Genesis 14:21

Genesis 14:21

And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.

 

a. NLT: The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have 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 the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. [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 the king of Sodom saith unto Abram, 'Give to me the persons, and the substance take to thyself,' [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 the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons and keep the goods for yourself. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

 

e. Septuagint: And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the men, and take the horses to thyself.

 

f. Stone Edition of the CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: The king of Sodom said to Abram: “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

 

1. “And the king of Sodom said unto Abram,…”

 

a. [And the] king [Strong: 4428 melek meh'-lek; from 4427; a king:--king, royal.]

 

b. [of] Sodom [Strong: 5467 Cdom sed-ome'; from an unused root meaning to scorch; burnt (i.e. volcanic or bituminous) district; Sedom, a place near the Dead Sea:-- Sodom.]

 

1). If the king survived the battle This king’s name was Bera, Genesis 14:2. He is mentioned first in the list of the kings of the cities of the plain, which points to his preeminence. There are those who believe the original king of Sodom was killed along with the king of Gomorrah  (Genesis 14:10), and this was the king of Sodom’s replacement. At any rate we don’t know how many of the other kings if any survived this invasion or how many of the ordinary citizens survived, but the king of Sodom was willing to give up all the material goods and have just the people.

 

c. said [Strong: 559 'amar aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

 

d. Abram [Strong: 87 'Abram ab-rawm'; contracted from 48; high father; Abram, the original name of Abraham:--Abram.]

 

 2. “…Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.”

 

a. give me [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. [the] persons [Strong: 5315 nephesh neh'-fesh; from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire, X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they, thing, (X she) will, X would have it.]

 

c. [and] take [Strong: 3947 laqach law-kakh'; a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

 

d. [the] goods [Strong: 7399 rkuwsh rek-oosh' or rkush {rek-oosh'}; from passive participle of 7408; property (as gathered):--good, riches, substance.]

 

1). It almost seems like the king is bargaining with Abram, in the sense that Abram vanquished the person that vanquished this king. The king of Sodom was corrupt, he was probably a homosexual, he could care less about the goods but he wanted the persons. It seems like he considered them his property that he could use them as bargaining chips. Abram’s response I believe reveals his contempt toward the king. The only reason all these people were rescued, that is, the ones that survived, was because of Lot. What a powerful testament to the mercy of God. Lot was the salt in that community, even though in my opinion he should have never been there, he was still the salt.