This name originated in the period of the Judges (Jos. 1947, Ju. 1829); and it is singular that such a prolepsis should occur in a document elsewhere so careful of the appearance of antiquity.—15. He divided himself] i.e. (as usually understood) into three bands,—the favourite tactical manœuvre in Hebrew warfare (Ju. 716, 1 Sa. 1111 1317, Jb. 117, 1 Mac. 533): but see the footnote.—smote and pursued them as far as Hobah] Hobah (cf. Jth. 155) has been identified by Wetzstein with Hoba, c. 20 hours' journey N of Damascus. Sellin (934) takes it to be the Ubi of the TA Tablets, the district in which Damascus was situated (KIB, v. 139, 63; 146, 12). The pursuit must in any case have been a long one, since Damascus itself is about 15 hours from Dan. 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.
17, 18-20. Abram and Melkiẓedeḳ.—"The scene between
Abram and Melkiẓedeḳ is not without poetic charm:
the two ideals (Grösse) which were afterwards to be so
intimately united, the holy people and the holy city, are
here brought together for the first time: here for the first
time Israel receives the gift of its sanctuary" (Gu. 253).
17. The scene of the meeting is (
Hebrew characters), interpreted as the king's vale. A place of this name is mentioned in 2 Sa. 1818
as the site of Absalom's pillar, which, according to Josephus
(Ant. vii. 243), was two stadia from Jerusalem. The situation
harmonises with the common view that Šalem is
Jerusalem (see below); and other information does not
exist.—18. Melkîẓedeḳ, king of Šālēm, etc.] The primitive
and Jer. 214.—15. (Hebrew characters)] (cf. 1 Ki. 1621). The sense given above is not
altogether natural. Ball emends (Hebrew characters). Wi. (GI, ii. 272) suggests a precarious
Ass. etymology, pointing as Piel, and rendering 'and he fell
upon them by night': so Sellin.—(Hebrew characters)] Lit. 'on the left.' The sense
'north' is rare: Jos. 1927 (P), Ezk. 1646, Jb. 239.
17. (Hebrew characters) (without art.) must apparently be a different word from
that in v.5. Hommel and Wi. emend (Hebrew characters) (šarrē, the Ass. word for
'king').—18. (Hebrew characters)] usually explained as 'King of Righteousness'
(Heb. 72), with î as old gen. ending retained by the annexion; but
more probably = 'My king is Ẓidḳ,' Ẓidḳ being the name of a S
