ABRAHAM (2)

1. Uncover Bible Names

a) The Bible is an historic record of real people and places. Find out and learn who's who, their relationships, and the meaning of their names.

2. Abraham

a) Meaning of “Abraham”: father of a multitude. / Meaning of “Abram”: Exalted father.

b) This was the name of the son of Terah, named (Genesis 11:27) before his older brothers Nahor and Haran, because he was the heir of the promises of God. He was originally named, Abram.

3. Abram Fights

a) Fourteen years before this, while Abram was still in Chaldea, this area had been invaded by Chedorlaomer, King of Elam, who brought under tribute to him the five cities in the plain to which Lot had moved. This was a heavy burden on the inhabitants of these cities. After twelve years they revolted. This brought the vengeance of Chedorlaomer, who was in league with four other kings. He ravaged the whole country, plundering the towns, and carrying the inhabitants away as slaves. Among these was Lot.

b) Hearing of the disaster that had fallen on his nephew, Abram immediately gathered from his own household a band of 318 armed men. He was joined by the Amorite chiefs Mamre, Aner, and Eshcol. He pursued Chedorlaomer and overtook him near the springs of the Jordan. They attacked and routed his army, and pursued it over the range of Anti-Libanus as far as to Hobah, near Damascus.

c) They returned with all the spoils that had been carried away. Returning by way of Salem, i.e., Jerusalem, the king of that place, Melchizedek, came out to meet them with refreshments. Abram presented him with a tenth of the spoils, in recognition of his character as a priest of the most high God (Genesis 14:18-20).

d) Archaeologists discovered a tablet, dated to the reign of the grandfather of Amraphel (Genesis 14:1), one of the witnesses is called “the Amorite, the son of Abiramu,” or Abram. 

e) After returning to his home at Mamre, God repeated and enlarged the promises made to Abram (Genesis 13:14). “The word of the Lord” (an expression occurring here for the first time) “came to him” (15:1). He now understood better the future that lay before the nation that was to spring from him.