What does Abram do when he learns that Lot has been captured?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Abram gathers 318 servants born in his household, pursues the captors, and brings Lot and the other people back with their possessions. Afterwards, Melchisedech blesses him, and Abram refuses the king of Sodom’s goods for himself while preserving his companions’ shares.

Chapter breakdown

Four kings went to war: Amraphel of Sennaar, Arioch of Pontus, Chodorlahomor of the Elamites, and Thadal, king of nations. They fought Bara of Sodom, Bersa of Gomorrha, Sennaab of Adama, Semeber of Seboim, and the king of Bala, also called Segor. The five kings gathered in the woodland valley, which the account identifies as the salt sea. They had served Chodorlahomor for twelve years and rebelled in the thirteenth.

In the fourteenth year, Chodorlahomor and his allied kings defeated the Raphaim in Astarothcarnaim, the Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Save of Cariathaim. They also defeated the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, as far as the plains of Pharan in the wilderness. They returned to the spring of Misphat, also called Cades. They attacked all the country of the Amalecites and the Amorrhean living in Asasonthamar.

The five kings of Sodom, Gomorrha, Adama, Seboim, and Bala or Segor lined up for battle in the woodland valley against the four allied kings. The valley had many pits of slime. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrha turned back and were defeated there. Those who remained fled to the mountain.

Challoner explains that the slime was a kind of pitch. His note says it was used as mortar at Babel, with a reference to Genesis 11:3, and that Noe used it to coat the ark. This explanation comes from the commentary.

The victors took the possessions and food of the people of Sodom and Gomorrha and departed. They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother who lived in Sodom, and his possessions. Someone who escaped brought the news to Abram the Hebrew. Abram lived in the valley of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol and Aner. These men had made an alliance with Abram.

When Abram heard that Lot had been taken, he counted 318 well-equipped servants born in his household and pursued the captors to Dan. He divided his company, attacked during the night, and defeated them. He pursued them as far as Hoba, on the left side of Damascus. He brought back all the possessions, Lot and his possessions, the women, and the other people.

The king of Sodom went out to meet Abram in Save, the king’s valley, after Abram returned from defeating Chodorlahomor and the allied kings. Melchisedech, king of Salem and priest of the most high God, brought out bread and wine. He blessed Abram in the name of the most high God, who made heaven and earth, and blessed God for giving Abram his enemies through his protection. Abram gave Melchisedech a tenth of everything.

The king of Sodom asked Abram to give him the people and keep the rest for himself. Abram raised his hand to the Lord God most high, the possessor of heaven and earth. He said he would take nothing belonging to the king, from a thread to a sandal strap, so the king could not say that he had enriched Abram. He made exceptions for what the young men had eaten and for the shares of Aner, Escol, and Mambre, the men who had gone with him. They were to receive their shares.

The story inside

The news about Lot connects Abram’s household to a war already in progress. The five kings have been defeated, and Lot is among those taken away. Abram’s response is concrete: he counts the servants born in his house, pursues the captors, divides his company, attacks at night, and brings the people and possessions back. The account then turns from recovering goods to deciding who will receive them. Melchisedech blesses Abram and credits God’s protection for the victory; Abram gives him a tenth. The king of Sodom offers Abram the remaining goods in exchange for the people. Abram gives a specific reason for refusing the king’s property: the king must not be able to claim that he made Abram rich. That refusal has limits. Food already eaten and the shares of the men who accompanied him are excepted. The ending therefore distinguishes Abram’s refusal for himself from the portions due to others.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The war has a stated sequence. Twelve years of service are followed by rebellion in the thirteenth year and the allied kings’ campaign in the fourteenth. The account names both sides, the places attacked, and the defeat that leaves Lot captive. These details explain how news of Lot’s capture reaches Abram without invented trade routes or military strategy.
2
The rescue account names both people and goods. Abram recovers Lot and his possessions, the women, the other people, and all the possessions. His divided company and night attack are recorded; enemy panic and attacks from particular flanks are not. Following the stated actions keeps the rescue clear and complete.
3
Abram’s refusal has an explicit reason and exceptions. He will not let the king of Sodom claim to have enriched him, but he does not deny the food already eaten or Aner, Escol, and Mambre their shares. Preserving those exceptions matters: the chapter does not say he refused every item on everyone’s behalf.

