(כב) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַבְרָ֖ם אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ סְדֹ֑ם הֲרִמֹ֨תִי יָדִ֤י אֶל־יהוה אֵ֣ל עֶלְי֔וֹן קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃
(22) But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I swear to יהוה, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth:
וטעם אל עליון. כי הנה נשבעתי בשם שברכני זה הכהן:
[GOD MOST HIGH.] For behold, I have used the same name for God in my oath as this priest (Melchizedek) when he blessed me.
To the אל עליון of Melchizedek Abraham adds the name יהוה, the most characteristic name of God which places the אל עליון קונה שמים וארץ in special relationship to mankind. Abraham's victory only convinced Melchizedek that the "highest God" also was in relationship to mankind's efforts and mankind's doings. But Abraham expresses his conviction of a much higher degree of God's relationship to man. The אל עליון of Melchizedek differed from the other Gods only in degree, only quantitatively. He was the highest power in the sphere of powers. Outside the Jewish teaching of God...the conception of the greatness of God, was, and is, only the idea of a highest power, which in its relation to the cosmos, to the universe in general, is in no closer relationship to mankind than to the other created things. The highest God of heathenism was a God of nature, history was, above all, a product of man. The God of Abraham, was not only the God of nature but, above all, was the God of history...This name Abraham puts first "the God whom your priest just mentioned is a God in whose service consciously or unconsciously you and I, all of us stand, and He is the God who sends me."
(כג) אִם־מִחוּט֙ וְעַ֣ד שְׂרֽוֹךְ־נַ֔עַל וְאִם־אֶקַּ֖ח מִכׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָ֑ךְ וְלֹ֣א תֹאמַ֔ר אֲנִ֖י הֶעֱשַׁ֥רְתִּי אֶת־אַבְרָֽם׃
(23) I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich.’
ואם אקח מכל אשר לך. כשיצאתי מבית אבי הקב״ה הבטיחני לעשרני מוטב שלא אקח מכל אשר לך, וכשאעשיר אתלה העושר במי שהעושר והכבוד שלו.
ואם אקח מכל אשר לך, “neither will I keep anything which (once) belonged to you.” Avram, in order not to offend,explained to the King of Sodom that when he left his father’s home G-d had assured him that He would make him wealthy. It is therefore no more than good manners for me to decline anything which would appear as if G-d’s promise had not been sufficient for me. When he would become wealthy, he wished to give the credit for this to G-d.
(יב) וַיִּקְח֨וּ אֶת־ל֧וֹט וְאֶת־רְכֻשׁ֛וֹ בֶּן־אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָ֖ם וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב בִּסְדֹֽם׃
(12) They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, and his possessions, and departed; for he had settled in Sodom.
ויקחו את לוט בן אחי אברם. התאמצו לשבות את לוט מפני שהיה בן אחי אברם שידעו עשרו והיו מצפים שיפדהו אברם בהון רב:
ויקחו את לוט בן אחי אברם, they made a special effort to capture Lot because he was Avram’s nephew. They were aware of his wealth. They were expecting that Avram would pay a heavy ransom for the release of his nephew.