Genesis 14:20
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
a. NLT: And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.”Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. [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 blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]
c. Young’s Literal Translation: and blessed is God Most High, who hath delivered thine adversaries into thy hand;' and he giveth to him a tenth of all. [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: And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your foes into your hand! And [Abram] gave him a tenth of all [he had taken]. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]
e. Septuagint: and blessed be the most high God who delivered thine enemies into thy power. And Abram gave him the tithe of all.
f. Stone Edition of the CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: And blessed be God, the Most High, Who has delivered your foes into your hand”; [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]
1. “And blessed be the most high God…”
a. [And] blessed [Strong: 1288 barak baw-rak'; a primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):--X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank.]
b. most high [Strong: 5945 'elyown el-yone'; an elevation, i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme:--(Most, on) high(-er, -est), upper(-most).]
c. God [Strong: 410 'el ale; strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity):--God (god), X goodly, X great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong.]
1). This is the third time the phrase, “most high God” is used in this passage.
2. “…which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand...”
a. 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.]
b. hath delivered [4042 magan maw-gan'; to shield, to encompass, to rescue, to hand safely over, i.e., surrender.]
b. thine enemies [Strong: 6862 tsar tsar or tsar {tsawr}; narrow; (as a noun) a tight place (usually figuratively, i.e. trouble); also a pebble (as in 6864); (transitive) an opponent (as crowding):--adversary, afflicted(-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble.]
c. into thine hand [Strong: 3027 yad yawd; a primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.), in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote (as follows):--(+ be) able, X about, + armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, X bounty, + broad, (broken-)handed, X by, charge, coast, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, X enough, + fellowship, force, X from, hand(-staves, -y work), X he, himself, X in, labour, + large, ledge, (left-)handed, means, X mine, ministry, near, X of, X order, ordinance, X our, parts, pain, power, X presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, + swear, terror, X thee, X by them, X themselves, X thine own, X thou, through, X throwing, + thumb, times, X to, X under, X us, X wait on, (way-)side, where, + wide, X with (him, me, you), work, + yield, X yourselves.]
1). The phrase “delivered thine enemies into thine hand”, is clearly from a covenant perspective especially looking at the Hebrew word for “delivered”. The use of the English word “delivered” confirms this.
a). Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
b). Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
2). The wording of this part of the verse to me is a strong hint that before Abram left to go on this mission, there was a covenant cut or a vow made with “the most high God” to ensure victory and success of the following: The rescue of Lot and his family first and foremost along with the rest of the people, the delivering of the four kings into Abram’s hands, and the recovering of all the goods. The giving of the ten percent of all the goods was the final piece of this vow.
2. “…And he gave him tithes of all.”
a. [And he] gave him [Strong: 5414 nathan naw-than'; a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, + cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander, strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to) God, yield.]
b. tithes [Strong: 4643 ma`aser mah-as-ayr' or maasar {mah-as-ar'}; and (in plural) feminine maasrah {mah-as-raw'}; from 6240; a tenth; especially a tithe:-- tenth (part), tithe(-ing).]
1). This is the first time the word “tithes” is mentioned in Scripture. The occasion has all the earmarks of a worship service, the bread and wine of communion and intimate relationship, the blessing and the giving of tithe. My belief of Melchizedek is he was a theophany of the pre-incarnate Christ, meeting Abram just outside what would later be Jerusalem. I am persuaded that Abram had vowed or entered into Covenant before he went to war and petitioned God to help him rescue his nephew Lot. In my view the words of Genesis 14:22-24 were the words of that vow to God. The giving of tithe of all the goods Abram brought back was part of Abram’s obligation in the Covenant. This seems evident from looking closely at the how Abram responded to the King of Sodom’s offer of Abram taking all the wealth he rescued from the Mesopotamian kings. Genesis 14:22-24 And 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, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take anything that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: Save 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. (See notes).
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