Genesis Deeper ㊻ He Brought Back Everything · Why Did Abram Go to Rescue Lot, Who Had Left First? (Genesis 14:12~16)
This series takes one Bible passage at a time and looks at it a little more closely. The images are free to use in worship, in class, and on social media.
They took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew. At that time, he lived by the oaks of Mamre, the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and they were allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued as far as Dan. He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the other people.
Genesis 14:12~16 (World English Bible)
1. Lot in Sodom, Abram at Mamre
In the last story, Lot and Abram went their separate ways. Lot chose the well-watered plain of the Jordan ‘for himself’ and traveled east. He moved his tent as far as a city called Sodom (13:11~12). Abram stayed in the land of Canaan. He moved his tent to the oaks of Mamre at Hebron and built an altar there to Yahweh (13:18).
Chapter 14 begins with a war that came after that. Four kings from lands far to the east joined together on one side. Five kings of the cities of the Jordan plain, including Sodom and Gomorrah, stood on the other side. The five kings had served the four kings for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. So in the following year, the four kings came to attack (14:1~9). The battle ended in defeat for the five kings. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into pits in the valley. The four kings carried off all the goods and food of Sodom and Gomorrah (14:10~11).
Today’s passage is the very next line. “They took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed” (14:12). In the city Lot had chosen to enter, he was carried away along with his goods.
A man who escaped from the battle brought the news to Abram. Here the passage calls him ‘Abram, the Hebrew’ (14:13). At that time Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre. Mamre was also the name of a man from the Amorites, a people who lived in that land. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner had made an agreement with Abram.
Abram set out as soon as he heard the news. He led out three hundred and eighteen men who had been born and raised in his household, and he pursued as far as ‘Dan’ (14:14). Dan lies at the northern end of the land of Canaan. Even in a straight line, it is close to two hundred kilometers (about 120 miles) from Hebron, where Abram lived. Abram divided his men and attacked at night, and he chased the enemy beyond Damascus (today the capital of Syria) as far as Hobah (14:15). Then he brought back everything that had been taken (14:16).
2. Wasn’t This the Road Lot Chose?
Things like this happen around us too. Someone close to us picks what looks better for themselves and leaves first. Some time later, we hear that they have run into serious trouble on that road. At moments like that, words like these come easily to mind: ‘Well, that was the road they chose.’
Lot’s case looks exactly like that. Abram told Lot to choose first, and Lot chose for himself the land that looked good. Then he went to live in Sodom, a city whose people the passage describes as “…exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh” (13:13). The place where Lot was captured was not Abram’s land. It was the land Lot had chosen himself.
On top of that, giving chase was dangerous. The enemy was the army of four kings who had just defeated five kings. What Abram had was three hundred and eighteen men from his household. So anyone reading this passage ends up asking: why did Abram risk his life to rescue Lot, who had left first? And what does the passage say about the road Lot chose?
3. A Little Deeper · The Passage Gives Only One Reason
Here is the answer first. The passage gives only one reason for what Abram did: the news that ‘his brother had been taken captive.’ There is not a single word questioning the road Lot chose. As soon as Abram heard, he set out in pursuit, and he brought back everything, Lot and even Lot’s goods. The one who had been left behind went and brought back the one who had left first.
First, look at what the passage calls Lot. The Old Testament was first written in Hebrew. In verse 12 the Hebrew text calls Lot ‘the son of Abram’s brother,’ that is, his nephew. In verse 14 it calls him ‘his brother.’ “When Abram heard that his relative was taken captive…” reads, word for word, ‘When Abram heard that his brother was taken captive.’ In verse 16, ‘his relative, Lot’ is also ‘his brother, Lot’ in the Hebrew. The World English Bible shows this change too: it says “brother’s son” in verse 12 and “relative” in verses 14 and 16.
This is not the first time the word ‘brother’ has been used between Abram and Lot. When the two households’ herdsmen were quarreling, Abram said to Lot, “…for we are relatives” (13:8). The word translated ‘relatives’ there is ‘brothers’ in Hebrew. At the very moment news about Lot reaches Abram for the first time since they parted, the passage calls Lot ‘his brother’ again. The passage does not record the news Abram heard as ‘someone who lived in Sodom was taken.’ It records it as ‘his brother was taken.’
Next, look for what Abram said. In the five verses of today’s passage, Abram does not say a single word. Instead, his actions follow one after another without a pause. He hears, leads out, pursues, divides, strikes, pursues again, and brings back. The last one, ‘brings back,’ appears twice in the Hebrew, so there are eight words for Abram’s actions in all. Not one word from him, and eight actions. There is no question like ‘Why did Lot have to go to Sodom of all places?’ and no weighing of the cost like ‘Why should I be the one to go?’
