Genesis 14:17-24 Meaning: Abram's Choice
17The king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
18Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.
19He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth.
20Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
21The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.”
22Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,
23that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’
24I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.”
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
20And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
24Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the same is the King’s Vale).
18And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth:
20and blessed be God Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him a tenth of all.
21And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,
23that I will not take a thread nor a shoe-latchet nor aught that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
24save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
17And the king of Sodom goeth out to meet him (after his turning back from the smiting of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings who are with him), unto the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.
18And Melchizedek king of Salem hath brought out bread and wine, and he is priest of God Most High;
19and he blesseth him, and saith, `Blessed is Abram to God Most High, possessing heaven and earth;
20and blessed is God Most High, who hath delivered thine adversaries into thy hand;' and he giveth to him a tenth of all.
21And the king of Sodom saith unto Abram, `Give to me the persons, and the substance take to thyself,'
22and Abram saith unto the king of Sodom, `I have lifted up my hand unto Jehovah, God Most High, possessing heaven and earth--
23from a thread even unto a shoe-latchet I take not of anything which thou hast, that thou say not, I--I have made Abram rich;
24save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who have gone with me--Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre--they take their portion.'
17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after he had returned from smiting Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, into the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley.
18And Melchisedec king of Salem brought out bread and wine. And he was priest of the Most High God.
19And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heavens and earth.
20And blessed be the Most High God, who has delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him the tenth of all.
21And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the souls, and take the property for thyself.
22And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand to Jehovah, the Most High God, possessor of heavens and earth,
23if from a thread even to a sandal-thong, yes, if of all that is thine, I take [anything]...; that thou mayest not say, I have made Abram rich;
24save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men that went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, let them take their portion.
Meaning in one sentence
Abram returns from battle, meets Melchizedek and the king of Sodom.
Context
Abram has just won a stunning victory. With only 318 men, he pursued four invading kings, rescued his nephew Lot, and recovered all the goods taken from Sodom. Now he returns, and two kings come out to meet him in the King's Valley. One is Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He brings bread and wine, blesses Abram, and receives a tithe of everything. The other is the king of Sodom, likely a successor to the one who fell in battle. He offers Abram all the recovered goods in exchange for the people. The scene sets up a stark contrast between two ways of responding to God's blessing.
Key Words
Two Hebrew phrases anchor this passage. The first is El Elyon, "God Most High." Melchizedek uses this title twice, and Abram picks it up in his oath to the king of Sodom. Elyon speaks of God's absolute supremacy, there is none above Him. The second is qoneh shamayim va'aretz, translated "possessor" or "creator of heaven and earth." The verb qanah can mean to acquire, create, or possess. In context, it declares that God is not just the highest being but the actual Owner of everything that exists. Abram stakes his whole response on this truth. He gives a tenth to Melchizedek because everything already belongs to God. He refuses the king's offer because he will not let a mortal man claim credit for what God has given.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian commentators across traditions see Melchizedek as a foreshadowing of Christ. Calvin writes that Melchizedek "represented the person of Christ" as a priest-king who blesses and receives tithes. Matthew Henry notes that Abram's tithing to Melchizedek was a voluntary act of gratitude, not a commanded law. The early Jewish tradition, mentioned by Gill and Wesley, identified Melchizedek with Shem, Noah's son, keeping the true worship alive through the generations. Hebrews 7 later takes up this passage to show that Christ's priesthood is superior to the Levitical order. On the king of Sodom, most commentators agree that his offer was a test of Abram's trust in God's provision, a test Abram passed by his oath.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, you may face a choice between two kinds of reward. Someone may offer you something that looks generous but comes with strings attached, a favor that gives them a claim on your loyalty. Or you may receive an unexpected blessing that reminds you that God is the true owner of all you have. Before you say yes, ask: Does accepting this tie me to someone or something that competes with God? Abram showed that freedom comes from knowing who really owns everything. You can give thanks by giving your first portion back to God, and you can refuse anything that would put a human benefactor in God's place.
Main takeaway: Because God Most High owns heaven and earth, we can give Him our first portion and refuse any worldly allegiance that would compete with Him.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Abram beat some bad kings and got back all his nephew's things. Then two kings came to meet him. One king gave him bread and wine and blessed him. The other king wanted to give Abram lots of stuff, but Abram said no, because God gives him everything he needs.
For ages 9, 12
After Abram won the battle, he had to decide what kind of reward he would accept. Melchizedek, a priest-king, blessed Abram and offered bread and wine, pointing to God as the giver. Abram gave him a tenth of everything, showing he knew God owned it all. When the king of Sodom offered all the goods, Abram refused even a thread, because he would not let a wicked king take credit for making him rich. He trusted God alone for his wealth and reputation.
Questions People Ask
Who was Melchizedek?
Melchizedek is introduced suddenly as king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He brings bread and wine, blesses Abram, and receives a tithe. Jewish tradition sometimes identified him with Shem, Noah's son. Christians have seen him as a type of Christ, and Hebrews 7 develops this connection. His origins are mysterious, which helps him foreshadow Christ's eternal priesthood.
Why did Abram give a tenth (a tithe) to Melchizedek?
Abram gave a tenth of all the spoils he had recovered as an act of worship and gratitude to God. Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High, so giving the tithe to him was a way of acknowledging that God was the true source of the victory. This was voluntary, not commanded, and it shows Abram's faith before the Law was given.
Why did Abram refuse to take anything from the king of Sodom?
Abram swore an oath to Yahweh that he would not take even a thread or a sandal strap from the king of Sodom. He wanted to prevent the king from ever claiming, 'I made Abram rich.' Abram's trust was in God alone as the owner of heaven and earth. He would not let a wicked man take credit for God's provision.
Is the king of Sodom who met Abram the same one who died in the battle?
Genesis 14:10 says the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into the tar pits during the battle, so the king meeting Abram here is likely a successor or a different individual. Some commentators take the word 'fell' to mean they landed in the pits but escaped, but most think they died and a new king is speaking. Either way, the narrative suggests a new king.
What is the King's Valley?
The King's Valley is identified as the valley of Shaveh, near Jerusalem. The same location is mentioned in 2 Samuel 18:18 as where Absalom built his monument. Tradition places it near the Kidron Valley. It was likely a well-known meeting place and may have gotten its name from this event where two kings met Abram.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study