Verse Lens · Context pointer
Genesis 14:17 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 17. 17And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Role in This Section
The king of Sodom comes out to meet Abram after Abram returns from defeating the captors. His arrival opens the aftermath in which two kings respond differently to Abram's victory.
Read It With
- Genesis 14:17–24
Read verses 17–21 together. Verse 17 introduces the king of Sodom, verses 18–20 interrupt that meeting with Melchizedek's blessing, and verse 21 finally gives Sodom's proposal about people and goods.
Why It Needs Context
Verse 17 identifies the meeting but not the king's proposal or Abram's response. Reading it alone would miss the deliberate placement of Melchizedek between the king's arrival and speech.
Read Genesis 14:17–20 together
Why these verses belong together: The king of Sodom's arrival frames Melchizedek's entrance, blessing, divine praise, and Abram's tenth before Sodom is allowed to speak.
Verse 17. 17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale.
Verse 18. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Verse 19. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
Verse 20. 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Genesis 14:17–24 — Abram Meets Two KingsSources used for this context pointer
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, narrative sequence, blessing, tithe, offer, oath, refusal, ally provision, and canonical reception.
Exact location: Genesis 14:17–24 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 12:1–3; 13:2; 14:1–16; 15:1; Psalm 76:2; Psalm 110:4; and Hebrews 5–7
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Meeting clauses, Melchizedek's titles, blessing formulas, qoneh, delivered, tenth pronouns, persons and goods, oath gesture, elliptical refusal, smallest-item idiom, and ally portions.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 14:17–24
Open source ↗