Finally, look at what Abram brought back. Verse 16 lists everything, as if careful not to leave anything out. It names all the goods that had been taken, his brother Lot, and Lot’s goods. It also names the women and the other people who had been taken with them. Abram did not just pull Lot out by himself. He brought back everything that belonged to Lot as well.
So the opening question is answered this way. The only reason the passage gives for why Abram went to rescue Lot is that his brother had been taken captive. Whether Lot chose well or badly is not part of that reason. Abram did not argue about the road Lot had chosen. He set out to find his brother who had been taken.
4. Word Study · Brother · Hebrew · Trained Men · Brought Back
Let’s look at four Hebrew words in today’s passage.
① Brother · ach (אָח). The basic meaning is ‘brother,’ and in today’s passage it appears as achiv (אָחִיו), meaning ‘his brother.’ In Hebrew this word is used not only for brothers born to the same parents but also for close relatives, such as an uncle and his nephew. That is why many English Bibles, including the World English Bible, translate it here as ‘relative’ to fit the context. As we saw earlier, in the scene where Abram sets out to find Lot, Lot is called not ‘nephew’ but ‘brother.’
② Hebrew · ivri (הָעִבְרִי). ‘Abram, the Hebrew’ in 14:13 is the first place in the whole Bible where the word ‘Hebrew’ appears. The word appears six times in Genesis. The first time it is used for Abram, and the other five times all come while Joseph is living in Egypt (39:14 · 39:17 · 40:15 · 41:12 · 43:32). Most of those times, it is used when Egyptians set someone like Joseph apart from themselves. As for what the name means, some read it as ‘a descendant of Eber,’ a descendant of Shem (10:21), and others read it as ‘one who crossed over the river.’ Either way, in today’s passage this name appears at the point where Abram first steps into the story of chapter 14. Chapter 14 is the story of a war that pulled in the kings of many nations. Abram, who had stayed out of that fight and was living at Mamre, enters this story because of one piece of news: his brother had been taken.
③ Trained men · chanikh (חָנִיךְ). This is the word behind ‘trained men’ in “…he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen…” (14:14). In the passage it appears as chanikhav (חֲנִיכָיו), meaning ‘his trained men.’ This word appears only this once in the entire Hebrew Bible. A verb made from the same basic letters is used elsewhere in the Bible to mean ‘to train’ and ‘to dedicate.’ For example, “Train up a child in the way he should go…” (Proverbs 22:6) uses that verb. So does “…What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it?…” (Deuteronomy 20:5). To dedicate a new house means to set it apart when you first begin to live in it. So the word is read as ‘people who were taught and brought up.’ ‘Born in his house’ means just what it says. The men Abram led out were not an army gathered for money but people who had been born in Abram’s household and grown up there.
④ Brought back · heshiv (הֵשִׁיב). This comes from the verb shuv, ‘to return,’ and means ‘to make something return,’ that is, ‘to bring back.’ This word appears twice in verse 16. It is the first word of the verse, and it appears once more in the middle. The World English Bible keeps both: “He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative, Lot, and his goods…” In the Hebrew, the second ‘brought back’ comes right after ‘his brother Lot and his goods.’ Among the things Abram brought back, the passage groups Lot and Lot’s goods together and points to them one more time.
5. One More Thing · The Goods That Had Separated Them
The word ‘goods’ appears three times in today’s passage: Lot’s ‘goods’ taken with him when he was captured (verse 12), and in verse 16, ‘all the goods’ and Lot’s ‘goods.’ In Hebrew they are all rekhush (רְכוּשׁ). It is a word for everything a person has gathered and owns, such as livestock and household belongings.
This word also appeared in the chapter just before, where the passage explains why Abram and Lot had to part. “The land was not able to bear them, that they might live together; for their substance was great, so that they could not live together” (13:6). The World English Bible translates it ‘substance’ there, but it is the same Hebrew word. It was this very wealth that made it impossible for the two of them to live in one place.
So if we follow this word, the story connects like this. Because their goods were great, the two men parted (13:6). Lot was carried off with those goods (14:12). Abram brought back those goods along with Lot (14:16). The very goods that had separated the two of them came back together with Lot.
Following the goods makes the answer we found earlier even clearer. Abram had things from the past he could have held against Lot. It was these goods that had made the two of them part, and it was Lot who chose the well-watered land first and left. Even so, Abram did not bring back only Lot. He brought back those goods too. In the passage, Abram does not bring up the past with a single word. This word ‘goods’ appears once more in the very next scene (14:21), and we will read that story in the next part.