Test your recall

How does the report of Lot’s capture lead to Abram’s rescue, and why does Abram refuse the king of Sodom’s goods for himself?

Show answer

An escaped person tells Abram that Lot has been captured. Abram takes 318 trained servants from his household, pursues the captors, attacks by night, and recovers Lot, the people, and their goods. He refuses the king of Sodom’s goods so that the king cannot claim to have enriched him. He allows what the young men have already eaten and the shares belonging to his allies.

Quotes from Scripture

Exact Scripture quotations from the Douay–Rheims Bible, revised by Bishop Richard Challoner (1749–1752), the same edition used for these chapters. Source: Project Gutenberg no. 1581.

And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection, the enemies are in thy hands. And he gave him the tithes of all.

Genesis 14:20 · Douay–Rheims / Challonerpg1581.txt · lines 1560–1561

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 1482–1499
Genesis Chapter 14 The expedition of the four kings; the victory of Abram; he is blessed by Melchisedech. 14:1. And it came to pass at that time, that Amraphel, king of Sennaar, and Arioch, king of Pontus, and Chodorlahomor, king of the Elamites, and Thadal, king of nations, 14:2. Made war against Bara, king of Sodom, and against Bersa, king of Gomorrha, and against Sennaab, king of Adama, and against Semeber, king of Seboim, and against the king of Bala, which is Segor. 14:3. All these came together into the woodland vale, which now is the salt sea. 14:4. For they had served Chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they revolted from him.
Lines 1501–1510
14:5. And in the fourteenth year came Chodorlahomor, and the kings that were with him: and they smote the Raphaim in Astarothcarnaim, and the Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Save of Cariathaim. 14:6. And the Chorreans in the mountains of Seir, even to the plains of Pharan, which is in the wilderness. 14:7. And they returned, and came to the fountain of Misphat, the same is Cades: and they smote all the country of the Amalecites, and the Amorrhean that dwelt in Asasonthamar.
Lines 1512–1523
14:8. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha, and the king of Adama, and the king of Seboim, and the king of Bala, which is Segor, went out: and they set themselves against them in battle array, in the woodland vale: 14:9. To wit, against Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus: four kings against five. 14:10. Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs, and were overthrown there: and they that remained, fled to the mountain.
Lines 1525–1527
Of slime. Bituminis.... This was a kind of pitch, which served for mortar in the building of Babel, Gen. 11.3, and was used by Noe in pitching the ark.
Lines 1529–1537
14:11. And they took all the substance of the Sodomites, and Gomorrhites, and all their victuals, and went their way: 14:12. And Lot also, the son of Abram’s brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his substance. 14:13. And behold one, that had escaped, told Abram the Hebrew, who dwelt in the vale of Mambre the Amorrhite, the brother of Escol, and the brother of Aner: for these had made a league with Abram.
Lines 1539–1548
14:14. Which when Abram had heard, to wit, that his brother Lot was taken, he numbered of the servants born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, well appointed: and pursued them to Dan. 14:15. And dividing his company, he rushed upon them in the night, and defeated them: and pursued them as far as Hoba, which is on the left hand of Damascus. 14:16. And he brought back all the substance, and Lot his brother, with his substance, the women also, and the people.
Lines 1550–1561
14:17. And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of Chodorlahomor, and of the kings that were with him in the vale of Save, which is the king’s vale. 14:18. But Melchisedech, the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God, 14:19. Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth. 14:20. And blessed be the most high God, by whose protection, the enemies are in thy hands. And he gave him the tithes of all.
Lines 1563–1577
14:21. And the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the persons, and the rest take to thyself. 14:22. And he answered him: I lift up my hand to the Lord God the most high, the possessor of heaven and earth, 14:23. That from the very woof thread unto the shoe latchet, I will not take of any things that are thine, lest thou say: I have enriched Abram. 14:24. Except such things as the young men have eaten, and the shares of the men that came with me, Aner, Escol, and Mambre: these shall take their shares.