Genesis 14:1-16

Abram Rescues Lot

1 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[a] Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim,
2 these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
3 All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley).
4 For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim
6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the desert.
7 Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim
9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.
11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away.
12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.
14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

Genesis 14:1-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 14

This chapter gives an account of a war that was waged, and a battle fought between four kings on one side, and five on the other, and of the occasion and issue of it, who were the first kings, and this the first battle the Scriptures speak of, Ge 14:1-11; Lot and his goods being taken and carried off, with those of Sodom, by the conquerors, Abram hearing of it armed his men, and pursued after them, and overtook and overcame them, and rescued Lot and his goods, with others, and returned, Ge 14:12-16; when he was met by the kings of Sodom and Salem, who congratulated him on his victory, Ge 14:17-19; and what passed between him, and those great personages, is related, Ge 14:20-24.

Cross References 41

  • 1. S Genesis 10:10
  • 2. ver 4,9,17
  • 3. S Genesis 10:22
  • 4. S Genesis 10:19
  • 5. S Genesis 13:10
  • 6. ver 8,10
  • 7. Numbers 34:3,12; Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16; Joshua 12:3; Joshua 15:2,5; Joshua 18:19
  • 8. S ver 1
  • 9. S ver 1
  • 10. Genesis 15:20; Deuteronomy 2:11,20; Deuteronomy 3:11,13; Joshua 12:4; Joshua 13:12; Joshua 17:15; 1 Chronicles 20:4
  • 11. Deuteronomy 2:10
  • 12. Genesis 36:20; Deuteronomy 2:12,22
  • 13. Genesis 32:3; Genesis 33:14,16; Genesis 36:8; Deuteronomy 1:2; Deuteronomy 2:1,5,22; Joshua 11:17; Joshua 24:4; 1 Chronicles 4:42; Isaiah 34:5; Ezekiel 25:8; Ezekiel 35:2; Amos 1:6
  • 14. Genesis 21:21; Numbers 10:12; Numbers 12:16; Numbers 13:3,26; Habakkuk 3:3
  • 15. Genesis 16:14; Numbers 20:1">Numbers 20:1; Numbers 13:26; Numbers 20:1">Numbers 20:1; Numbers 32:8; Deuteronomy 1:2; Joshua 10:41; Judges 11:16; Psalms 29:8
  • 16. Exodus 17:8; Numbers 13:29; Numbers 14:25; Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 25:17; Judges 3:13; Judges 6:3; Judges 10:12; Judges 12:15; 1 Samuel 14:48; 1 Samuel 15:2; 1 Samuel 28:18; 2 Samuel 1:1; 1 Chronicles 4:43; Psalms 83:7
  • 17. Numbers 13:29; Deuteronomy 1:4; Joshua 2:10; Joshua 13:4
  • 18. 2 Chronicles 20:2; Ezekiel 48:28
  • 19. S Genesis 13:10; Genesis 19:17-29
  • 20. Deuteronomy 29:23; Hosea 11:8
  • 21. S Genesis 13:10
  • 22. S ver 3
  • 23. S ver 1
  • 24. S Genesis 10:22
  • 25. S ver 3
  • 26. Genesis 11:3
  • 27. ver 17,21
  • 28. Genesis 19:17,30; Joshua 2:16; Psalms 11:1
  • 29. ver 16,21
  • 30. S Genesis 11:27
  • 31. Genesis 37:28; Genesis 39:14,17; Genesis 40:15; Genesis 41:12; Genesis 43:32; Exodus 3:18; 1 Samuel 4:6; 1 Samuel 14:11
  • 32. ver 24; S Genesis 13:18
  • 33. Numbers 13:23; Numbers 32:9; Deuteronomy 1:24
  • 34. ver 12
  • 35. Deuteronomy 4:9; Proverbs 22:6
  • 36. S Genesis 12:5; Genesis 15:3
  • 37. Deuteronomy 34:1; Judges 18:29; 1 Kings 15:20
  • 38. Judges 7:16
  • 39. Genesis 15:2; 2 Samuel 8:5; 1 Kings 20:34; 2 Kings 16:9; Isaiah 7:8; Isaiah 8:4; Isaiah 10:9; Isaiah 17:1; Jeremiah 49:23,27; Ezekiel 27:18; Amos 1:3-5
  • 40. 1 Samuel 30:8,18
  • 41. S ver 11

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. That is, Babylonia; also in verse 9
  • [b]. Or "a relative" ; or "an ally"
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