The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 281

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 18--20.-.A Icing-priest. "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed Abraham," &c. \Vhen the king of Sodom was beaten in a. war with Chedorlaomer, Lot was involved in the overthrow. Chedorla.orner was a warrior of great power, and his very name was terrible. Five confederate kings had in vain resisted him "·ith his three auxiliaries. He whom kings could not oppose the simple patriarch Abraham, with armed herdsmen, will attack and conquer. His kinsman Lot is in cnptinty; Abraham will deliver him or die in the attempt. How nobly shines the character of Abraham in this determination. Lot had separated from him through a misunderstanding, and had chosen the most fertile district, and left .Abraham· the least promising, yet Abraham forgets a.II, when his relative is in danger. .At great risk he undertakes his deliverance. He armed his " trained servants," pursues the enemy, comes upon them "by night," divides bis small band into three companies, :md makes ·an assault at once on the right, the Cl'ntre, and flank of the enemy. He routs and pursues them, smiting many and taking much spoil. •He accomplishes above all his one desire, the restoration of Lot to liberty. As Abraham returns, ll ushed with conquest, he is met at the gates of Salem hy Melcihizedek, bringing to him bread, wine, and the Divine benediction. ' I. THE DE~IGNATION AND CHARACTER OF MELCHIZEDEK, lid is king and prie~t. His name means, krug of righteousness. He dwells in Salem, the placo of peace. He did not go out to war, and had no pnrt in the quarrel between Chedorlaomer and the lil:ing of Sodom. lie had lost no relatives, and had no reason for fighting. Had cunning foes attacked his city of peace, he would doubtless have driven them off if possible. A kin~ of righteousness, he would not think it his duty to submit to unrio-hteousness. 0 He was, however, left unattncked by the fierce Chedorlaomer, and took care to provoke no quarrel. Perhaps he was not assailed because universally respected as a man of peace and a priest of God. 'J.i1is reason may have availed in that early age, and in respect to the first war of which we have any account, btlt it is not certain that it would be accounted a sufficient reason now. Various have heen the speculations as to who Melchizedek was. Some believed that he waa Enoeh come back to earlh, or Job, the tried one; others, that he was Shem, the best son of Noah. This is possible, as, according to calculations made, Shem 1111rvived Abrahum forty years; but it is improbahle, hccauBe l\toRes wonld have ~poken of on. xtl". 17-24.J '!'HE BOOK OF llENESlfl. 213