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GENESIS CHAPTER 14
OBSERVATION STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Genesis.
This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more
importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective
comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
****** EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 13 ******
(v. 13:14 NKJV) "And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: 'Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - northward, southward, eastward, and westward:
(v. 13:15 NKJV) for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.
(v. 13:16 NKJV) And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.
(v. 13:17 NKJV) Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.
(v. 13:18 NKJV) Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth [= Heb. "'Elônê ", lit. great trees] of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD."
(v. 13:14 NKJV) "And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: 'Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - northward, southward, eastward, and westward: (v. 13:15 NKJV) for all the land which you see I give to you and your seed forever. (v. 13:16 NKJV) And I will make your descendants [lit., seed] as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. (v. 13:17 NKJV) Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you. (v. 13:18 NKJV) Then Abram moved his tent, and went and dwelt by the terebinth [= Heb. "'Elônê ", lit. great trees] of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD." =
[Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, R. Laird Harris, Ed, Moody Press, Chicago, 1980, pp. 252-4]:
"zera'. Sowing, seed, offspring...
The most important theological usage [of this word rendered 'seed'] is found ... commencing with Gen 3:15, [where] the word 'seed' is regularly used as a collective noun in the singular (never plural). This technical term is an important aspect of the promise doctrine, for Hebrew never uses the plural of this root to refer to 'posterity' or 'offspring.'... Thus the word designates the whole line of descendants as a unit, yet it is deliberately flexible enough to denote either one person who epitomizes the whole group, (i.e., the man of promise and ultimately Christ), or the many persons in that whole line of natural and/or spiritual descendants."
As soon as Lot had separated from Abram, which was in accord with what the LORD had been saying to Abram to go from his relatives, (cf. 12:1), He told Abram to lift his eyes North, South, East and West which brought the promised land before the eyes of Abram, (cf. 13:14). He then reiterated His promise to Abram to give him and his seed, an individual of the future who would be a supernaturally provided physical descendant of Abram, the promised land forever. This implies through this future individual descendant of Abram a promise of justification to Abram unto eternal life, a righteousness that Abram must be declared to have in order to have the blessing of eternal life with the LORD and possess the land forever. Whereupon, in verse 13:16, the LORD provided an illustration to Abram that indicated further that His promises included eternal life: Abram's descendants would be as innumerable as the dust of the earth. This can only have significance for Abram if he is to live forever to possess the promised land forever and see his innumerable descendants. Evidently this future individual descendant of Abram Who is to be supernaturally provided by the LORD through Abram and Sarai, (considering her barrenness and his incapacity to procreate). This seed will possess the land forever and be instrumental in providing Abram with the LORD's justification in order for Abram to have eternal life.
The LORD then commanded Abram to walk the whole length and width of the land - an extra ordinary request for it was many hundreds of square miles. Evidently, Abram complied and had walked for quite some time. Verse 13:18 then portrays Abram moving his tent to Hebron near the great trees of Mamre where he built an altar to the LORD. Hebron is 22 miles south of Jerusalem. Building an altar to the LORD is an act which honors the LORD and what He had been promising to Abram. Note that the Hebrew word "beElOnê" is literally "by the great trees of" as opposed to a specific species of great tree like "the oak tree of", (NAS), or "the terebinth tree of", (NKJV) or "the plain of", (KJV).
(v. 12:6 NKJV) Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth [= Heb. " 'Elôn' ", lit. great tree] of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land."
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 13 ******
(v. 14:1 NKJV) "And 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,
(v. 14:2 NKJV) that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
(v. 14:3 NKJV) All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
(v. 14:4 NKJV) Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
(v. 14:5 NKJV) In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
(v. 14:6 NKJV) and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness.
(v. 14:7 NKJV) Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
(v. 14:8 NKJV) And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim
(v. 14:9 NKJV) against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five.
(v. 14:10 NKJV) Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains.
(v. 14:11 NKJV) Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.
(v. 14:12 NKJV) They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed."
