Abram’s refusal of Sodom’s goods
The king of Sodom says, “give me the persons, and the goods take for yourself” (BSB “Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself”). Abram answers, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, El Elyon, qoneh of heaven and earth,” that he will not take “from a thread to a sandal strap,” lest the king say, “I made Abram rich,” save what the young men have eaten and the share of Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. In the Hebrew text Abram takes up Melchizedek’s title and names the Lord as El Elyon. The Greek has no word for the name; the Samaritan text in von Gall, p. 22 (leaf n539), has “אל האלהים אל עליון” in its place. Those are box lines; the Masoretic text is the base. Driver allows that the name may come from “a later glossator”; that view is his, and it does not overturn Abram’s identification in the Hebrew text. Abram refuses Sodom’s goods. See Abram’s oath: not a thread or a sandal strap and Melchizedek, the blessing, and the tenth, in early reading.
Claims
- SaysThe king of Sodom asks for the persons and offers Abram the goods; Abram swears he has raised his hand to the Lord, El Elyon, and will not take a thread or a sandal strap, save what the young men have eaten and the share of his allies.
- ImpliesIn the Hebrew text Abram takes up Melchizedek’s title and names the Lord as El Elyon; he refuses Sodom’s goods.
- UncertainThe Greek has no word for the name, and the Samaritan text has “God” in its place; those are box lines; Driver’s later-glossator view is attributed, and it does not overturn Abram’s identification in the Hebrew text.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 14:21–24
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 14:21–24 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 14:1–24, vol. 1, pp. 21–23 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaves n52–n54), as recorded in the Greek language notes of this chapter
- von Gall, Sam. Pent. public domain p. 22 (leaf n539)
- Driver, Genesis (Westminster) public domain p. 166 (leaf n267)
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-12
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