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 וּמַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃ 19 וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃ 20 וּבָרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר־מִגֵּן צָרֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל׃ 21 וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־סְדֹם אֶל־אַבְרָם תֶּן־לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻשׁ קַח־לָךְ׃ 22 וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל־מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם הֲרִימֹתִי יָדִי אֶל־יְהוָה אֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃ 23 אִם־מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ־נַעַל וְאִם־אֶקַּח מִכָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָךְ וְלֹא תֹאמַר אֲנִי הֶעֱשַׁרְתִּי אֶת־אַבְרָם׃ 24 בִּלְעָדַי רַק אֲשֶׁר אָכְלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וְחֵלֶק הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אִתִּי עָנֵר אֶשְׁכֹּל וּמַמְרֵא הֵם יִקְחוּ חֶלְקָם׃ ס  

Vocabulary

Verse 18

            מלכי־צדק  name: “Melchizedek”

Syntax & Miscellaneous

•  The phrase, מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם, is in apposition to the proper name, Melchizedek.

Vocabulary

Verse 19

            קנה  verb: “acquire, create” (BDB, 888)

Verse 20

            מגן  verb: “deliver” (BDB, 171)

            צר  “adversary, foe”

            מעשר  noun: “tithe, a tenth part” (BDB, 78)

Verse 21

            רכושׁ  “property” (BDB, 940)

Verse 22

            קנה  verb: “acquire, create” (BDB, 888)

Verse 23

            חוט  “thread, cord” (BDB, 296)

            שרוך  “thong” (BDB, 976)

נעל  “sandal” (BDB, 653)

עשׁר  verb (Hiphil): “make rich” (BDB, 799)

Verse 24

            בלעד  idiom (with 1cs suffix): “not at all” (BDB, 116)

            חלק  “portion, booty”

            עָנֵר  name: “Aner”

 אֶשְׁכֹּל name: “Eschol”

 וּמַמְרֵא name: “Mamre”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 19

• The participle, קֹנֵה, is substantive and is in apposition to the previous phrase.
• The figure of speech, שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, is a merismatic of every created thing (i.e. the entire universe).

Verse 20

• This verse is the first time that the word tithe is used in the MT.  It is not found again until Leviticus 27 with the giving of the Torah.

Verse 21

• The verbal forms of תֶּן and קַח are imperatives.  The verb, לקח, acts like a first yod ( י-פ) verb.
• The quotation, תֶּן־לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻשׁ קַח־לָךְ, is a chiasm of the form: A-B-B’-A’.

Verse 22

• The idiom, הֲרִימֹתִי יָדִי אֶל־יְהוָה, means to take an oath by lifting up one’s hand.

Verse 23

• The verb from the second clause, אֶקַּח, is gapped in the first clause,אִם־מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ־נַעַל.

Verse 24

• The first word, בִּלְעָדַי, is a verbless clause, “I will take nothing at all.”
• After a negative, רק means “except” or “save.”
• The names of Abraham’s comrades, עָנֵר אֶשְׁכֹּל וּמַמְרֵא, are fronted in the last clause.  Notice also the sequence of three names with only the last with the conjunctive.

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