Blessings and Curses
Blessings and Curses
International Affairs
During the reigns of Amraphel, king of Shinar; Arioch, king of Ellasar; Kedorlaomer, king of Elam; and Tidal, who was king over several nations, the kings went to war. They attacked Bera, king of Sodom; Birsha, king of Gomorrah; Shinab, king of Admah; Shemeber, king of Zeboim; and the king of Bela (now called Zoar), who all joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (now the Dead Sea).
Now Kedorlaomer had subjugated these five kings for twelve years, but they rebelled against him in the thirteenth year. So in the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and his allies came.
In chapter 14, the story of Genesis suddenly shifts from the family history of one man to an international conflict that engulfed the entire region. Fourteen years earlier, Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, had conquered the cities around the Dead Sea and forced them to pay him tribute every year. But they rebelled by not sending the tribute, prompting Kedorlaomer to attack them in retribution. The three Mesopotamian kings who joined him were either his allies or other vassals who did not rebel.
The war rages for eleven verses before the author explains what this has to do with Abram. He was dragged into the war because of Lot, but what follows reveals a deeper purpose than just telling the story of a loving uncle rescuing his ill-fated nephew. Genesis 14 emphasizes the theme of the blessing and cursing of the nations more than any other part of Genesis.1 Those who associate themselves with Abram are abundantly blessed. Those who ignore him are soundly defeated.
Invasion
On the way, they defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in the plain of Kiriathaim, and the Horites in the hill country of Seir all the way to El Paran on the edge of the desert. Then they turned back toward En Mishpat (now called Kadesh), and they conquered all the land of the Amalekites as well as the Amorites living in Hazazon Tamar.
So the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela (now called Zoar) went out to the Valley of Siddim and fought with Kedorlaomer, king of Elam; Tidal, who was king over several nations; Amraphel, king of Shinar; and Arioch, king of Ellasar. There were four kings against five.
The Valley of Siddim contained tar pit after tar pit. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there, but the survivors fled to the hill country.
Image by Daniel Schwen from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5
Kedorlaomer and his allies traveled south along the ancient trade route called the King’s Highway.2 On the way, they conquered several of the nations living east of the Jordan River, who may have participated in the rebellion against Mesopotamian rule. When the invaders reached the Gulf of Aqaba they turned back north into the wilderness south of Canaan, where they conquered the Amalekites. As they circled around to the Dead Sea, they passed not far from Hebron.
Knowing that the four Mesopotamian kings were coming, the five Dead Sea kings prepared for battle in the Valley of Siddim, away from their cities. The valley, later covered by the Dead Sea, contained numerous pits dug out to mine tar (also called bitumen).3 When the Dead Sea kings were routed, they had to navigate around these pits as they fled. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah died in the valley, either because they fell into the tar or because the victorious army caught up with them.4
Those who made it around the tar pits fled into the hill country of Canaan, where they reported the defeat of the Dead Sea kings. The residents of the hill country, including Hebron, were probably waiting for news and preparing in case the Mesopotamian kings attacked them next.
Lot Captured
Then the victors took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, including all their food, and left. They also captured Abram’s nephew Lot with all his possessions because he was living in Sodom.
The victorious Mesopotamian kings ransacked the conquered cities, carrying off all their wealth and even their food supply as punishment for the rebellion. The defenseless citizens were taken captive and led off to a life of slavery. With that, the invaders headed back north with their spoils.
Lot was living in Sodom at this time and was taken prisoner along with the other residents of the city. While traveling with Abram, he had prospered under God’s blessing.5 But he separated from Abram and moved to Sodom out of a desire for greater wealth.6 Instead, the move put him directly in the path of the war. Having spurned the blessing, he found himself under the curse.
Abram at War
One of the fugitives came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner. The three of them had formed an alliance with Abram. When Abram heard his nephew had been taken captive, he led forth all 318 of his dedicated fighters, who were born in his household, and they pursued the invaders to Dan.
Then Abram divided his servants into groups and attacked the kings during the night, pursuing them all the way to Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the possessions, his nephew Lot with his possessions, and also the women along with rest of the people.
After the battle in the Valley of Siddim, one of the soldiers who escaped to the hill country made his way to Hebron. Hearing that the residents of Sodom had been captured, Abram moved quickly to recover Lot. He had formed an alliance (literally a “covenant”) with three Amorites living near him. The alliance required them to aid each other in times of war, a promise that Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner kept.
Abram set out to pursue the Mesopotamians with the 318 servants dedicated to protecting his household in case of attack. The Hebrew literally reads “he emptied out his dedicated ones.” Determined to save his nephew, he took every single one of his servants who could fight, leaving the rest of his household unprotected. Along with his allies and their servants, Abram pursued the invaders north. He caught up with them near Dan and then chased them until he had recovered everything and expelled the Mesopotamian kings from Canaan.7
Although God had twice promised the entire land of Canaan to Abram, he never attempted to take any of it by force.8 Instead, his only recorded military action saved the people of the land from foreign oppressors. God blessed Abram and his allies with victory but cursed those who tried to hurt his nephew with a humiliating defeat. Unfortunately, neither Lot nor the people of Sodom and Gomorrah learned this lesson.