(v. 14:1 NKJV) "And 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, (v. 14:2 NKJV) that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). (v. 14:3 NKJV) All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). (v. 14:4 NKJV) Twelve years they served [were subjugated to] Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (v. 14:5 NKJV) In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, (v. 14:6 NKJV) and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. (v. 14:7 NKJV) Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar. (v. 14:8 NKJV) And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim (v. 14:9 NKJV) against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five. (v. 14:10 NKJV) Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. (v. 14:11 NKJV) Then they [Chedorlaomer and his allies] took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. (v. 14:12 NKJV) They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed" =
Recall that Abram's nephew Lot had chosen to settle in the area around Sodom with his flocks and herds when he and Abram agreed to separate. The region contained a number of city-states whose kings were constantly attempting to subjugate one another, aligning themselves with other kings for protection or to conquer other kings. So Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). The latter group of five kings joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea [= the Dead Sea). Twelve years they served, i.e., were in subjection to Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar. And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. Then they [Chedorlaomer and his allies] took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
Notice that Sodom and Gomorrah where Lot had settled were plundered, whereupon Lot was taken into captivity with all his goods.
[The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Victor Books, USA, 1988, Walvoord and Zuck, Eds., p. 52-3]:
"In an effort to put down a rebellion (v. 4), four powerful Eastern kings invaded the Jordan Valley near the Salt Sea, that is, the Dead Sea (v. 3), defeating all the forces in the region, (vv. 5-7), plundering the five Jordanian kings (vv. 8-11), and taking Lot captive... Shinar (cf. 10:10) is another name for what later became known as Babylonia. Elam (cf. 10:22), was east of Shinar. But the locations of Ellasar and Goiim remain unknown. Sodom... Gomorrah... Admanh... Zeboiim and Bela (that is Zoar; cf 19:22) - the cities of the five kings who rebelled against Kedorlaomer - were near the Salt (Dead) Sea. Ashteroth and Karnaim (14:5) were in Hauran, ancient Bashan, east of the Sea of Kinnereth. Ham was in eastern Gilead, south of Bashan. Shaveha later known as Edom. El Paran was Modern Elat, on the Gulf of Aqaba. Kadesh and Tamar were southwest of the Dead Sea. The route of the conquerors was well known in antiquity, being designated as 'the king's highway' (Num 20:17; 21:22). Those four kings - Kedorlaomer... Tidal ... Amraphel, and Arioch (Gen 14:9) - went down the eastern side of the Jordan, turned around in the Arabah, (the rift valley south of the Dead Sea), went up to Kadesh, over to Tamar, and then to the region of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Valley of Siddim (vv. 8, 10). The five cities of the plain apparently were close together at the southern end of the valley... The four kings looted Sodom and Gomorrah and captured Lot."
(v. 14:13 NKJV) "Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth [= lit. "great"] trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.
(v. 14:14 NIV) When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
(v. 14:15 NKJV) He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
(v. 14:16 NAS) He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people."
(v. 13:18 NKJV) "Then Abram moved his tent, and went anddwelt by the terebinth [= Heb. "'Elônê ", lit. great trees] of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD. (v. 14:13 NKJV) Then one who had escaped [capture or harm in the war between the factions of kings] came and told Abram the Hebrew [of the war and Lot's capture], for he dwelt by the terebinth [= Heb. "'Elônê ", lit. great trees] of Mamre, the Amorite[s], brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram" =
(v. 14:13 Hebrew) "wayyAvO' ...happAlît .............wayyaggEdh leavrAm ..hA'ivrî
..............................."and he went the escaped one .and he told ..to Abram .the Hebrew
wehû' ..shOkhEn ..beElOnê ....................mamrE' ...hAemOrî ........'achî ................'eshkOl
and he dweller .....by the great trees of .Mamre ....the Amorites ...the brother of .Eshcol
wa'achî ..................'AnEr ..wehEm ....ba'alê ......verîth-avrAm"
and the brother of .Aner ...and they .owners of .covenant of Abram"
The Hebrew text above conveys the following message: 'And one who had escaped [from the war amongst the kings], who lives by the great trees of Mamre where Abram dwells, (cf v. 13:18), the brother of Amorites, Eshcol and Aner - who are allies with Abram - went to Abram the Hebrew and told him of the events and Lot's capture. Notice that the Hebrew word transliterated "hAemOrî" is plural and hence refers to the western Semitic people of the two men, Eshcol and Aner who are brothers to the one who escaped harm and capture in the war between the factions of kings. Notice also that this escapee and his brothers dwelt by the great trees of Mamre where Abram dwelt and that Abram was evidently allies with them. Notice that Abram is referred to for the first time as Abram the Hebrew.
