came the king of Jerusalem (which at that time was called Salem). My question is from Genesis 13-14 with Abram and Lot. Download our eBooks to read on your computers, phone, tablet, or eReader. 2 Sam. New King James Version But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, New American Standard Bible But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, The text doesn’t say why he is there. Including photos each week from our outreaches and the weekly review. The king of Sodom is contrasted with the king of Salem in these verses, thus accentuating the faithfulness of Salem’s ruler. The king of Sodom came from the place of fire, of flames. The King of Sodom approaches him and invites him to keep the spoils that Chedorlaomer has plundered from the wicked city. King Bera of Sodom, came to Abraham and, in gratitude, persuaded him to instead take home the plunder to which Abraham declined. 14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch was king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer was king of Elam, and Tidal was king of the Goiim, 2 they engaged in war against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, along with the king of Bela (which was also known as … Text seems to infer these events are happening back to back, as Abram is giving to King of Salem, the King of Sodom arrives. : `` the king of Salem brought out bread and wine: he! Back my people who were captured exercise control over others but you ’ ve got Javascript disabled Salem or –! Even greater authority than the king of Salem ’ s promises avoided the! And Salem Bible clear and easy to understand, and he blessed Abram and the of... Exercise control over others doesn ’ t say why he is a (! 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