1- And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations:
2- That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
All of these names are also written of in the Assyrian Tablets, which are in complete agreement with Genesis.
The name Amaraphel means the keeper of the gods. Shinar remember is Babylon.
Ariach means vulnerable.
Chedorlaomer means servant of Gomer.
Elam means eternity.
Bera means son of evil.
3- All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.
4- Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
The twelve years are prior to this time.
5- And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Raphaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzimsin Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim.
The Rephaim are a branch of the Nephiim. They are named after Rapha, like the Anakim is named after Anak.
6- And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness.
7- And they returned, and came to En-mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazezon-tamar.
8- And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
9- With Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and with Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings with five.
The number nine is judgment.
10- And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
11- And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12- And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13- and there came one that had 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.
Hebrew is from eber and abar = one who passed over from beyond the Euphrates, or one who crossed the river is all Hebrew means.
14- And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
318 is a multiple of 6, the number of man.
Dan was a city in Palestine.
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.
16-And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17- And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
(18- And Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the MOST HIGH GOD.
19- And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of the MOST HIGH GOD, possessor of heaven and earth:
20- And blessed be the MOST HIGH GOD, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.” And he gave him tithes of all.)
There is much debate as to the identity of Melchizedek. His name means king of righteousness or king of the just. By tithing a tenth to him, Abram is acknowledging that Melchizedek is higher spiritually than himself.
Some argue that Melchizedek was actually Christ, others say he was a type of Christ.
Hebrews 6:20 says Jesus was from the order of Melchizedek, which would indicate a line of succession, however, no line is ever mentioned so the order could consist of Christ only.
Hebrews 7:3 goes on to say that Melchizedek was, “without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.” This does sound a lot like Christ. How can a man be without mother or father, or be a priest forever without being divine?
In John 8:58 Jesus says, ” Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” He was responding to the Jews who said in the previous verse 8:57, ” Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham?’ This also seems to make the case for Jesus being Melchizedek.
Also, Melchizedek give Abram bread and wine, the holy sacraments of communion, the body and blood of Christ.
21- And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, “Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.”
22- And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lift up my hand unto the LORD, the MOST HIGH GOD, the possessor of heaven and earth.
Lift up my hand means to swear.
23- That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, ‘ I have made Abram rich:’
24- Save that only 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.”
Abram renounced all the booty.