6. For Us Today
This passage leaves us with one message. The passage does not record a single word blaming Lot for leaving first. The one reason it gives for what Abram did is the news that ‘his brother had been taken captive,’ and Abram brought back everything, Lot and even Lot’s goods.
The passage does not say it was a good thing that Lot went to Sodom. In chapter 13 it clearly records that the people of Sodom were wicked. But in chapter 14, where Lot is rescued, it does not bring that up again. There is no word from Abram scolding Lot or setting conditions. What the passage records is only the news Abram heard and the steps Abram took after hearing it.
There are people beside us who left first, too. A family member who left home without listening to our worries. An old friend who left hurtful words behind and stopped calling. A coworker who insisted on a business everyone advised against and then ran into trouble. Sometimes we hear that a grown child has stumbled on a road they chose for themselves. At times like that, even before we feel worried for them, words like these can rise in our hearts: ‘Well, that was the road they chose.’ In that moment, we are the ones who were left behind.
Abram was one who had been left behind, too. Lot chose the well-watered land first, and Abram was left with what remained. Then news came that Lot had been taken. The passage does not record how Abram felt at that moment. It only records the news he heard as ‘his brother was taken captive,’ and that after hearing it he led out his men and pursued.
Of course, most of us do not have three hundred and eighteen people to lead out the way Abram did. Some days all we can do from far away is make one phone call. Some days the other person does not want help, and there is nothing we can do. Even so, we can choose not to open with ‘Well, that was the road you chose.’ We can ask ‘Are you okay?’ before we point out what went wrong.
If a name comes to mind today along with the words ‘the road they chose,’ it might help to write that name down and add one line beside it: ‘Still one of my own.’ Someday, when news about that person reaches you, that one line may help you say a word of care before a word of blame.
“God who seeks the lost first, there are people beside us who did not listen to us and went their own way. When we hear that they have fallen into trouble, help us think of the person first, before we think of what went wrong. Instead of words of blame, help us reach out our hands as far as we are able. Let this be a day when we care for the people we meet as if they were our own family. Amen.”
🕊 How to Use This in Ministry
Opening Question
Ask, “Suppose a friend didn’t listen to you, did things their own way, and ended up in trouble. What is the first thing you would want to say to that friend?” Listen to the children’s answers (for example, “I told you so,” “Are you okay?” or “Can I help?”). Then say, “In the Bible today, there is a man who chose the good land first and left, then got taken away, and there is his uncle who heard the news. Let’s find out what the uncle said,” and move into the passage.
Activity
Show the picture ‘One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew’ from today’s images and read verses 12~16 together. Divide the board (or a large sheet of paper, if there is no board) in half. Write ‘What Abram said’ on the left and ‘What Abram did’ on the right. Have the children find what Abram did in verses 14~16 and write them in order on the right (heard, led out, pursued, divided, struck, pursued, brought back). Then ask, “What should we write on the left? Let’s look for something Abram said in verses 12 to 16.” If the children come up with some words, say, “Shall we find where those words are in the five verses we read?” Look through the passage again together and confirm that there are no words to write. Then point out, “That’s right. Abram didn’t say even one word like ‘I told you so’ to Lot.” Next, explain, “The verses we read today say ‘relative,’ but in the language the Bible was first written in, verse 14 calls Lot ‘his brother.’” Finally, show the picture ‘He brought back all the goods’. Have the children find in the picture that Abram brought back not only Lot but also Lot’s goods and the people taken with him.
Application
Hand each child a small card. Have them think of one friend or family member they argued with recently, or one who hurt their feelings by not listening to them. Have them write that person’s name on the front of the card, and on the back write ‘Still my friend’ (or ‘Still my family’ for a family member). Tell them they do not have to show the card to anyone. Sum up by saying, “The Bible called Lot, who left first, ‘his brother,’ and Abram brought him back without a word of blame. If that person looks like they are in trouble, let’s say ‘Are you okay?’ first instead of words that argue,” and let each child take the card home.
🖼️ Today’s Four Images · Press and hold or right-click to save
One who had escaped came and told Abram, the Hebrew |
He led out his trained men, born in his house |
His relative, Lot, and his goods |
He brought back all the goods |
📄 Image license CC0 (public domain) · Free to use, modify, and redistribute without attribution.
🤖 These images were created with AI (Grok).
📖 Genesis Deeper ㊹ We Are Brothers · The first scene where Abram calls Lot ‘brother’
Origin Bible · Mission Zedero
Contact joypej@gmail.com
✍️ This article was written with the help of AI and reviewed by a person.
The text is CC BY-NC 4.0. You are free to use it for noncommercial purposes with attribution.
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