"'ibri. Hebrew... Used in the OT to refer to a specific ethnic group of people... used mostly by non-Israelites and then could carry the connotation of a non-native... derived from 'Abar and means 'one from beyond,' 'from the other side,' 'from beyond the Euphrates,' 'from beyond the Jordan'... The biblical record quite definitely indicates that 'ibrî is derived from Eber, the name of one of Shem's sons (Gen 10:21; 11:14, 16). Abraham is identified as a descendant of Shem, of Eber's line (Gen 11:26)... 'Hebrew' ('ibrî) became the name by which the covenant people were designated in contradistinction to the Egyptians and Philistines (Gen 39 - Ex 10; 1 Sam 4-29). But the fact remains that when non-Israelite people used the word, their intent was not necessarily to recognize Israel as God's chosen people through whom He was fulfilling His promises; rather it could have been used in a more or less derogatory sense, i.e., the immigrants, the strangers, those from beyond."
Note that this is the case in Gen 14:13 where Abram actually is an outsider and 'one from beyond or other side of the Jordan River.'
(v. 14:14 NIV) When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan." =
(v. 14:14 Hebrew) "wayyishma' ......'avrAm kI ...nishbAh .....................'Achîw
..............................."when he heard .Abram ,that he was taken captive .his relative
wayyareq ........................'eth-chanîkhâv ....yelîdhê ..vêthô ......shemOnah 'asar ûshelOsh
then he pursued [with].....his trained in war born of ..his house eight ..........ten ...and three
mE'ôth ....wayyirdoph .....'adh-dan"
hundreds and he pursued until Dan"
When Abram heard from the Amorite who had escaped from the armies of Chedorlaomer and his three king-allies who had defeated his people in war that Lot was captured and taken away with his possessions, Abram pursued Chedorlaomer with 318 war trained individuals, born of his house, as far as Dan, (a city on the northern limit of the land of Israel).
(v. 14:13 NKJV) "Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth [= lit. "great"] trees of Mamre, the Amorites: brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. (v. 14:14 NIV) When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 [war] trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. (v. 14:15 NKJV) He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. (v. 14:16 NAS) He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people." =
At night time Abram divided up his 318 war trained men; and he and his servants attacked Chedorlaomer's forces and pursued them until Hobah which is north of Damascus, implying full victory. Verse 16 stipulates that Abram brought back all the property that Chedorlaomer's forces took as well as Lot and his property and the women and people that were captured. Evidently a total rout and victory was accomplished. Implied here is the LORD's supernatural hand toward this outcome.
(v. 14:17 NKJV) "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him.
(v. 14:18 NKJV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
(v. 14:19 NIV) and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
(v. 14:20 NIV) And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything."
(v. 14:17 NKJV) "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. (v. 14:18 NKJV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (v. 14:19 NIV) and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. (v. 14:20 NIV) And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything." =
The king of Sodom returns from defeat and flight at the hands of king Chedorlaomer and his allies and goes out to meet Abram in the Valley of Shaveh, i.e., the King's Valley. Then there suddenly appears out of no connection with the battle, Melchizedek, King of Salem. The name or title Melchizedek comes from the Hebrew "Malkî-tsedheq" a compound word where "Malkî" means king and "tsedheq" means "righteous," i.e., the King of Righteousness - a title applicable to God alone. Melchizedek is designated as the King of Salem which is the location of Jerusalem. The Hebrew word for Salem is "shAlEm" which is literally a 'peace offering' and refers to peace through godly righteousness. Melchizedek is designated further as the priest of God Most High a designation for the God of the bible, the LORD Who has made promises to Abram and has supernaturally intervened in order to secure the promises and Abram and his household. Melchizedek appears to Abram with bread and wine and blesses Abram saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth." And then Melchizedek says, "And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand." Melchizedek is evidently a Messenger, an Angel of the LORD with supernatural information that God was the One Who delivered the enemies over to Abram. Note that bread and wine often signified a ceremony of spiritual import as there is no indication that a great supply of bread and wine was brought to feed Abram's household of hundreds of individuals. Later on in Scripture the ritual ceremony of bread and wine will be established to memorialize and symbolize the sacrifice of the body and blood of the Son of God for the sins of the whole world which an individual has incorporated through faith unto the reception of eternal life. In the case of Gen 14:18, the ritual was to honor the God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth Who delivered to Abram his enemies in battle as Melchizadek had explained to Abram.