Melchizedek
As Abram was returning from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allies, the king of Sodom met him in the Valley of Shaveh (now called the King’s Valley). Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. He was a priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram:
“May Abram be blessed by God Most High,
who owns the earth and the sky!
And blessed be God Most High,
who has given you power over your enemies!”
So Abram gave him a tenth of everything he had recovered.
Image by Pro Church Media from Unsplash
Word of Abram’s victory spread, and the king of Sodom set out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh, before Abram reached Hebron. Melchizedek, the king and priest of the nearby city of Salem, came out and brought bread and wine to refresh the weary warriors. Psalm 76:2 equates Salem with Zion, another name for Jerusalem. The city would one day become the capital of the great nation Yahweh had promised to Abram.9
Although Salem itself had not been attacked, Melchizedek recognized Abram’s power and influence as the result of God’s blessing. He publicly blessed both Abram and God Most High, triggering the promised blessing on those who bless Abram. Abram, in turn, showed his gratitude for the Canaanite king-priest’s generosity by giving him a tenth of the spoils, the portion belonging to God.
Melchizedek is one of the most mysterious characters in all of Scripture. In three verses he suddenly appears, gives the blessing, receives the tithe, and then disappears just as suddenly. Yet his theological importance far outweighs his brief appearance. He was a Canaanite king who served as priest of God Most High, the highest of all the gods. In verse 22, Abram equates God Most High with Yahweh, recognizing Melchizedek as a servant of the one true God, even if he did not know the name Yahweh.
The only other time Melchizedek is mentioned in the Old Testament is in Psalm 110:4, where Yahweh swears an irrevocable oath that “you will be a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek.” The author of Hebrews points out that the king’s name, malki-tsedeq, means “my king is righteous,” and the name of the city, shalem, means “peaceful.”10 He links Yahweh’s oath to Jesus, a descendant of David (not Aaron), who will rule from Jerusalem and serve as both king and priest.11 Just like Melchizedek, Jesus is the King of righteousness and the King of peace.
The King of Sodom
Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Return the people to me, but keep the rest for yourself.”
Abram replied, “I have sworn an oath to Yahweh, God Most High, who owns the earth and the sky. I will take nothing that belongs to you, not even a sandal strap or a piece of string! You will not be able to say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ ”
In contrast to Melchizedek, the king of Sodom, whose city Abram saved, did not bless or even thank him. He came out making demands. This was probably the newly crowned successor to King Bera, who saw an opportunity to secure his power base and gain Abram’s loyalty by making him richer. But Abram had sworn an oath of loyalty to Yahweh and didn’t owe allegiance to any earthly king.
There is nothing generous about the king’s offer to let Abram “keep” the spoils of war that already rightfully belonged to him and his allies. They owed nothing to the defeated kings, whose rebellion had caused the war in the first place. But having no desire to enrich himself at the expense of wicked Sodom, Abram returned everything from his share of what he had recovered. He already served the God who owns everything, so he had no need for gifts. It was Abram who enriched the king, not the king who enriched Abram.
As Melchizedek exemplifies those who receive God’s blessing by blessing Abram, the king of Sodom exemplifies those who incur God’s curse by looking down on Abram and the salvation he represents.12
Abram’s Allies
“I will accept only what my servants have eaten and the share that belongs to Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, who went with me. Let them have their share.”
Image by truthseeker08 from Pixabay
Abram refused to take any of the spoils of war for himself, but he insisted that his allies receive their part. Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner had fulfilled the obligations of their alliance with Abram by fighting alongside him to free Lot and the other captives. This entitled them to a share of the spoils. The king of Sodom received only Abram’s share.
Mamre and his brothers were Amorites, descendants of Noah’s grandson Canaan and inhabitants of the land Yahweh had promised to Abram.13 The Canaanites inherited a curse from their ancestor Ham.14 But that didn’t exclude Mamre and his brothers from receiving God’s blessing on those who bless Abram, just as it did not exclude Melchizedek. God’s blessings supersede any curse.
- See Why Israel?; Contempt.
- Numbers 20:17; Hamilton, Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17, 402; Ross, “Genesis,” 106; Walton, “Genesis,” 79–80; Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, Bible Background Commentary, Genesis 14:5–7.
- The Dead Sea is still known for its tar deposits. See ThoughtCo, “The Archaeology and History of Bitumen,” by K. Kris Hirst, last modified January 30, 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/bitumen-history-of-black-goo-170085#what-bitumen-is; Walton, Matthews, and Chavalas, Bible Background Commentary, Genesis 14:10.
- It’s also possible to translate the verb naphal (“to fall”) as “to climb down,” in which case the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah survived by hiding in the tar pits. But this is the less likely reading, and the reappearance of the king of Sodom in verse 17 does not necessarily support it. King Bera’s successor would still be called the king of Sodom.
- See Internal Conflict.
- See The Valley of the Jordan.
- The city of Dan marked the northern border of Israel for much of its history. But at this time, it was called Laish. See Judges 18:29.
- The only land in Canaan that Abram ever actually owned was the field and cave in Machpelah that he bought as a burial site. Genesis 23:1–20; see A Burial Site.
- See Genesis 12:2; Why Israel?
- Hebrews 7:2.
- Hebrew 7:11–28.
- See Contempt.
- Genesis 10:15–16; 14:13; 15:18–21.
- See Canaan Cursed.