Genesis 14:14
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And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
We have four things in the story of this chapter. I. A war with the king of Sodom and his allies (Gen 14:1-11). II. The captivity of Lot in that war (Gen 14:12). III. Abram's rescue of Lot from that captivity, with the victory he obtained over the conquerors (Gen 14:13-16). IV. Abram's return from the expedition (Gen 14:17), with an account of what passed, 1. Between him and the king of Salem (Gen 14:18-20). 2. Between him and the king of Sodom (Gen 14:21-24). So that here we have that promise to Abram in part fulfilled, that God would make his name great.
Open source ↗14:14-16 God could give his people victory over any forces invading the Promised Land. Faithfulness to God was the prerequisite for victory. God promises to bless his people and give them victory over the world. He uses those who respond to his call and can skillfully use weapons of war (cp. Eph 4:8; 6:10-19). 14:14 Abram . . . mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household: Abram was a formidable force, an outworking of God’s promise to make him great (12:2-3). • Dan was a city about 150 miles north of Abram’s home in Hebron, then named Laish or Leshem (see Josh 19:47 and study note; Judg 18:29). Dan, whose descendants migrated north in the days of the judges (Judg 18:1-29), had not yet been born (Gen 30:6). An editor apparently updated the text so that later readers could identify this city.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me,
And all the men of Abraham’s household—both servants born in his household and those purchased from foreigners—were circumcised with him.
Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho. And the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead as far as Dan,
Generation after generation, every male must be circumcised when he is eight days old, including those born in your household and those purchased from a foreigner—even those who are not your offspring.
And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
“Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no contention between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen. After all, we are brothers.
He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels.