20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!"And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
20 And blessed be The High God, who handed your enemies over to you. Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.
20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he gave him a tithe of all.
20 And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you."
22 This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I'll return a tenth to you."
22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."
22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me."
(Read Genesis 28:20-22)
Jacob made a solemn vow on this occasion. In this observe, 1. Jacob's faith. He trusts that God will be with him, and will keep him; he depends upon it. 2. Jacob's moderation in his desires. He asks not for soft clothing and dainty meat. If God give us much, we are bound to be thankful, and to use it for him; if he gives us but little, we are bound to be content, and cheerfully to enjoy him in it. 3. Jacob's piety, and his regard to God, appear in what he desired, that God would be with him, and keep him. We need desire no more to make us easy and happy. Also his resolution is, to cleave to the Lord, as his God in covenant. When we receive more than common mercy from God, we should abound in gratitude to him. The tenth is a fit proportion to be devoted to God, and employed for him; though it may be more or less, as God prospers us, 1 Corinthians 16:2. Let us then remember our Bethels, how we stand engaged by solemn vows to yield ourselves to the Lord, to take him for our God, and to devote all we have and are to his glory!
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 14:20
Commentary on Genesis 14:17-20
(Read Genesis 14:17-20)
Melchizedek is spoken of as a king of Salem, supposed to be the place afterwards called Jerusalem, and it is generally thought that he was only a man. The words of the apostle, Hebrews 7:4. When we have received some great mercy from God, it is very fit we should express our thankfulness by some special act of pious charity. Jesus Christ, our great Melchisedek, is to have homage done him, and to be humbly acknowledged as our King and Priest; not only the tithe of all, but all we have, must be given up to him.