Genesis 14:24

 Genesis 14:24

 

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.

 

a. NLT: I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.” [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: Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion. [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: save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who have gone with me -- Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre -- they take their portion.' [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: [Take all] except only what my young men have eaten and the share of the men [allies] who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

 

e. Septuagint: Except what things the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Eschol, Aunan, Mambre, these shall take a portion.

 

f. Stone Edition of the CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: Far from me! Only what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who accompanied me: Aner, Eschol, and Mamre—they will take their portion.”

 

1. “Save only that which the young men have eaten…”

 

a. Save [Strong: 1107 bil`adey bil-ad-ay' or balmadey {bal-ad-ay'}; constructive plural from 1077 and 5703, not till, i.e. (as preposition or adverb) except, without, besides:--beside, not (in), save, without.]

 

b. only [Strong: 7535 raq rak the same as 7534 as a noun; properly, leanness, i.e. (figuratively) limitation; only adverbial, merely, or conjunctional, although:--but, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless, nothing but, notwithstanding, only, save, so (that), surely, yet (so), in any wise.]

c. that 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.]

 

c. [the] young men [Strong: 5288 na`ar nah'-ar; from 5287; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age):--babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).]

 

d. have eaten [Strong: 398 'akal aw-kal'; a primitive root; to eat (literally or figuratively):--X at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, X freely, X in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, X quite.]

 

2. “…and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre…”

 

a. [and the] portion [Strong: 2506 cheleq khay'lek; from 2505; properly, smoothness (of the tongue); also an allotment:--flattery, inheritance, part, X partake, portion.]

 

b. [of the] men [Strong: 582 'enowsh en-oshe' from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word.]

 

c. which went [Strong: 1980 halak haw-lak'; from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word.]

 

d. with [me] [Strong: 854 'eth ayth; probably from 579; properly, nearness (used only as a preposition or an adverb), near; hence, generally, with, by, at, among, etc.:--against, among, before, by, for, from, in(-to), (out) of, with. Often with another prepositional prefix.]

 

e. Aner [Strong: 6063 `Aner aw-nare'; probably for 5288; Aner, a Amorite, also a place in Palestine:--Aner.]

 

f. Eschol [Strong: 812 'Eshkol esh-kole'; the same as 811; Eshcol, the name of an Amorite, also of a valley in Palestine:--Eshcol.]

 

g. Mamre [Strong: 4471 Mamre' mam-ray'; from 4754 (in the sense of vigor); lusty; Mamre, an Amorite:--Mamre.]

 

1). These men went with Abram because they were in Covenant with Abram.

 

a). Genesis 14:13 And there came one that 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.

 

(1)  confederate [Two Hebrew words: (1167 * ba’al) (master, husband, confederate, have to do, they of…) & (1285 * beriyth) (a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh):- confederacy, covenant, league.)]

 

2). All of the translations fail to translate this word as strongly as it should. While most say “allied” or “confederate with”, these men were in blood covenant together. The translation that comes closest is the Holman Christian Standard Bible that says, “They were bound by a treaty with Abram.” The note underneath says “were possessors of a covenant of”.

 

3). H. Clay Trumbull, writes in his The Blood Covenant, “blood covenanting: a form of mutual covenanting by which two person enter into the closest, the most enduring, and the most sacred of compacts, as friends and brothers, or as more than brothers…”

 

3. “…let them take their portion.”

 

a. [let] them [Strong: 1992 hem haym or (prolonged) hemmah {haym'-maw}; masculine plural from 1981; they (only used when emphatic):--it, like, X (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, X so, X such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.]

 

b. 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.]

 

c. [their] portion [Strong: 2506 cheleq khay'lek; from 2505; properly, smoothness (of the tongue); also an allotment:--flattery, inheritance, part, X partake, portion.]

 

1). It is not stated what their portion was. It is clear that though Abram did not want any of the goods, he did not put that same restriction upon the men that put their lives in jeopardy to help him rescue his nephew and family.