Out of reverance for Melchizedek and recognition of God's enablement of his victory, Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything - something that is often reserved for God - especially with the bread and wine in view. Recall that Salem was not located in the area conquered by Chedorlaomer, but most likely was in the location of Jerusalem, (notice 'salem' in Jerusalem) which is located in the promised land, not the valley of Shaveh in the Dead Sea region. This strongly implies that Melchizedek is the Son of God in a preincarnate appearance. Scripture later confirms this:
(v. 7:1) "This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,
(v. 7:2) and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace."
(v. 7:3) Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever)."
(v. 14:17 NKJV) "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. (v. 14:18 NKJV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (v. 14:19 NIV) and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. (v. 14:20 NIV) And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything." =
Contrary to what some commentators claim: that Melchizedek is a king/priest for a Canaanite pagan god and not the LORD due to a similarity in name of God Most High in their native language for one of their gods; the context of chapters 12-14 continues to portray the LORD, not a pagan god, delivering Abram over and over to protect His promises and Abram and his household. The passage which contains Melchizedek continues in this pattern, offering nothing from a Canaanite pagan god, and certainly nothing that a pagan Canaanite god would have anything to do with delivering enemies to a non-Cannaanite wanderer like Abram or payng tribute to Abram for victory in a relatively minor skirmish in a foreign land! Furthermore, Abram is not a Canaanite who would be under the influence of a Canaanite king / priest, nor does any passage previous to this indicate that Abram had anything to do with the god's of the Canaanites and hence offer to him and his god a tenth of all he had. Abram had already evidenced that his God was the LORD to whose priest he paid a tenth. Only the LORD Who was with Abram the whole time he left Ur was evidencing anything to do with Abram. Furthermore, there is no god or priest or king of the Canaanites who would be described not only as God Most High but Creator of heaven and earth and portrayed as the only God, not a god amongst other gods, nor a God of Righteousness and Peace. Finally, Melchizadek evidently had supernatural information as to Whom had delivered his enemies to Abram. These descriptions together portray only one God, the LORD God, the God of Abram.
The LORD continues to protect and enable Abram in order to make him a great nation, a great name and a blessing to all the families of the world. It is through Abram that the LORD will eternally reconcile mankind to Himself and restore man's sovereignty over the world.
*** REVIEW OF EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTERS 12 & 3 ***
.................................or skip to Gen 14:21-24
(v. 12:1 NKJV) "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of [lit. go from] your country, from your family [lit. relatives], and from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you will be a blessing. (v. 12:3 NAS) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. ' " =
By virtue of the imperfect tense Hebrew verb "wayyO'mer" rendered "had said" (NKJV) which tense portrays repeated action in the past, verse 12:1 stipulates that the LORD had repeatedly said from the time when Abram was in Ur that Abram was to go from his native land Ur, (cf. Gen 15:7), to a land He will show Abram; whereupon, beginning in verse 12:2, the LORD promised Abram to make him a great nation. Notice that the phrase is not 'I will make you ruler of a great nation.' but "I [the LORD] will make you a great nation," i.e., Abram himself will become a great nation. Since a nation is an entity of a great number of individuals, and since Abram will become a great nation, then Abram, in spite of being childless for decades, is to have and live to see a great number of physical descendants over whom he will rule. Verse 12:2 goes on to say, "And I [the LORD] will bless you [Abram] and make your name great; And so you will be a blessing." So Abram is to effect a great number of the people of the earth in some great manner, affording to them great blessing over a great length of time, for it takes time for one to live to have a nation of descendants and by that become a great name throughout all the earth for all history.
