Genesis 14:1-11

1 And it came to pass in those days that Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of the Gentiles

2 made war against Bera king of Sodom and against Birsha king of Gomorrah and against Shinab king of Admah and against Shemeber king of Zeboiim and against the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

3 All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim and the Zuzims in Ham and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim

6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir unto the plain of Paran, which is by the wilderness.

7 And they returned and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the works of the Amalekites and also the Amorites that dwelt in Hazezontamar.

8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar) went out, and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim,

9 that is, against Chedorlaomer the king of Elam and Tidal king of the Gentiles and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar: four kings against five.

10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there; and those that remained fled to the mountain.

11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and went away.

Genesis 14:1-11 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.