Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. These were allies of Abram. When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people. - Genesis 14:13-16

The typology for this passage is quite staggering. For starters, this passage contains the first time the word “Hebrew” is used in the Scriptures. The next time will be in reference to Abram’s great-grandson Joseph (Gen 39:14-17). The usage of this word is impactful because of the common understanding Israel had of its “identity” in Egypt (Exo 1-2). They were Hebrews because they were a line of kinsman redeemers. And for a people trapped in Egypt, their father Abram was the first redeemer in their history. Jesus Christ would be the last. The link between Abram and Jesus Christ is now seen as the ultimate fulfillment of this passage.

The second important note is that Abram was not a common nomad. Abram had trained fighting men: His trained men. Abram though not called one is in this passage put on par with the other kings doing battle. This will be an important consideration in the conclusion to this chapter.

The final important point is the restitution provided by Abram. He both rescues Lot and returns his possessions. This includes quite distinctly the “women” and “peoples.” Abram restores the family and social community of Lot. Likewise Jesus Christ restores to those whom He redeems their families and their societies. Our Savior is no savior of mere individuals