Reading Robert Alter's translation of Genesis and found verses that might have benefited the Great Whale if they had been whispered in his God-hungry ears. Abram has gone out with a number of his retainers to bring back Lot and his people who have been abducted by the four kings who defeated the rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah (Lot was vacationing nearby, what a mistake); Abram has conducted a night-time raid by which he has recovered Lot, all Lot's people, and all Lot's "stuff." Melchizedek, the king of Salem that Abram must negotiate with, offers to let Abram keep all the "stuff" he has gained in this battle. Abram defers, claiming only what the "lads," his men have consumed. This is Alter's note:
One should note, however, that the military exploit--apparently, a surprise attack by night--is dispatched very quickly while the main emphasis is placed on the victorious Abram's magnaminity and disinterestedness. Thus the idea of the patriarch's maintaining fair and proper relations with the peoples of the land, already intimated in his dealings with Lot in the previous chapter, comes to displace the image of mere martial prowess.
Now here's a voice in the night to listen to.
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