New International Version
Genesis 14:2
2these 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).
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.
- 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).
- New Living Translation (NLT)fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).
Context of Genesis 14:2
1At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim, 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). 3All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley). 4For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, 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 10:19and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.
- Genesis 13:10Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens.
- Isaiah 1:9Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.
- Deuteronomy 29:23The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger.
- Hosea 11:8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboyim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
- 1 Samuel 13:18another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.
- Nehemiah 11:34in Hadid, Zeboim and Neballat,
- Genesis 19:20Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”
- Deuteronomy 34:3the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.
- Isaiah 15:5My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction.
- Jeremiah 48:34“The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz, from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim are dried 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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