Genesis 14:2

2 went to war against five other kings: Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar).

Genesis 14:2 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 14:2

[That these] made war with Bera king of Sodom
A city in the plain of Jordan, which with the four following made the Pentapolis, or five cities of the plain. Strabo ^F25 says, in this place formerly were thirteen cities, the metropolis of which was Sodom, and which yet had remaining a compass of sixty furlongs; according to Dr. Lightfoot {z}, it should be placed in the southern extremity of the lake Asphaltites, whereas it is usually set in the maps in the northern bounds of it: and with Birsha king of Gomorrah;
another city in the plain of Jordan, called by Solinus ^F1 Gomorrum: Shinab king of Admah;
a third city situated in the same plain: and Shemeber king of Zeboiim;
a fourth city of the plain, which seems to have its name from the pleasantness of its situation: and the king of Bela, which is Zoar;
so it was afterwards called by Lot, being a little city, ( Genesis 19:20 Genesis 19:22 ) ; but before, Bela; the name of its king is not mentioned, being a person of no great note and importance, and his city small.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Geograph. l. 16. p. 526.
F26 Works, vol. 2. p. 6. Vid. Reland. Palestina illustrata, tom. 2. p. 1020.
F1 Polyhistor. c. 48.

Genesis 14:2 In-Context

1 Four kings, Amraphel of Babylonia, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,

2 went to war against five other kings: Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar).

3 These five kings had formed an alliance and joined forces in Siddim Valley, which is now the Dead Sea.

4 They had been under the control of Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.

5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and his allies came with their armies and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in the plain of Kiriathaim,