Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the goods for yourself.” Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted up my hand to Yahweh, God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread nor a sandal strap nor anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will accept nothing from you except that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their portion.””
(Genesis 14:21-24)

The king of Sodom was trying a few things here, based on the situation and wording. Perhaps he was making sure that he wouldn’t owe Abram anything. Perhaps he was trying to get his foot in Abram’s door with money. Perhaps he was trying to look magnanimous in the eyes of the people, seeming to care nothing of possessions and everything about them. Whatever his game was, Abram had just had communion with God and was full of trust in the Lord. He turned him down flat because his eyes were on God, not what was before him.

Abram’s response uses the titles/names of God in the same way that Melchizedek had used them. This is the first time Abram uses that language in reference to Yahweh.

The oath Abram mentions has already been taken. It was not a new one. It’s possible he made it while interacting with Melchizedek, but it’s more probable it was part of an oath he made before setting out to battle in the first place. Essentially, making an oath to God that Abram’s setting out was about getting the people back, not making money off of the endeavour.

Abram didn’t force his allies to adhere to his own thinking, but he took the opportunity to make a very public stance about his trust in the Lord and his looking to God for everything he had or would ever have. What a great witness!

The sage Sforno writes: ‘אם מחוט ועד שרוך נעל, every time the word אם occurs in Scripture and is not followed by a verb making it a conditional statement, it is used instead of the word שלא, “so that not.” Avram’s statement here means: “I have sworn an oath not to give you even a shoelace or a length of thread as I do not own any of these things. Conversely, I will also not take (accept) anything that is (was) yours.” G’d said something similar to the Jewish people after the debacle of the spies in Numbers 14,23) when He said אם יראו את הארץ, which is a way of saying that they will most certainly not get to see the land (of Israel). In verse 30 in the same chapter the words אם אתם תבאו also mean “you will certainly not come.” Similarly, Samuel I 15,6 חי ה’ אם יומת, means “an oath to G’d that he will not be executed, etc.” Also, in Kings II 5,16 חי ה’ אשר עמדתי לפניו אם אקח וגו’, means: “As the Lord lives whom I serve, I will not accept anything.” There are many similar examples. I am excluding myself. Literally, “Without me” — i.e. “You can take it without asking me because I claim no part of it.” Only what the lads have eaten. Avraham claimed only the cost of provisioning his men, but Aneir, Eshkol and Mamrei could take their share for themselves. אבל ענר אשכול וממרא הם יקחו חלקם, I will neither give them a share, nor will I accept a share on their behalf, but they will themselves take the share they are entitled to.’

The sage Ramban writes: ‘I HAVE LIFTED UP MINE HAND TO THE ETERNAL. This is an expression signifying an oath: “I lift up my hand to G-d Most High.” Similarly, the verse, By myself have I sworn, means “By Myself do I swear.” Thus the language of Rashi.
I have found a similar text in the Sifre: “We find in the case of all the righteous that they bring their inclination under oath in order not to do evil. In the case of Abraham, he says, I have lifted up mine hand to the Eternal.” It is thus similar to the verse, And he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by Him that liveth forever.
But Onkelos said, “I have lifted my hand in prayer before the Eternal.” The intent of Abraham’s words according to Onkelos is: “I have prayed to G-d, with my hands spread forth toward heaven, if I take anything that is thine.” That is to say, “G-d do so to me, and more also, if I take, etc.”
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Abraham said, “I have lifted my hand to G-d to make those things Sacred and Devoted to Him, were I to take from that which is thine.” Declaring things to be sacred to Him is called in Hebrew “lifting of a hand,” just as in the verses: Every one that did lift up a heave offering of silver and copper;and every man that offered a wave offering of gold unto the Eternal. This Abraham said because having given a tenth of it to the priest, he declared that whatever he takes from the king of Sodom would be a heave offering to G-d, from which he would derive no benefit.
In Bereshith Rabbah it is similarly said, “Abraham made it a heave offering, even as it is said, And ye shall heave a heave offering of it for the Eternal.”’

The sage Steinsaltz writes: ‘After seeing Abram’s considerable generosity in his gift to Malkitzedek, the king of Sodom said to Abram: Give me the people, and take the property for yourself. Let me have the residents of my city, Sodom, as I am responsible for them, and we will waive any claim to the plunder. You can keep any property the kings looted from us, which you rescued from them. Abram said to the king of Sodom: I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, master of heaven and earth. The raising of one’s hand or hands to the heavens is a gesture indicating an oath. Surely, be it even a thread of a garment or a shoelace, I will not take of anything that is yours, so that you will not say: I made Abram rich. I do not want my wealth to be attributed to you and to the property of Sodom. Consequently, I shall return all the property to you. without regard to me, leave me out of the calculations, do not take me into account (see also 41:16). Only that which the young men have already eaten from the property we have restored, as they needed it for their sustenance on their way back from the north to Jerusalem; this property shall not be restored. And also the portion of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre, Abram’s friends and allies, who were probably not among his three hundred and eighteen soldiers. Since they joined with Abram and supported his cause, they deserved a portion of the spoils and Abram did not wish to deprive them of it. Therefore, he said: I insist that they shall take their portion. But as for me, although as the victorious commander I am rightfully entitled to the majority of the spoils, I relinquish my entire portion.’