Then he brought back all the goods: brought back refers to returning from the north toward the south in the direction of the place where Abram first learned of Lot’s capture. In some languages it may be necessary to say that they actually arrived back at that place; for example, one translation has “he took them and came back to his camp.” Goods translates the same word used in 13.6 and verse 12 and refers to all of the movable possessions taken by the four kings. Kinsman is the same term used in verse 14.

The women and the people: by showing that the four kings had to surrender their captured women, the narrator draws attention to the extent to which the four kings were defeated. The people refers generally to the prisoners who had been taken captive.

Verse 16 brings to a conclusion the battle report and the safe return of Lot and his possessions. There remains to be told what happened to the remaining loot and the people not belonging to Lot. But before that part of the story is told, there is the brief insertion of the account of Melchizedek.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .