xiii :18).
(6) Rescues Lot. It appears that fourteen years before this time the south and cast of Palestine had been invaded by a king called Chedorlaomer, from beyond the Euphrates, who brought several of the small disunited states of those quarters un der tribute (Gen. xiv :1-5). (See CHEDORLAONIER. ) Among them were the five cities of the Plain of Sodom, to which Lot had withdrawn. This bur den was borne impatiently by these states, and they at length withheld their tribute. This brought upon them a ravaging visitation from Chedorla omer, and four other (perhaps tributary) kings who scoured the whole country east of the Jordan, and ended by defeating the kings of the plain, plundering their towns, and carrying the people away as slaves. Lot was among the sufferers (Gen. xiv :8-r2). When this came to the ears of Abraham, he immediately armed such of his slaves as were fit for war, in number 318. and being joined by the friendly Amoritish chiefs, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, pursued the retiring invad crs. They were overtaken near the springs of the Jordan; and their camp being attacked on oppo site sides by night, they were thrown into dis order, and fled (Gen. xiv:13, t4). Abraham and his men pursued them as far as the neighborhood of Damascus, and then returned with all the men and goods which had been taken away. Although Abraham had no doubt been chiefly induced to undertake this exploit by his regard for Lot, it involved so large a benefit, that, as the act of a so journer,it must have tended greatly to enhance the character and power of the patriarch in the view of the inhabitants at large. In fact, we afterwards find him treated by them with respect (Gen. xiv:15-t7). (See page 47o.) (7) Meets Melchizedek. When they had arrived as far as Salem on their return, the king of that place, Melchizedek, who was one of the few native princes, if not the only one, who retained the knowledge and worship of 'the Most High God.' whom Abraham served, came forth to meet them with refresh ments, in acknowledgment for which, and in recognition of his character, Abraham presented him with a tenth of the spoils (Gen. xiv:18-2o). (See MELcoizznex.) By strict right, founded on
the war usages which still subsist in Arabia (Burckhardt's Notes, p. 97), the recovered goods became the property of .thraham, and not of those to whom they originally belonged This was ac knowledged by the king of Sodom. who met the victors in the valley near Salem. He said, 'Give me the persons, and keep the goods to thyself' (Gen. xiv :21). P.m with becoming pride, and with a disinterestedness which in that country would now be most unusual in similar circum stances, he answered, 'I have lifted up mine hand (i. e., I have sworn) unto Jehovah. the most high God, that I will not take from a thread even to a sandal-thong, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldesi say, / have made Abram rich' (Gen. xiv:22-24)• 3. Second Period—The Promise of a Lineal Heir.
(1) Vision of Abraham. Soon after his return to Mamrc the faith of Abraham was rewarded and encouraged not only by a more distinct and detailed repetition of the promises erly made to him, but by the confirmation of a solemn covenant contracted, as nearly as might be, 'after the manner of mcn' (see COVENANT) be him and God (Gen. xv:t-ti). It was now that he first understood that his promised posterity were to grow up into a nation under foreign bond age; and that, in four hundred years after (or, strictly, four hundred and five years, counting from the birth of Isaac to the Exodc), • they should conic forth from that bondage as a nation to take possession of the land in which he so journed (Gen. xv:I2-21).
(2) Birth of Ishmael. After ten years' resi dence in Canaan, Sarai, being then 75 years old, and having long been accounted barren, chose to put her own interpretation upon the promised blessing of a progeny to Abraham, and persuaded hint to take her woman slave Hagar, an Egyptian, as a secondary or concubine wife, with the view that whatever child might proceed from this union should be accounted her own (sec IlAcnx), (Gen. xvi:a). The son who was born to Abraham by Hagar and , who received the name of Ishmael (see unit.) was considered the heir of his father and of the promises (Gen. xvi).