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And there came one that had escaped. Literally, the fugitive party, the article denoting the genus, as in "the Canaanite,'' Gen_12:6. And told Abram the Hebrew. "The immigrant" trans fluvialis , ï ̔ ðåñá ́ ôçò, from beyond the Euphrates, if applied to the patriarch by the inhabitants of Palestine (LXX; Aquila, Origen, Vulgate, Keil, Lange, Kalisch); but more probably, if simply inserted by the historian to distinguish Abram from Mature the Amorite, "the descendant of Eber" (Lyra, Drusius, Calvin, Bush, Candlish, Murphy, 'Speaker's Commentary;' vide on Gen_10:21). For he dwelt—literally, and (sc. at that time) he was dwelling—in the plain—rather "oak groves" (vide Gen_13:18)—of Mature the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol, and brother of Anor, concerning whom nothing is certainly known beyond the fact that they were Canaanitish chieftains (probably possessing some remnant of the true faith, like Melchisedeck) with whom the patriarch entered into an offensive and defensive alliance. And these were confederate—literally, lords of covenant, i.e. masters or possessors of a treaty (cf. "lord or possessor of dreams," Gen_37:19; "lords or masters of arrows," 2Ki_1:8 ); rendered óõíùìï ́ ôáé (LXX.)—lords of the oath, as in Neh_6:18 , å ̓́ íïñêïé (LXX.)—wit Abram.
Gen_14:14
And when Abram heard that his brother—so called as his brother's son, or simply as his relative (Gen_42:8)—was taken captive, he—literally, and he—armed—literally, caused to pour forth, i.e. drew out in a body, from a toot signifying "to pour out" (Gesenius, Furst); from a root meaning to unsheath or draw out anything as from a scabbard, and hence equivalent to expedivit, he got ready (Onkelos, Saadias, Rosenmüller, Bush, 'Speaker's Commentary'). Kalisch connects both senses with the root. The LXX; Vulgate, and others translate "numbered," reading later éÈÌãÅÌ÷ for éÈÌøÅ÷ his trained—literally, initiated, instructed, but not necessarily practiced in arms (Keil); perhaps only familiar with' domestic duties (Kalisch), since it is the intention of the writer to show that Abram conquered not by arms, but by faith—servants, born in his own house—i.e. the children of his own patriarchal family, and neither purchased nor taken in war—three hundred and eighteen—which implied a household of probably more than a thousand souls—and—along with these and his allies (vide Gen_14:24)—pursued them—the victorious Asiatics—unto Dan—which is here substituted for its older name Laish, for which vide Jos_19:47 (Ewald), though regarded by some as not the Laish Dan conquered by the Danites, but probably Dan-jaan, mentioned in 2Sa_24:6 (Havernick, Keil, Kalisch); against which, however, is the statement of Jose. phus ('Ant.,' 1.10), that this Dan was one of the sources of the Jordan. Murphy regards Dan as the original designation of the town, which was changed under the Sidonians to Laish (lion), and restored at the conquest. Clericus suggests that the Jordan fountain may have been styled Dan, "Judge," and the neighboring town Laish, and that the Danites, observing the coincidence of the former with the name of their own tribe, gave it to the city they had conquered. Alford is doubtful whether Dan-juan was really different from Laish.
Gen_14:15
And he divided himself (i.e. his forces) against them, he and his servants (along with the troops of his allies), by night, and (falling on them unexpectedly from different quarters) smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah. A place Choba is mentioned in Judith 15:5 as that to which the Assyrians were pursued by the victorious Israelites. A village of the same name existed near Damascus in the time of Eusebius, and is "probably preserved in the village Hoba, mentioned by Troilo, a quarter of a mile to the north of Damascus" (Keil); or in that of Hobah, two miles outside the walls, or in Burzeh, where there is a Moslem wady, or saint's tomb, called the sanctuary of Abraham. Which is to the left of (i.e. to the north of, the spectator being supposed to look eastward) Damascus. The metropolis of Syria, on the river Chrysorrhoas, in a large and fertile plain at the foot of Antilibanus, the oldest existing city in the world, being possessed at the present day of 150,000 inhabitants.
Gen_14:16
And he brought back all the goods. Col-harecush. The LXX . translate ôç ̀ í é ̔́ ððïí , as if they read øÆëÆùÑ for øÀëËùÑ . And also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods. Êáé ̀ ðá ́ íôá ôá ̀ õ ̔ ðá ́ ñ÷ïíôá áõ ̓ ôïõ ͂ (LXX.). And the women also, and the people.
The kinsman deliverer, or Abram's military expedition.
I. ABRAM'S ELEVATED PIETY.
1. Self-forgetful magnanimity. Had the patriarch possessed a less noble soul, the tidings of his nephew's capture would almost certainly have kindled in his breast a secret feeling of complacency. But not only in his behavior on the occasion was there the complete absence of any such revengeful disposition as gloats with satisfaction over the punishment of a wrong-doer, there was something like a manifest unconsciousness of having ever suffered injury at Lot's hands at all.
