Abram Rescues Lot from Captivity: This episode reveals Abram as a strong military commander. Employing shrewd battle tactics, Abram defeats a coalition of four kings from the East who have taken his nephew Lot captive. On his triumphant return Melchizedek, priest-king of Salem, comes out to meet him and blesses him. Abram in turn gives him a tithe of the spoil.

This episode describes Kedorlaomer’s campaign against the cities around the Dead Sea (vv. 1–12), Abram’s defeat of these marauding troops (vv. 13–16), and Abram’s meeting the king of Sodom and the priest-king Melchizedek (vv. 17–24).

14:1–7 Four kings from the East, Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, had asserted their influence over five city-states in the area of the D…