What does Genesis 14:14 mean?

After learning that Lot has been taken captive by the forces of Chedorlaomer and the kings from the east, Abram immediately takes action. He gathers 318 of his most reliable trained men, servants born and raised in his household. That number provides a glimpse of how large Abram's overall household must have been at this point, likely numbering well above 1,000 people.

A key point of context should be considered here. The "armies" of city-states of that era would have numbered in the thousands. These were not groups of tens or hundreds of thousands. So, Abram's forces were not chasing after a force outnumbering them hundreds-to-one. At the same time, the combined forces of four kings would have numbered significantly more than Abram's allies. And, Abram is himself more than seventy-five years old (Genesis 12:4)! So, this rescue operation is not only preparing for long odds, they are effectively rebelling against Chedorlaomer, themselves.

Abram and his men—and his three Amorite allies and their men—set out after Chedorlaomer's army, chasing them all of the way to Dan, in the far northern reaches of Canaan.