my berdmen and thy herdmen: for lity in Abram to yield we be brethren. to Lot, whofe Unkle he was. He feeks peace, and gives Lot his choice of what part of the Land he would choose to fojourn in, v.9. 9. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thy felf I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. 10. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord deftroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comeft unto Zoar. 10. As the Garden of the Lord: See ch. 2. 8. Compare Ifa. 51.3. and Ezek. 28. 13. As thou comeft to Zoar: i.e. That part which leads to Zoar was well watered. Zoar was called by that name af terwards, Gen. 19. 22. Before that it was called Bela, ch. 14. 2... 11. Then Lot chofe him all the plain of Fordan: and Lot journeyed eaft, and they feparated themfelves the one from the other. tents, (v. 5.) Eaft: Or, into that which was Eaftward 12. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. 11. The Plain of Jordan: This was a place agreeable to his occafions, who had flocks, and herds, and part of the Country 12. In the land of Canaan: Or, in that part which was more ftrictly fo called. In the Cities: Or, in one of the Cities. Compare Judg. 12. 7. Toward Sodom: i.e. He removed his Tent from place to place till he came unto Sodom, where he fixed. See ch. 14. v. 12. 13. But the men of Sodom were wicked, and finners before the LORD exceedingly. 13. Before the Lord: Or, against the Lord, ch. 19. V.5. And And this fence agrees very well with the Hebrew Text. Compare Pfal. 51. 4. 14. And the LORD faid unto Abram, after that Lot was feparated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and fouth ward, and eastward, and weftward. left alone, and in the worft Land; and at peace, God faid to him, &c. 15. For all the land which thou feeft, to thee will I give it, and to thy feed for ever. 14. After that Lot, &c. At that time when Abram had put between his and Lot's an end to the ftrife herd-men, and effectually prevented contention for the future, when he was when he was at leifure, 15. Which thou feeft: i. e. All that is round about thee, and within thy view. To thee will Igive it, and to thy feed: For the Hebrew Particle which we render And, it is fometimes taken Exègetically, and fignifies no more than Even, 1 Sam. 18. 3. Zech.9.9. 1 Chron. 21. 12. And that fence of it agrees to this place. For ever: Upon condition of their Obedience. Compare Deut.4. 25, 26. Judg. 2. 20, 21. very numerous. 17. Unto thee: i.e. do here make it over to thy family and pofterity, and will actually give them the poffeffion of it, of which I now give thee the promise and grant. 18. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in He 18. Plain of Mam re: A place fo called from Mamre the Brother bron, and built there an altar Brother of Efhcol and Aner, who were confederate with A unto the LORD. bram Gen. 14. 24. From him Hebron was called Mamre, Gen. 23. 19. In Hebron: Or, near Hebron. So the Hebrew Particle fometimes fignifies, 1 Sam. 29. 1. 2 Chron. 15. 16. CHA P. XIV. The ARGUMENT. Four Kings overcome five in Battel. Lot is taken Caps tive, and his Goods become a Spoil. The news of Lot's Captivity is brought to Abram. He pursues the Conquerors, and refcueth Lot, &c. Melchizedek bleffet Abram, and receives Tithes of him. Abram refufeth to enrich himself with the Spoils he had taken. Having given a part of them to thofe, who were partners with him in this expedition, reftores the remainder to the King of Sodom. 1. SHinar bylon. See the Note on ch. 10. 10s And because Nimrod reigned there, fome of the Jews think This is thought to be Of nations: i. e. Of a Amraphel to be Nimrod. Ellafar: Syria. Elam: See ch. 10. v. 22. place whose Inhabitants were of divers Nations and People met together. This is fuppofed to be the fame which was afterwards called Galilee. See Joh. 12. 23. 2. That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birof Admah, and Shemeber king of ha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. F 2. Zoar: See ch. 13. v. 10. These five on the Eaft of the InCities above-named lay near each other, heritance of Judah,in the Land of Canaan. 3. All 3. All these were joyned together in the vale of Siddim, which is the falt fea. 3. All these: i.e. Thefe five Kings laft named. Were joined together: They were not onely Neighbours, but Confederates alfo, as the Greek Interpreters intimate. See v. 4. Vale of Siddim: So called from the open Fields, as the Chaldee rendring implies. Salt fea: So called afterwards, even in the time in which this Book was written. For the wickednefs of its Inhabitants, it was rendred a barren place, Deut. 29. 23. Pfal. 107. v. 34. 4. Twelve years they ferved Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5. And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and fmote the Rephaims in Afhteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh-Kirjathaim, 5. Rephaims: The Giants or Mighty men fay the Seventy and Chaldee. A people of force and power in the Land of Canaan,ch.15.20. Deut. 3. 13. compare Deut. 2. 11. in the Hebrew Text, and with the Context there. Afhteroth Karnaim: This City was in Bafan, placed between two high Mountains, whence it was called Afhteroth Karnaim: Karnaim fignifies two horns or high places, Deut.1.4. Zuzims: Another strong people, as the Greek and Chaldee intimate. Emims: Of them fee Deut. 2. 10, 11. In Shaveh: Or, in the Plain, as it is in the Margent. Kirjathaim: Josh. 13. 19. 6. And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 6. Horites: A people that dwelt in Seir, Deut.2.22. Gen. 36.20. El paran: Or, the Plain of Paran, a City near the Wilderness, fo called, Gen. 21.21. Numb. 13.3. 7. And they returned and came 7. En-Mishpat : to En-Mishpat, which is Kadesh, The fountain of Fudg and fmote all the country of the A-ment: Hebr. Pollimalekites, and alfo the Amorites bly it might be the that dwelt in Hazezon Tamar. place wherein the Controverfies of the neighbouring places were decided, which might be the occafion why it was fo called. Amalekites: Afterwards fo called from Amalek, Gen. 36. 12. Hazezon-Tamar: The name of a City. The Chaldee renders it Engedi. And very good reason there is for that rendring. Compare. 2 Chron. 20. 2. This City belonged afterward to the Tribe of Judah, Jofh. 15. 62. 8. And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the fame is Zoar) and they joyned battel with them in the vale of Siddim; 9. With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellafar four kings with five. 10. And the vale of Siddim was full of flime-pits: and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled: and fell there: and they that remained, fled to the mountain. 10. Fell there: i.e. Were there difcomfited. 11. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12. And they took Lot, Abram's brother's fon (who dwelt in Sodom) and his goods, and departed. 13. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Efhcol, and brother of Aner: and thefe were confederate with Abram. 14. And when Abram beard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained fervants born in his own houfe, three hundred and eighteen, and purfued them unto 14. His Brother: i. e. His Kinfman: He was his Brother's Son. Compare v. 12. and ch. 13. 8. The word Brother is taken in the Scripture Dan. in a large fenfe. Lot was however Abram's Brother, he having married Sarai, the Sifter of Lot. Armed: Or, brought forth. Trained: Or, inftructed. See the Note on F 2 ch. 12.5. |
