(1) Now, when King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim (2) made war on King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar,
ויהי בימי ה' דסמיכי. הכא ואידך ויהי בימי שפוט השופטים. ויהי בימי אחשורוש. כו' כראיתא במדרש שכולם היתה בימיהם ווי:
"And it came to pass in the days of" - this is the connecting phrase. Here and elsewhere it is used to introduce different periods of time. "And it came to pass in the days of the judges." "And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus," etc. This expression is used in the Midrash to indicate that all of these periods were times of distress.
Composed: Toledo, Spain (c.1280 – c.1340 CE)
14.1-24: Abram's heroic campaign. 1-9: Both in content and in style, ch 14 is very different from the rest of the story of Abram/ Abraham. Its depiction of him as a warrior is unusual. Vv. 1--9 read like an excerpt from a battle report in an ancient Near Eastern royal inscription. Whether or not this indicates a historical basis for the campaigns reported here has been a matter of debate. Although most of the nations mentioned can be identified, confirmation of the individuals involved has not been forthcoming. Note that the names of the four Canaanite kings are arranged in two sets of alliterating pairs, Bera-Birsha, Shinab Shemeber (v. 2), and that at least the names of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah seem to be symbolic (Sera = "in evil," Birsha = "in wickedness").
(13) A fugitive brought the news to Abram the Hebrew, who was dwelling at the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, kinsman of Eshkol and Aner, these being Abram’s allies. (14) When Abram heard that his kinsman’s [household] had been taken captive, he mustered his retainers, born into his household, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
[ג] ד"א אחר הדברים האלה, מה כתיב למעלה מן הענין וישמע אברהם [כי נשבה אחיו] (בראשית יד יד), וכי אחיו היה לוט, אלא שבחו של אברהם, אחר כל אותה המריבה שעשו, שנאמר ויהי ריב וגו' (שם יג ז), ולא נזכר אברהם ואח"כ קוראו אחי, שנאמר כי אנשים אחים אנחנו (שם שם ח). וירק את חניכיו (שם יד יד).
[3] Alternative interpretation: "After these events, what is written above the matter? 'And Abraham heard that his brother was taken captive'." (Genesis 14:14). And although his brother was Lot, after all the strife that they had, as it says "And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle" (Genesis 13:7), Abram still referred to Lot as his brother, as it says "For we are brothers" (Genesis 13:8). "And he armed his trained servants" (Genesis 14:14). From here we learn that Abram took silver, gold, and jewelry and adorned them, and said to them, "We are going to war to save Lot. Do not focus on wealth. If you are going for the sake of silver and gold, there is plenty before you." As it says, "And he armed his trained servants."
Abram's magnanimity notwithstanding, the text gives us no indication that the two men reconcile. Lot simply sees what he wants and journeys toward it (Gen 13:11). The Torah deftly uses geography to dramatize the contrast between Abram and Lot: As the chapter draws to an end, "Abram [is] on the heights, Lot down on the sunken plain."