God’s Word Translation
Genesis 14:2
2went to war against ⌞five kings⌟—King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
Genesis 14:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
- New International Version (NIV)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).
- English Standard Version (ESV)these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
- New King James Version (NKJV)that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
Context of Genesis 14:2
1At that time ⌞four kings⌟—King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim— went to war against ⌞five kings⌟—King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3The five kings joined forces and met in the valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea). 4For 12 years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Read all of Genesis 14Genesis 14:2 word by word
עָשׂ֣וּ מִלְחָמָ֗ה אֶת־בֶּ֙רַע֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ סְדֹ֔ם וְאֶת־בִּרְשַׁ֖ע מֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמֹרָ֑ה שִׁנְאָ֣ב׀ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַדְמָ֗ה וְשֶׁמְאֵ֙בֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ צְבוֹיִ֔ם וּמֶ֥לֶךְ בֶּ֖לַע הִיא־צֹֽעַר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- withאֵת'êth · withH854
- Beraבֶּ֫רַעbera‛ · BeraH1298
- kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Sodomסְדֹםsedôm · SodomH5467
- and with Birshaבִּרְשַׁעbirsha‛ · BirshaH1306
- of Gomorrahעֲמֹרָה‛ămôrâh · GomorrahH6017
- Shinabשִׁנְאָבshin'âb · ShinabH8134
- of Admahאַדְמָה'admâh · AdmahH126
- and Shemeberשֶׁמְאֵ֫בֶרshem'êber · ShemeberH8038
- of Zeboiimצְבֹיִיםtsebô'îym tsebîyîym tsebîyim · ZeboiimH6636
- of Belaבֶּ֫לַעbela‛ · BelaH1106
- which isהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- Zoarצֹ֫עַרtsô‛ar · ZoarH6820
Cross-references for Genesis 14:2
- Genesis 10:19The border of the Canaanites extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim as far as Lasha.
- Genesis 13:10Then Lot looked in the direction of Zoar as far as he could see. He saw that the whole Jordan Plain was well-watered like the Lord’s garden or like Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord made burning sulfur and fire rain out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 1:9If the Lord of Armies hadn’t left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Deuteronomy 29:23They will see all the soil poisoned with sulfur and salt. Nothing will be planted. Nothing will be growing. There will be no plants in sight. It will be as desolate as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, cities the Lord destroyed in fierce anger.
- Hosea 11:8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboim? I have changed my mind. I am deeply moved.
- 1 Samuel 13:18Another column turned onto the road to Beth Horon. And one turned onto the road toward the region that overlooks the valley of Zeboim and the desert.
- Nehemiah 11:34Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
- Genesis 19:20Look, there’s a city near enough to flee to, and it’s small. Why don’t you let me run there? Isn’t it small? Then my life will be saved.”
- Deuteronomy 34:3the Negev, and the Jordan Plain—the valley of Jericho (the City of Palms)—as far as Zoar.
- Isaiah 15:5My heart cries out for Moab. Its people flee as far as Zoar at Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the mountain road to Luhith. They cry loudly over the destruction on the way to Horonaim.
- Jeremiah 48:34“The cry will be heard from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz. It will be heard from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah. Even the streams of Nimrim will dry up.
Commentaries on Genesis 14:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2These made war with Bera, etc. - It appears, from Genesis 14:4, that these five Canaanitish kings had been subdued by Chedorlaomer, and were obliged to pay him tribute; and that, having been enslaved by him twelve years, wishing to recover their liberty, they revolted in the thirteenth; in consequence of which Chedorlaomer, the following year, summoned to his assistance three of his vassals, invaded Canaan, fought with and discomfited the kings of the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-24Verses 1-24 - Abram Rescues Lot 1. אמרפל 'amrāpel Amraphel; related: unknown. אלריוך 'aryôk Ariok, “leonine?” related: ארי 'arı̂y “a lion:” a name re-appearing in the time of Daniel Daniel 2:14. אלסר 'elāsār Ellasar (related: unknown) is identified with Larsa or Larancha, the ́ Larissa or ́ Larachōn of the Greeks, now Senkereh, a town of lower Babylonia, between Mugheir (Ur) and Warka (Erek) on the left bank of the Frat. כדרלעמר kedārlā‛omer…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2Archaeology has not identified these kings. But ancient texts include similar names, which supports the report’s reliability. The Mesopotamian kings were allies under one leading ruler, likely Amraphel, who is named first.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-241. And it came to pass--This chapter presents Abram in the unexpected character of a warrior. The occasion was this: The king of Sodom and the kings of the adjoining cities, after having been tributaries for twelve years to the king of Elam, combined to throw off his yoke. To chastise their rebellion, as he deemed it, Chedorlaomer, with the aid of three allies, invaded the territories of the refractory princes, defeated them in a pitched battle where the…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 14:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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