Verse 12:3 continues the LORD’s declarations of Abram’s future by stating a number of astounding predictions which indicate that the LORD specifically selected Abram out of the sea of humanity in human history for His special and eternal purpose: "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Unlike the word ‘world’ which might be limited in time and geography in the context of Gen 12:3, the Hebrew word rendered "earth" in the NKJV in the context of Gen 12:3 encompasses the entire globe of the earth for all time. So the phrase "all the families of the earth" encompasses all mankind throughout history from all points of the earth.
A picture is presented of the LORD sovereignly selecting Abram from Ur of the Chaldees out of the sea of humanity to go to the promised land to be His vessel, (cf. 12:1). The LORD will then supernaturally enable Abram, whose wife has been barren and childless for decades, (cf. Gen 11:30) - both of whom are very old and unable to have children to have such a great name, i.e., have such a worldwide reputation of doing great and godly things and be such a great nation of many physical descendants that in Abram will all the families of the earth throughout history and eternity be blessed through the seed of Abram. This is evidently a fulfillment of the promise of God to provide for the eternal reconciliation of man to God relative to sin and the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth through the miraculous Seed of the woman - a Messiah-Savior, evidently through the seed of Abram, (cf. Gen 3:14-15). That fact alone - that the Messiah-Savior of the world will be a descendant of Abram, will make Abram a great nation and a great name, for in him through that Messiah-Savior will be an opportunity for eternal life and blessing for all the families of the earth throughout history.
Hence an eternal time frame is in view. All of this is with an emphasis on the LORD's sovereign enablement in moving Abram to a faithful position in the land He will show Abram so as to fulfill His promises unilaterally and supernaturally. This was to begin with Abram getting out of his country, going from his family and his father's house to a land He will show Abram, (v. 12:1).
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' (v. 3:15 NKJV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel... (v. 12:2 NAS) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing." =
Genesis chapter 3 declares God's plan for the eternal reconciliation of man to God and the restoration of mankind's sovereignty over the earth which chapter 12 indicates will be fulfilled through the LORD's making Abram a great nation and a great name - a great and eternal blessing to the whole world for all mankind throughout the ages and eternity. The context of previous chapters in Genesis has indicated that mankind is estranged from God for which He has a plan for reconciling mankind to Himself through the seed of Eve which will evidently be through the seed of Abram wherein all individuals have the opportunity to be blessed with spiritual reconciliation with God and eternal life with Him resulting in the restoration of mankind's authority over the earth.
[The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, Frank E Gaebelein, Gen. Ed., Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1990, p. 111]:
"1-5 We have already suggested that by placing the call of Abraham after the dispersion of the nations at Babylon (11:1-9), the author intended to picture Abraham's call as God's gift of salvation in the midst of judgment. As a way of sustaining this theme even further, the author has patterned the account of Abraham's call and blessing after an earlier account of a similar gift of salvation in the midst of judgment, the conclusion of the Flood narrative... The similarities between the two narratives are striking, showing that Abram, like Noah, makes a new beginning as well as a return to God's original plan of blessing 'all mankind' (cf. 1:28."
*** EXCERPT FROM GENESIS CHAPTER 3 ***
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' "
(v. 3:14 NKJV) "So the LORD God said to the serpent: 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.' " =
God spoke to the particular serpent in the garden of Eden who had demonstrated highly intelligent, subtle and evil qualities wholly inconsistent with such an earthly creature as God had created it. For of all the earthly creatures, only man was created to have a soul which reflected the image of God thereby providing high intelligence and capacity to exercise rulership over all the other created beings on the earth. Hence we may conclude that the serpent in view in Genesis 3 was possessed / influenced by another highly superior created being other than the two humans God had created. So for deceiving Eve and causing her and Adam to sin, (Gen 3:1-7), the LORD GOD cursed the serpent who was possessed by Satan, God's adversary, more than any other creature, relegating serpents now to crawl on their bellies, eating dust as a sign of judgment upon Satan's rebellion. Previous text in Genesis does not describe such an intelligent and evil being, but other passages in Scripture corroborate and provide more details on this. Hence we will divert from Genesis chapter 3 in order to corroborate this.
