14:13 A fugitive27 came and told Abram the Hebrew.28 Now Abram was living by the oaks29 of Mamre the Amorite, the brother30 of Eshcol and Aner. (All these were allied by treaty31 with Abram.)32
tnHeb “the fugitive.” The article carries a generic force or indicates that this fugitive is definite in the mind of the speaker.
28
sn E. A. Speiser (Genesis [AB], 103) suggests that part of this chapter came from an outside source since it refers to Abram the Hebrew. That is not impossible, given that the narrator likely utilized traditions and genealogies that had been collected and transmitted over the years. The meaning of the word “Hebrew” has proved elusive. It may be related to the verb “to cross over,” perhaps meaning “immigrant.” Or it might be derived from the name of Abram’s ancestor Eber (see Gen 11:14–16).
tn Or “a brother”; or “a relative”; or perhaps “an ally.”
31
tnHeb “possessors of a treaty with.” Since it is likely that the qualifying statement refers to all three (Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner) the words “all these” have been supplied in the translation to make this clear.
32
tn This parenthetical disjunctive clause explains how Abram came to be living in their territory, but it also explains why they must go to war with Abram.