Genesis 14:15

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked them. He pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיֵּחָלֵ֨ק עֲלֵיהֶ֧ם ׀ לַ֛יְלָה ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָ֖יו וַיַּכֵּ֑ם וֽ͏ַיִּרְדְּפֵם֙ עַד־חוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִשְּׂמֹ֖אל לְדַמָּֽשֶׂק׃

Transliteration

way-yēḥālēq ʿălêhem laylāh hûʾ wa-ʿăḇāḏāyw way-yakkēm way-yirdəp̄ēm ʿaḏ-ḥôḇāh ʾăšer miś-śəmōʾl lə-ḏammāśeq

Grammar Details

• *way-yēḥālēq*: consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular, niphal - and he divided himself
• *ʿălêhem*: preposition with 3rd masculine plural suffix - against them
• *laylāh*: common noun, masculine singular - night
• *hûʾ*: pronoun, 3rd masculine singular - he
• *wa-ʿăḇāḏāyw*: conjunction + common noun, masculine plural with 3rd masculine singular suffix - and his servants
• *way-yakkēm*: consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular with 3rd masculine plural suffix - and he struck them
• *way-yirdəp̄ēm*: consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular with 3rd masculine plural suffix - and he pursued them
• *ʿaḏ*: preposition - as far as
• *ḥôḇāh*: proper noun, place name (Hobah)
• *ʾăšer*: relative pronoun - which
• *miś-śəmōʾl*: preposition + common noun - from the left of
• *lə-ḏammāśeq*: preposition + proper noun - to Damascus

Word Meanings

• *way-yēḥālēq*: divided himself/divided his forces/separated
• *miś-śəmōʾl*: from the left/north of

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and attacked them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he divided{H2505} himself against them by night,{H3915} he and his servants,{H5650} and smote{H5221} them, and pursued{H7291} them unto Hobah,{H2327} which is on the left hand{H8040} of Damascus.{H1834}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he divided{H2505}{(H8735)} himself against them, he and his servants{H5650}, by night{H3915}, and smote{H5221}{(H8686)} them, and pursued{H7291}{(H8799)} them unto Hobah{H2327}, which is on the left hand{H8040} of Damascus{H1834}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And sette hymselfe ad his seruantes in aray and fell vpon them by nyght and smote them and chased them awaye vnto Hoba: which lyeth on the lefte hande of Damascos

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  & deuyded the, & fell vpo them by night wt his seruauntes, and smote the, and chased them awaye vnto Hoba, which lieth on ye left hande of the cite of Damascos,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then he, and his seruants deuided them selues against them by night, & smote them and pursued them vnto Hobah, which is on the left side of Damascus,

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And he and his seruauntes were parted in companies agaynst the by nyght, and smote them, and pursued them vnto Hoba, which lyeth on the left hand of Damascus.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which [is] on the left hand of Damascus.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And he divideth himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smiteth them, and pursueth them unto Hobah, which `is' at the left of Damascus;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And he divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And separating his forces by night, he overcame them, putting them to flight and going after them as far as Hobah, which is on the north side of Damascus.

• World English Bible (2000)

  He divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Then, during the night, Abram divided his forces against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.

Referenced Verses

• Deut 15:2 : 2 This is the manner of the release: Every creditor shall release what they have lent to their neighbor. They shall not demand payment from their neighbor or their relative, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed.
• 1 Kgs 15:18 : 18 Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace and placed them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, with this message:
• Ps 112:5 : 5 Good comes to the man who is gracious and lends freely; he conducts his affairs with justice.
• Isa 41:2-3 : 2 Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He delivers nations before him and subdues kings. He turns them to dust with his sword, and like scattered straw with his bow. 3 He pursues them and moves on unscathed, traveling a path his feet have not tread before.
• Acts 9:2 : 2 He requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.