Go Part 4 (Gen 14:1-14)

Abram Rescues Lot

1 In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

Amraphel—He is identical with Nimrod who said (אָמַר) to Abraham, “Plunge (פּוֹל) into the fiery furnace” (Eruvin 53a).

King of Goiim (nations)—There was a place that was called Goiim because people from many nations and localities gathered there and proclaimed as their king a man named Tidal (Bereishit Rabbah 42:4).

Eruvin 53a:7

They disagreed about this verse as well: “In the days of Amraphel” (Gen 14:1). Rav and Shmuel both identified Amraphel with Nimrod. However, one said: Nimrod was his name. And why was his name called Amraphel? It is a contraction of two Hebrew words: As he said [amar] the command and cast [hippil] our father Abraham into the fiery furnace, when Abraham rebelled against and challenged his proclaimed divinity. And one said: Amraphel was his name. And why was his name called Nimrod? Because he caused the entire world to rebel [himrid] against God during his reign.

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Megillah 10b:6

“And as people migrated from the east” (Gen 11:2) is followed by: “Come, let us build ourselves a city” (Gen 11:4), which led to the sin of the tower of Babel. The Gemara cites further examples: “In the days of Amraphel” (Gen 14:1), about whom it is stated: “these kings made war” (Gen 14:2). Another verse states: “When Joshua was by Jericho” (Jos 5:13), it was there that he saw an angel “with his drawn sword in his hand” as a warning. It is written: “And the Lord was with Joshua” (Jos 6:27), and immediately afterward: “But the people of Israel broke faith” (Jos 7:1). It states: “And it came to pass that there was a certain man of Ramathaim” (1Sa 1:1), and it mentions shortly afterward Hannah’s inability to conceive: “Because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb” (1Sa 1:5).

10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

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22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. GEN 10:10, 22

And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. GEN 11:2

12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.

Who was dwelling in Sodom—What made this happen to him? The fact that he was dwelling in Sodom (Bereishit Rabbah 42:7).

Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. GEN 11:27

And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, GEN 12:5

12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

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13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. GEN 13:12-13

And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.” NUM 16:26

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 1TI 6:9-11

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. REV 3:19

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out of her, my people,

lest you take part in her sins,

lest you share in her plagues;” REV 18:4

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14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

Nedarim 32a:14

Rabbi Abbahu said that Rabbi Elazar said: For what reason was Abraham our Patriarch punished and his children enslaved to Egypt for 210 years? Because he made a draft of law scholars, as it is stated: “He led forth his trained men, born in his house” (Gen 14:14). These trained men that he took to war were actually his disciples, who were law scholars.

Nedarim 32a:16

The Gemara returns to discuss one of the verses cited previously: “He led forth his trained men, born in his house” (Gen 14:14). Rav said: He showered them with the law like someone who pours from one vessel into another, and Shmuel said: He showered them with gold and gave them an abundance of money so that they would go to war with him.

Nedarim 32a:17

The law states that he took “eighteen and three hundred” (Gen 14:14) men to war. Rabbi Ami bar Abba said: Eliezer was equivalent to all of them. There are those who say: Only Eliezer is referred to here, as the numerical value of the letters of his name is this amount, i.e., 318.