Genesis 14:15
in Genesis 14During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer’s army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 14
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd he divided himself against them - It required both considerable courage and address in Abram to lead him to attack the victorious armies of these four kings with so small a number of troops, and on this occasion both his skill and his courage are exercised. His affection for Lot appears to have been his chief motive; he cheerfully risks his life for that nephew who had lately chosen the best part of the land, and left his uncle to live as he might, on what he did not think worthy his own acceptance.
This site's exposition
his relative had been captured
on Genesis 14:14-15
The Hebrew calls Lot his brother here, where verse 12 had called him a nephew. Abram takes 318 trained men born in his household against an army that had just beaten five kings, divides his forces and attacks in the dark. The chase runs past Damascus to Hobah.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Abraham counted servants, born in his house … as far as Hobah, which is to the right of Damascus." Even the number is of vital importance. For in that number there is life, if we believe in the passion in the name of the Lord Jesus. In fact, this is the interpretation of the abovementioned name, Hobah, that is, "life." Appropriately too it is said that Hobah is located to the right of Damascus. For the sheep stand on the right, while the goats are on the left. The trained mind knows how many soldiers to choose to finish the battle, with what arms to supply them, with what banners to lead them. It does not lead its forces with images of eagles or dragons, but it marches into battle with the cross of Christ and in the name of Jesus, deriving courage from this sign, loyal to this banner. Rightly then is that mind called trained which has received the true wisdom of the just man. And justice is quick to correct, and by admonishing it calls back sinners, it stems the assaults of the passions. .
"Abraham counted 318 servants, born in his house … as far as Hobah, which is to the right of Damascus." Even the number is of vital importance. For in that number there is life, if we believe in the passion in the name of the Lord Jesus. In fact, this is the interpretation of the above-mentioned name, Hobah, that is, "life." Appropriately too it is said that Hobah is located to the right of Damascus. For the sheep stand on the right, while the goats are on the left.
The Medieval Church1 voice
And he pursued them as far as Dan, and having divided his companions, he fell upon them at night and struck them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is to the left of Damascus.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Again, It is all one with the Lord to save by many or by few, 1 Sam. xiv. He rescued his kinsman; twice here he is called his brother Lot. The remembrance of the relation that was between them, both by nature and grace, made him forget the little quarrel that had been between them, in which Lot had by no means acted well towards Abram.
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants by night,....
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּחָלֵ֨ק | vaiyechalek | and divided himself | H2505 → | 65 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֧ם׀ | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לַ֛יְלָה | laylah | night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| ה֥וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וַעֲבָדָ֖יו | vaavadav | and servants his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| וַיַּכֵּ֑ם | vaiyakem | and he attacked them | H5221 → | 499 times |
| וַֽיִּרְדְּפֵם֙ | vaiyirdefem | and he pursued them | H7291 → | 143 times |
| עַד־ | ʾad- | to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| חוֹבָ֔ה | chovah | Hobah | H2327 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| מִשְּׂמֹ֖אל | misemol | [is] from [the] north | H8040 → | 54 times |
| לְדַמָּֽשֶׂק׃ | ledamasek | of Damascus | H1834 → |
וַיֵּחָלֵ֨קand divided himself
vaiyechalekH2505 →65 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֧ם׀on them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
לַ֛יְלָהnight
laylahH3915 →233 times
ה֥וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וַעֲבָדָ֖יוand servants his
vaavadavH5650 →799 times
וַיַּכֵּ֑םand he attacked them
vaiyakemH5221 →499 times
וַֽיִּרְדְּפֵם֙and he pursued them
vaiyirdefemH7291 →143 times
עַד־to
ʾad-H5704 →1261 times
חוֹבָ֔הHobah
chovahH2327 →
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
מִשְּׂמֹ֖אל[is] from [the] north
misemolH8040 →54 times
לְדַמָּֽשֶׂק׃of Damascus
ledamasekH1834 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 112:5It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.
it leads to
- Psalms 37:21
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.
- Ephesians 5:15
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
- Proverbs 2:20
So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.
- Philippians 1:9
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
- Psalms 37:21
Through
Acts 9:2and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
it leads to
- Acts 19:9
But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- Acts 19:23
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
- Acts 24:14
I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and…
- Acts 22:4–5
I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
- Acts 19:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.