Genesis 14:1-16

Abram Rescues Lot

1 In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam,^[a] and Tidal^[b] king of Goiim^[c]

2 waged war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim,^[d] as well as the king of Bela (that is, Zoar^[e]).

3 All of these came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea).

4 They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

6 and the Horites in the mountains of Seir, as far as El-paran by the wilderness.

7 Then they came back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they defeated all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar.

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and lined up for battle in the Valley of Siddim

9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five.

10 Now the Valley of Siddim contained many asphalt pits, and [as] the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, [some] fell into them,^[f] but the rest fled to the mountains.

11 The [four kings] took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food and went on.

12 They also took Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, for he was living in Sodom, and they went on.

13 One of the survivors came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was at the oaks belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and the brother of Aner. They were bound by a treaty with^[g] Abram.

14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken prisoner, he assembled^[h] his 318 trained men, born in his household, and they went in pursuit as far as Dan.

15 And he and his servants deployed against them by night, attacked them, and pursued them as far as Hobah to the north of Damascus.

16 He brought back all the goods and also his relative Lot and his goods, as well as 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. A region in southwest Iran
• [b]. The name Tidal may be related to the Hittite royal name Tudhaliya.
• [c]. Or nations
• [d]. Hs 11:8
• [e]. Gn 19:22-23
• [f]. Sam, LXX read fell there
• [g]. Lit were possessors of a covenant of
• [h]. Sam; MT reads poured out