Genesis 14:15

Genesis 14:15

 

And 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.

 

a. NLT: There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

 

b. ASV: And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

 

c. YLT: And he divideth himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smiteth them, and pursueth them unto Hobah, which is at the left of Damascus; [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

 

d. Amplified Bible:  He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked and routed them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

 

e. Septuagint: And he came upon them by night, he and his servants, and he smote them and pursued them as far as Choba, which is on the left of Damascus.

 

f. Stone Edition of the CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary And he with his servants deployed against them at night and struck them; he pursued as far as Hobah which is to the north of Damascus.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

 

1. “And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them…”

 

a. [And he] divided [himself ] [Strong: 2505 chalaq khaw-lak'; a primitive root; to be smooth (figuratively); by implication (as smooth stones were used for lots) to apportion or separate:--deal, distribute, divide, flatter, give, (have, im-)part(-ner), take away a portion, receive, separate self, (be) smooth(-er).]

 

b. against [them] [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

c. he [Strong: 1931 huw' hoo of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.]

d. [his] servants [Strong: 5650 `ebed eh'-bed; from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant, (man-)servant.]

 

c. by night [Strong: 3915 layil lah'-yil or (Isa. 21:11) leyl {lale}; also laylah {lah'- yel-aw}; from the same as 3883; properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity:--((mid-))night (season).]

 

d. smote [them] [Strong: 5221 nakah naw-kaw'; a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively):--beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), X go forward, X indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, X surely, wound.]

 

1). The same Hebrew word translated “smote” in verse 15 is translated “slaughter” in verse 17.

 

2. “…and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.”

 

a. pursued [them] [Strong: 7291 radaph raw-daf'; a primitive root; to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by):--chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).]

 

b. unto [Strong: 5704 `ad ad properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long, or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during, while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as, at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as), (hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that, till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.]

c. Hobah [Strong: 2327 chowbah kho-baw'; feminine active participle of 2247; hiding place; Chobah, a place in Syria:--Hobah.]

 

c. which [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

the left hand [Strong: 8040 smo'wl sem-ole' or smosl {sem-ole'}; a primitive word (rather perhaps from the same as 8071 (by insertion of the aleph) through the idea of wrapping up); properly, dark (as enveloped), i.e. the north; hence (by orientation), the left hand:--left (hand, side).]

 

d. [of] Damascus [Strong: 1834 Dammeseq dam-meh'-sek or Duwmeseq {doo-meh'-sek}; or Darmeseq {dar-meh'-sek}; 1834 * Dammeseq] [Strong: of foreign origin; Damascus, a city of Syria:--Damascus.]

1). Barnes' Notes on the Bible: Abram and his confederates found the enemy secure and at their ease, not expecting pursuit. They attack them on two quarters; Abram, probably, on the one, and his allies on the other; by night, defeat and pursue them unto Hobah. "On the left hand of Damascus." Hobah was on the north of Damascus.

2). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: That is, to the north, as the Hebrews looked eastward in defining the quarters of the heaven. The victory had thus been followed up with great energy, the pursuit having lasted, according to Josephus, the whole of the next day and night after that on which the attack was made.