Jan 13 2006

Genesis 14:13-17

Published by Hardy at 7:35 am under Genesis

 וַיָּבֹא֙ הַפָּלִ֔יט וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאַבְרָ֣ם הָעִבְרִ֑י וְהוּא֩ שֹׁכֵ֨ן בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֜י מַמְרֵ֣א הָאֱמֹרִ֗י אֲחִ֤י אֶשְׁכֹּל֙ וַאֲחִ֣י עָנֵ֔ר וְהֵ֖ם בַּעֲלֵ֥י בְרִית־אַבְרָֽם׃ 14 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִשְׁבָּ֖ה אָחִ֑יו וַיָּ֨רֶק אֶת־חֲנִיכָ֜יו יְלִידֵ֣י בֵית֗וֹ שְׁמֹנָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וַיִּרְדֹּ֖ף עַד־דָּֽן׃ 15 וַיֵּחָלֵ֨ק עֲלֵיהֶ֧ם ׀ לַ֛יְלָה ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָ֖יו וַיַּכֵּ֑ם וַֽיִּרְדְּפֵם֙ עַד־חוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִשְּׂמֹ֖אל לְדַמָּֽשֶׂק׃ 16 וַיָּ֕שֶׁב אֵ֖ת כָּל־הָרְכֻ֑שׁ וְגַם֩ אֶת־ל֨וֹט אָחִ֤יו וּרְכֻשׁוֹ֙ הֵשִׁ֔יב וְגַ֥ם אֶת־הַנָּשִׁ֖ים וְאֶת־הָעָֽם׃ 17 וַיֵּצֵ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹם֮ לִקְרָאתוֹ֒ אַחֲרֵ֣י שׁוּב֗וֹ מֵֽהַכּוֹת֙ אֶת־כְּדָר־לָעֹ֔מֶר וְאֶת־הַמְּלָכִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ אֶל־עֵ֣מֶק שָׁוֵ֔ה ה֖וּא עֵ֥מֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

 

Vocabulary

Verse 13

פליט  noun: “fugitive” (BDB, 812)

אלון  noun: “tree, terebinth” (BDB, 18)

ממרא  name: “Mamre”

אשׁכל  name: “Eshcol”

ענר  name: “Aner”

  

Syntax & Miscellaneous

  • The word, הָעִבְרִ֑י, is in apposition to the proper name “Abram.”  Notice the use of the gentilic suffix.  Also, this marks the first occurrence of the word Hebrew in the MT.
  • The beth preposition is functioning as a locative (i.e. “at,” “by”).
  • See this page for a description and some good pictures of the terebinth tree mentioned in this verse.
  • The final clause is a verbless clause with the typology S—PN.
  • The idiom, בַּעֲלֵ֥י בְרִית־אַבְרָֽם (lit. “owners of a covenant with Abram”), means “to have an alliance with” or “to be allied to.”

 

Verse 14

שׁבה  verb (Niphal): “be taken captive” (BDB, 985)

ריק  verb (Hiphil): “lead forth” (BDB, 937)

חניך  “trained, experienced” (BDB, 335)

יליך  “born” (BDB, 409)

דן  name: “Dan”

Verse 15

חלק  verb: “divided”

חובה  name: “Hobah”

שמאל  “left, left of”

דמשק  name: “Damascus”

Verse 16

רכושׁ  “property” (BDB, 940)

Verse 17

אמק  noun: “valley”

שׁוה  name: “Shaveh”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 14

  • The term, אח, can mean more than a brother.  It can also refer to a step-brother or even a close relative.
  • The preposition, עד, is used to designate progress or duration as in “until, unto.”

Verse 15

  • The phrase, ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָ֖יו, is left fronted.
  • The word, לַ֛יְלָה, is functioning as an adverb, “by night” or “at night”
  • The basic orientation of the Ancient Near East was eastward, the direction from which the sun rose.  The temples were pointed in this direction (i.e. the front gates opened east).  If you are facing east and something is “left,” then it is to the north.  Likewise, “right” would be south, and “behind” west.

Verse 17

  • The entire phrase, אַחֲרֵ֣י שׁוּב֗וֹ מֵֽהַכּוֹת֙ אֶת־כְּדָר־לָעֹ֔מֶר וְאֶת־הַמְּלָכִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ, is a temporal prepositional phrase.

 

Comments are closed at this time.

Trackback URI |