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' "
Notice that God created man last of all of the earthly beings. And He created only man in His image to rule over the earth. Hence whomever God was addressing when He spoke to the serpent in the Garden of Eden, was not one of the only two humans at that time, and it was a being that displayed greater than the high intelligence of man and even had the image of God, and the capacity for rulership of the other creatures, including man! And lastly, it displayed evil behavior which is not characteristic of the creatures that God had created on the earth.
(v. 1:25 NIV) "God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
(v. 1:31 NIV) God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day."
Notice that no non-human earthly creature was equipped by God when He created living beings to behave in an evil manner. God said that what He had created was good - very good, not evil.
Hence the serpent had to have been possessed by a superior created being who had chosen to do evil and usurp the authority of God as demonstrated in Gen 3:1-6. The only highly intelligent creature in the image of God left besides two humans, Adam and Eve, who might be suspect of such behavior, was the most powerful angelic creature, Lucifer the fallen angel, renamed Satan, literally meaning Adversary [of God]:
(v. 1) '''''The word of the LORD came to me:
(v. 2) ''''Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, '''This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "In the pride of your heart you say, 'I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.' But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.
(v. 3) Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you?
(v. 4) By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
(v. 5) By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud.'
(v. 6) '''Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god,
(v. 7) I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.
(v. 8) They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
(v. 9) Will you then say, 'I am a god,' in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you.
(v. 10) You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.''''
[Notice that verses 1-10 refer to the actual king of Tyre of history which predicts what actually happened in history: his defeat under military attack and violent death "in the heart of the seas" at the hands of his foreign enemies]
(v. 11) The word of the LORD came to me:
(v. 12) ''''Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: '''This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
(v. 13) You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.
[Note that the setting of vv. 11-19 is not the earthly one of time of the king of Tyre. The king of Tyre never took residence in the garden of Eden, nor was he adorned with every precious stone prepared at the moment of his creation, nor was he a guardian cherub angel. Furthermore, it cannot be figurative, for the details are not consistent with the person of the king of Tyre himself. It is however consistent with an actual angelic being - one of great power, who is behind the evil actions of the King of Tyre]
(v. 14) You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones.
[Note that a cherub angel was one of supreme authority and power, fully capable of doing what the Serpent did in the garden of Eden, (Gen 3:1-15)]
(v. 15) You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.
[Notice that Lucifer, the name of the angelic creature in view, (cf. Isa 14:12-14), was blameless and perfect in his ways from the day that he was created, until wickedness was found in him. Also note that the King of Tyre was not blameless from the day he was created, but born in sin]
(v. 16) Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.
(v. 17) Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings."
[Notice that this angelic being was expelled from the mount of God in heaven to the earth with no restriction of his behavior so he still could choose to express his evil anywhere on the earth, including the Garden of Eden which he evidently did, (cf. Gen 3:1-15)]
(v. 18) By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.
(v. 19) All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and ill be no more.'''''
(v. 14:12 YLT) "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! "
At this point in chapter 14 the subject switches from the king of Babylon who is portrayed as fallen in physical death to Sheol, in the depths of the earth, to the same fate as other rulers, to a rebellious angelic being as if the latter were somehow responsible for the former's cruel rulership on earth.
The Hebrew word "heylel" rendered "Lucifer" in the KJV literally means light bearer, or morning star which the latter most readily fits the context since such a light bearer is portayed as coming from heaven above and is referred to in verse 12 as "son of the dawn" which implies a light bearer above the earth at dawn, i.e., a morning star. The planet Venus is often referred to as the morning star.
The term Lucifer in fourth century Latin was a name for Venus, the morning star. The Latin word Lucifer is composed of two words: lux, or in the genitive form used lucis, (meaning "light") and ferre, which means "to bear" or "to bring." So, the word Lucifer means bearer of light as does "heylel" in the Hebrew. Hence the name Lucifer has been adopted over into English to mean "light bearer" and in specific contexts such as Isa 14:12, refers to the fallen angel, later named Satan, as rendered in a number of key versions, (KJV, NKJV, etc.).