2. Brotherly compassion. If he did sometimes admit to himself that his nephew had scarcely acted handsomely towards him, any feeling of resentment with which that reflection may have been associated was completely swallowed up by the sorrow which he felt for that nephew's fate. After all Lot was his dead brother's son, and was a child of God as well, and he could not choose but be affected by the melancholy news. Besides being self-forgetful, the piety of Abram was sympathetic.
3. Active benevolence. Meekly patient of injuries when inflicted on himself, the patriarch was ever ready to redress the wrongs of others, even of the undeserving. Nor was his philanthropy of that weakly benevolent sort which is always going to do some act of kindness to others, but never does it, or is so unaccountably slow in doing it that it comes to be practically of little use, or that would willingly extend a helping hand to the unfortunate if it could only be done without much trouble; on the contrary, it was prompt, decisive, energetic, and carried through with much labor, and at considerable risk to his own personal safety.
II. ABRAM'S MILITARY GENIUS.
1. Unexpectedly evoked. The last thing which ordinary minds would anticipate as an element in the character of one so good, pious, benevolent, and magnanimous as Abram the Hebrew, there is yet no essential incongruity between the talents of a soldier and the graces of a Christian; while as for the patriarch suddenly discovering all the qualities of a great commander, it is perhaps sufficient to reply that hitherto the crisis had not arrived to call them forth. The annals of warfare, both ancient and modern, attest that true military genius has not always been confined to professors of the soldier's art, but has oftentimes been discovered, of the rarest kind, in persons who, till summoned forth by Providence, have been engaged in peaceful callings.
2. Brilliantly displayed. In the gallant exploit of the patriarch are exhibited the tactics that from time immemorial have been adopted by all great generals—by Miltiades and Themistocles of Greece, by Julius Caesar, by Belisarius, the general of Justinian, by Oliver Cromwell, by Napoleon, by Stonewall Jackson and Sherman of America, and again by Von Moltke of Prussia—celerity of movement, suddenness of attack, skilful division of forces, outflanking and outmarching of the enemy.
3. Completely successful. The foe was defeated, the prisoners and spoil were recaptured, and it does not appear that Abram or his allies lost a man. That generalship is the best which accomplishes its object at the least expense of soldiers' blood and subjects' treasure.
III. ABRAM'S WONDER-WORKING FAITH. It afforded—
1. A sufficient ground on which to go to war. The question as to Abram's right to mingle contest in the Sodom valley is fairly answered by replying that Abram had the right
(1) of natural affection to attempt the rescue of his relative,
(2) of a sacred humanity to liberate the captive and punish the oppressor, and
(3) of faith. Already God had given him the land, and we are fully warranted in regarding him as acting in this heroic expedition in the capacity of (under God) lord-paramount of the soil.
2. The necessary power with which to prosecute the war. Possessed of military genius though the patriarch was, it is not supposable that he entered upon this campaign against the trained armies of the conquering kings, pursuing them along a difficult and dangerous track, without first casting himself on the Almighty and as his strength. And if that Almighty arm, in order to succor him, took the way of developing the capabilities for warfare which had hitherto been lying dormant in his soul, it was none the less true that the help which he received was Divine.
3. The splendid victory which resulted from the war. Whether the writer to the Hebrews (Gen_11:1-32 :34) thought of Abram when he spoke of faith's heroes subduing kingdoms and waxing valiant in the fight, it is apparent that Isaiah (Gen_41:2, Gen_41:3) ascribed the triumph of the son of Terah to the grace of God, which thus rewarded the faith which, in obedience to a Divine impulse, sprang to the relief of Lot.
IV. ABRAM'S TYPICAL CHARACTER. The symbolic foreshadowing of the great kinsman Deliverer is too obvious to be overlooked.
1. In his person the Lord Jesus Christ, like Abram, was the kinsman of those whom he delivered.
2. The work he undertook, like that of Abram, was the emancipation of his brethren.
3. As in the case of Abram, that work consisted in despoiling the principalities and powers of evil.
4. The motive by which he was impelled on this arduous warfare was, like that which inspired the patriarch, love for his kinsmen.
5. The promptitude of Christ in coming to the aid of men was typified by Abram's celerity in hastening to the rescue of Lot.
6. As the campaign of Abram, so the warfare of Christ was carried through at great expense of toil and suffering to himself.
7. In the faith of Abram was shadowed forth the calm reliance of the Savior that all he did was in obedience to his Father's will.
8. The success with which the patriarch was rewarded was emblematic of the higher victory of Christ.
Learn—
1. To imitate the piety of Abram.
2. To admire in him, if we cannot in ourselves, the possession of superior abilities.
3. To covet earnestly the wonderworking faith which he displayed.
4. To trust in the great kinsman Deliverer of which he was the type.
Abram's expedition a sermon for the New Testament Church.
I. THE LITTLE ARMY; emblematic of the handful of Christ's disciples at the first, and of the comparative feebleness of the Church still; yet "God's strength is ever made perfect in weakness," and so "the weakness of God becomes stronger than men."
II. THE TRUSTY CONFEDERATES; regarding the Amorite chieftains as possessors of the true faith, suggestive of the united purpose and action by which the Church of Christ in all its parts should be governed, and of the weakness that springs from divided counsels.
III. THE RAPID MARCH; a picture of the holy celerity and earnest zeal with which the Church should set about her enterprise of conquering the world for Christ; a reminder of how much may be lost by delay.