Genesis Vol 3.pdf - College Press

14:l-12 GENESIS
Eshcol, and Mamre, may have contributed much the larger
portion of the victorious army.” (Leupold translates this,
“these were bound by covenant to Abram.” This would
indicate an agreement that guaranteed a close relationship.)
These facts seems to be indicated in vv. 23-24: it is difficult
to see how intelligent men could have ignored them.
But again we are told that “nowhere else in the tradition
is Abraham represented as living in such state;” that “in
ch. 23, for instance, he is a lone stranger among the Hittite
inhabitants of Kiriath-arba.” The fact remains, however,
that when Abram left the East, he was accompanied by “all
the souls they had gotten in Haran” (12:T). This refers
to all the bondservants he had gotten during his stay there.
Where there is a large stock of cattle, there must be an
adequate number of servants to attend them. Abraham
and Lot entered Canaan as men of considerable substance.
Moreover, Gen. 12:16 and 13:2 indicate that they came
out of Egypt with a much greater retinue. (Cf. also 18:19
and 24:1). The argument that Abram was a “lone
stranger” among the Hittites of Kiriath-arba is an argument
from silence and does not harmonize with the tenor of the
entire story of his first ventures in Canaan. Critics rely
too much on assumption (or presumptions) to validate
their. views, assumptions which, obviously are not Scripturally
.justified: a fault stemming apparently from their
innate (or academically generated) “inability to see the
forest for the trees.”
(3) “The representation that the Dead Sea was not yet
in existence (cf. 13:lO) .” It is admitted that the words in
v. 3, that is, the Salt Sea, may be a gloss and so may not
reflect accurately the thought of the original writer”
(S-ee IBG,‘ S90) . But recent archaeological evidence supports
the use of chis name,a.s an integral part of the original
narrative; The Salt.. Sea is> the name by which the Dead Sea
is commonly designated in the Pentateuch and in the book
of Joshua (Num. 34:3, Deut. 3:17; Josh. 3:16, 15:2, 5).
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