And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which [is] on the left hand of Damascus.
15. divided himself against them by night ] Abram divides his forces into three bands, and from three different quarters delivers a simultaneous night attack. The same manoeuvre was adopted by Gideon (Jdg 7:20-22), when a small force similarly routed a large army. Cf. 1Sa 11:11. The surprise was complete. Chedorlaomer’s panic-stricken troops are chased for over 100 miles, and all the prisoners and booty recovered.
There is no mention of Abram’s confederates (see Gen 14:13 ; Gen 14:24). The credit of the victories lies with Abram and his household force.
unto Hobah ] Probably a place about 50 miles north of Damascus. Skinner rightly points out that “it is idle to pretend that Abram’s victory was merely a surprise attack on the rearguard, and the recovery of part of the booty. A pursuit carried so far implies the rout of the main body of the enemy” (p. 267).
which is on the left hand of Damascus ] For “left hand,” R.V. marg. has north. An Israelite always spoke as if he were facing eastward; and the north is, therefore, on his left hand; cf. Gen 2:24.
Damascus, the capital of Syria (Heb. Dammse = Assyr. Dimashi, = Dimashk esh-Shm, i.e. “Damascus of Syria”), a famous city, mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions as early as the 16th century. On the fable of Abram’s capture of it, see note on Gen 12:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 15. And he divided himself against them] It required both considerable courage and address in Abram to lead him to attack the victorious armies of these four kings with so small a number of troops, and on this occasion both his skill and his courage are exercised. His affection for Lot appears to have been his chief motive; he cheerfully risks his life for that nephew who had lately chosen the best part of the land, and left his uncle to live as he might, on what he did not think worthy his own acceptance. But it is the property of a great and generous mind, not only to forgive, but to forget offences; and at all times to repay evil with good.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He divided himself, i.e. his forces into several parties, that coming upon them from several quarters he might strike them with greater terror, whilst they thought his army far more numerous than it was.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15, 16. he divided himself . . . bynightThis war between the petty princes of ancient Canaan isexactly the same as the frays and skirmishes between Arab chiefs inthe present day. When a defeated party resolves to pursue the enemy,they wait till they are fast asleep; then, as they have no idea ofposting sentinels, they rush upon them from different directions,strike down the tent polesif there is any fight at all, it is thefray of a tumultuous moba panic commonly ensues, and the wholecontest is ended with little or no loss on either side.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants by night,…. Together with his confederates; and very probably their whole three was divided into four parts, under their four leaders; and this might be done in order to attack the four kings and their soldiers, who might be in four separate bodies; or to fall upon their camp in the four quarters of it, and to make a show of a greater army, thereby to intimidate the enemy: Abram seems to have understood the art of war, and the use of stratagems in it; and, as it might be night before he could come up to them, he took the advantage of that, and fell upon them unawares, when some were asleep in their beds, and others drunk, as Josephus g relates; and who also says, it was on the fifth night after Abram had knowledge of what had happened at Sodom:
and smote them, and pursued them unto Hoba, which [is] on the left hand of Damascus; a famous city in Syria; it was in later times the metropolis of that country, Isa 7:8; and was most delightfully situated in a vale, [See comments on Jer 49:25]; according to Josephus h it was built by Uz, the son of Aram and grandson of Shem, and some say i by Shem himself, and that it is to this day called Sem in the Saracene language, and lay between Palestine and Coelesyria; on the left hand of this city, or on the north of it, as all the Targums paraphrase it, lay a place called Hoba, and is completed to be eighty miles from Dan, from whence he pursued them hither, after he had discomfited them there.
g Antiqu. l. 1. c. 10. sect. 1. h lbid. c. 6. sect. 4. i Baumgarten. Peregrinatio, l. 3. c. 4. p. 111.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
15. And he divided himself against them. Some explain the words to mean that Abram alone, with his domestic troops, rushed upon the enemy. Others, that he and his three confederates divided their bands, in order to strike greater terror into the foe. A third class suppose the phrase to be a Hebraism, for making an irruption into the midst of the enemy. I rather embrace the second exposition; namely, that he invaded the enemy on different sides, and suddenly inspired them with terror. For the circumstance of time favors this view, because he attacked them by night. And although examples of similar bravery occur in profane history; yet it ought to be ascribed to the faith of Abram, that with a small band, he dared to assail a numerous army elated with victory. But that he came off conqueror with little trouble, and with intrepidity pursued those who far exceeded him in number, we must ascribe to the favor of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(15) Hobah . . . on the left hand of Damascus.That is, to the north, as the Hebrews looked eastward in defining the quarters of the heaven. The victory had thus been followed up with great energy, the pursuit having lasted, according to Josephus, the whole of the next day and night after that on which the attack was made. At Hobah the mountains cease, and the great plain of Damascus begins, and further pursuit was therefore useless.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. Divided himself against them Abram was the leader and commander in the war, and the forces of his confederates, as well as his own servants, were at his disposal . This dividing up into several squads and attacking the enemy from different quarters, and by night, explains how Abram’s company might, without any miraculous help from God, put to flight the combined armies of four Asiatic kings . Compare the similar strategy of Gideon . Jdg 7:15-23.
Hobah Perhaps at the modern Burzeh, three miles north of Damascus, where there is a tomb called the “praying place of Abraham,” and marking, according to local tradition, the place where Abram gave thanks to God after this victory over the kings. It was on the left hand of Damascus, that is, to one facing the east.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 14:15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which [is] on the left hand of Damascus.
Ver. 15. Smote them, and pursued them. ] Abram came upon them as they were, – secure, sleepy, and drunken, as Josephus writeth. So did David upon the Amalekites, 1Sa 30:16 and Ahab the Syrians. 1Ki 20:16 The division of his company, and taking benefit of the night, teacheth the use of godly policies and stratagems.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he and his servants. Note the emphasis on “he”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And he: Psa 112:5
smote: Isa 41:2, Isa 41:3
Damascus: Deu 15:2, 1Ki 15:18, Act 9:2
Reciprocal: 1Ki 11:24 – to Damascus 1Ki 19:15 – wilderness of Damascus 2Ki 8:7 – Damascus Isa 17:1 – Damascus Jer 49:23 – Damascus Eze 47:16 – Damascus Zec 9:1 – Damascus Act 22:6 – Damascus