Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/139

.

Abraham and Lot

121

shall hear frequently of God's covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and with all Israel. V. 14. His trained men, i. e. his herdsmen and other servants, who were of course also warriors. This number, three hundred and Imagine eighteen, shows how wealthy and powerful Ab.raham was.

a

man having V.

15.

A

that

many

servants today.

surprise attack at night

is

the usual

method of nomad

warfare in the desert. With this may be compared Gideon's victory A hint of over the Alidianites and David's over the Amalekites. these stories to come later, may be thrown out to the children.

"On

the

directions

left

Hence

the rising sun. "east",

hand",

i.

e.

north.

were reckoned according

ahar,

in

Hebrew kedem,

"behind",

literally

Among

the

literally "in

means "west",

sniol,

man

facing

front",

means means

a

"left",

"north" and yamin, "right", means "south". V. 16. For the use of the term "brother" here and cf.

the note to

VV.

XXIX.

Semites

ancient

to the position of

in

XIII,

8,

15.

18-20 in the Bible, giving the incident of Melchizedek, are an

interpolation into the

main

story, difficult to understand,

only to confuse the real narrative.

Salem

is

and serving

generally thought to

mean Jerusalem. V. 22. Oaths were usually confirmed by raising either the right cf hand or both hands on high, as if calling God to witness Deuteronomy XXXII, 40; Isaiah LXII, 8; Daniel XII, 7. V. 24. "Their portion", according to common custom the booty This makes Abraham's really belonged to those who had captured it. magnanimity all the clearer, since it shows that he refused to accept he was by custom fully entitled. that, to which