Genesis 14King James Version
A war of kings. Four kings from the east capture Lot in their raid on Sodom. Abram arms his three hundred and eighteen trained men, pursues them, defeats them, and rescues Lot. On the way back, he meets Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, who blesses him. Abram gives him a tenth of everything.
Four kings defeat five kings in the Valley of Siddim. Lot is captured in the melee. Abram hears, musters 318 trained men, pursues the captors to Dan, strikes at night, and rescues Lot with all his goods. On the way back, the king of Sodom meets him. Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brings bread and wine, blesses Abram, and receives a tenth of everything. Abram refuses the king of Sodom's offer to keep the spoils.
Abram is a military force and a man of principle: he fights to rescue family, tithes to a mysterious priest-king, and refuses to let any earthly king claim credit for his wealth.
18: "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." He appears without genealogy, blesses Abram, receives tithes, and disappears. His mysterious priesthood becomes a major theme in Psalms and Hebrews.
The five cities of the plain were likely real Bronze Age settlements in the Jordan Valley. The campaign described maps onto ancient Near Eastern patterns of vassal rebellion and punitive raids. Abram's 318 men conducting a night raid against professional armies is either miraculous or a testament to superior tactics. The text does not explain which.
Abram, the warrior and man of integrity; Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem without origin or end; Lot, rescued again; the king of Sodom, whose offer Abram refuses; Chedorlaomer, the raiding king.
Melchizedek is one of the most theologically charged figures in the Bible despite appearing in only three verses here and one in Psalms. The book of Hebrews uses his priesthood to describe Jesus as a priest outside the Levitical line. The tithe Abram gives him predates the Mosaic law by centuries.
For when you have won something and someone wants to take credit for your victory. Abram's response to the king of Sodom is clean and complete: not a thread, not a shoe lace.
1And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations;
2That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
3All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
4Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.
7And they returned, and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezontamar.
8And 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 same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
9With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings with five.
10And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
11And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
14And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
24Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.