Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 14:21

"And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself." — Genesis 14:21 (ASV)

Give me the persons. —To this day it is the rule among the Arabs that, if a camp is plundered, anyone who recovers the booty gives up only the persons and takes the rest for himself. But Abram, with noble generosity, will accept nothing. The “lifting up of the hand” to give solemnity to an oath is mentioned here for the first time.