On the other hand, since the beginning of verse 14:12 describes a morning star having fallen from heaven; and since stars don't occupy the heaven where God's throne resides; and since a star would destroy the earth if it fell to it; then we can conclude that verse 12 is figurative, with a literal meaning behind it. "Heylel" is further described as having fallen from heaven to the ground, i.e., to the earth resulting in weakening the "gowy" literally people or nations, i.e., mankind, corroborating the figurative language supporting a human / angelic being. Hence we can conclude that verse 12 portrays an angelic being who has fallen from his residence in heaven, evidently having committed some kind of offense toward God, i.e., sin; was cast down to earth where his actions caused mankind to weaken, i.e., become sinful]
(v. 13 NIV) You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
(v. 14) I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
[The reason why an angelic being was thrown out of heaven is made clear in verses 13 and 14: Lucifer aspired to ascend to heaven to raise his throne above the stars of God which most likely refers to angelic beings because the position of inanimate stars in the heavens is hardly something for an angelic being who already has access to heaven and the throne room of God to aspire to]
(Job 1:6 NIV) "One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
(Job 1:7 NIV) The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' Satan answered the LORD, 'From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.
(Job 1:8 NIV) Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'
(Job 1:9 NIV) 'Does Job fear God for nothing?' Satan replied.
(Job 1:10 NIV) 'Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
(Job 1:11 NIV) But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.'
(Job 1:12 NIV) The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.' Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD."
[So the evil angel Satan = literally, "Adversary" of God], roamed the earth "going back and forth in it" looking for faults in humans in order to show them to God. He especially opposed God when God blessed, protected enabled Job to walk blameless before Him. In Job 1:11, Satan indicated that he wanted to provoke an individual to curse God to His face by causing him great harm, (Job 1:11). Such an angel demonstrated a capability, willingness and availability on earth to possess the serpent in the garden of Eden and deceive Eve into sinning, (cf. Gen 3:1-15).
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
TWO SPIRITUAL (NOT BIOLOGICAL) SEEDS ARE IN VIEW:
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The Hebrew word "zera' " rendered "seed" and "Seed" respectively in 3:15 in the NKJV usually has a biological connotation; but in Genesis 3:15, the Hebrew word "zera' " refers to:
1) Those individuals - angelic and human - who deliberately follow, i.e., are given 'birth' as seed of the Agent (Satan) who possessed the serpent and caused Eve to sin. Note that that Agent is a spiritual being, not a physical one, hence seed has a spiritual connotation, not a physical one. Furthermore, all of the seed of Satan were declared by God to be at enmity with the woman and her Seed.
2) The second word rendered seed in Genesis 3:15 which is rendered with a capital "S" in the NKJV, is portrayed as resulting in a male physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in 3:15c: "He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." The word seed when it is used to portray a physical descendant, normally refers to a seed which biologically comes from the male; but in the case of Gen 3:15, the phrase "the seed of the woman" is stipulated as opposed to the normal phrase 'the seed of the man.' Hence the word "Seed" in this case refers to a Seed which must be produced supernaturally and spiritually by God into a female physical descendant of the woman, Eve, in order to result in an individual male descendant of that woman. The Seed of the woman, Eve, is futher portrayed as representing the whole human race - a Messiah-Savior, hence the capital "Seed" - in doing battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race, usurped by Satan; and to provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
(v. 3:15 NKJV) "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." =
The word "shuwph," [Str. # 7779], rendered "shall bruise" twice in 3:15 connotes a striking blow which is purposed to cause destruction.
The LORD GOD spoke to Satan who possessed the serpent in the garden and caused Adam and Eve to sin, usurping their position of authority over the world. He said, "And I [the LORD GOD] will put enmity, [i.e., decree mutual hostility] between you [Satan] and the woman [Eve, who is the mother of all humanity, (cf. 3:20)].
Notice from Gen 3:1 on, it was not Satan's intent to have hostility, but to gain sovereignty over Eve, humanity and the world. He successfully deceived and hence manipulated her and Adam so as to usurp their position and God's authority given to them by God over the earth.
... and [enmity] between your seed and her Seed =
[And there was also decreed by God to be enmity between the seed of Satan, i.e., those who chose to rebel against the LORD GOD, to be spiritually like Satan: unbelieving and rebellious angelic and human beings. They are 'birthed' by Satan in the sense of choosing to rebel against God after Satan's example. Satan evidently makes a constant effort to tempt others to follow him in rebellion against God]
and her Seed =
[= a single individual is portrayed in 3:15b considering the next phrase in 3:15c, ("He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel"), which has a single individual in view. This Individual is stipulated as the Seed of the woman, Eve, portraying a supernatural birth via a spiritually provided Seed to impregnate a female descendant of Eve to give birth to a male descendant Who will represent all of humanity in battle with Satan and his seed to regain the lost sovereignty of the human race over the world and provide an opportunity for every individual human being to be eternally reconciled with God relative to sin.
The LORD GOD then said, 'He [the single individual Messiah Savior] shall bruise [strike] your head, [ i.e., deliver a mortal blow via an act which destroys Satan and the evil he did and restores humanity to its original sinless state]
and you [Satan] will bruise [strike] his heel, [i.e., deliver a non-mortal blow, i.e., cause him injury but not mortal to His existence and purpose, giving Him the victory over sin for all humanity over Satan and his evil work which caused Adam and Eve to sin, destroy their relationship with God and lose control of their rulership over the world to Satan]
*** END OF EXCERPTS FROM GEN 12 & 3 ***
(v. 14:21 NKJV) "Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.'
(v. 14:22 NKJV) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth,
(v. 14:23 YLT) from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I - I have made Abram rich
(v. 14:24 NKJV) except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."
(v. 14:17 NKJV) "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. (v. 14:18 NKJV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (v. 14:19 NIV) and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. (v. 14:20 NIV) And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (v. 14:21 NKJV) Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself.' (v. 14:22 NKJV) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, (v. 14:23 YLT) from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I - I have made Abram rich (v. 14:24 NKJV) except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion" =
The king of the wickedest of cities, Sodom, (cf. 13:13), in contrast with the righteousness of Melchizadek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, Who brought bread and wine to bless Abram and God and attribute Abram's victory to God the Creater of heaven and earth and to Whom Abram gave a tenth of all he had offers to make a wicked deal with Abram in order to gain a hold on him: 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself,' the defeated and rescued king of Sodom says to the victorious rescuer Abram. The king of Sodom is evidently present with Abram and Melchizadek and shows a total disregard for Who Melchizadek is and his godly purpose.
(v. 14:17 NKJV) "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. (v. 14:18 NKJV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (v. 14:19 NIV) and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. (v. 14:20 NIV) And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (v. 14:21 NKJV)Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself' (v. 14:22 NKJV) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, (v. 14:23 YLT) from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I - I have made Abram rich (v. 14:24 NKJV) except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion" =
Abram's response to the king of Sodom's offer of a portion of the spoils of war was to tell him that he had raised his hand [to take an oath] to the LORD God Most High, the Creator ["qOnEh" = Creator] of heaven and earth and that he would take nothing from him - not a thread nor a sandal strap - so that he could not say that the king had made made Abram rich - affirming Abram's allegiance to the LORD. On the other hand, Abram did ask for what the young men who went with him from Mamre, (Aner, Eshcol and Mamre), who were not of his household had eaten and their portion be given to them. Notice that no one from Abram's household was to receive a portion from the king.
(v. 14:17 NKJV) "And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley), after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. (v. 14:18 NKJV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. (v. 14:19 NIV) and he blessed Abram, saying, 'Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. (v. 14:20 NIV) And blessed be God Most High, Who delivered your enemies into your hand.' Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (v. 14:21 NKJV)Now the king of Sodom said to Abram, 'Give me the persons, and take the goods for yourself' (v. 14:22 NKJV) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth, (v. 14:23 YLT) from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I - I have made Abram rich (v. 14:24 NKJV) except only what the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion" =
Notice Abram's response to the king of Sodom's offer to share in the spoils of war included an emphatic and detailed statement in vv. 14:23-24 that "from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I - I have made Abram rich." And then Abram describes the One to Whom he had made the oath, "to the LORD, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and earth." In view of such detail and emphasis, we can conclude that Abram's oath to the LORD to refuse any spoils from the war from the king of Sodom was Abram's pledge of assurance to the LORD of his undivided allegiance.
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