New King James Version
Genesis 14:2
2that 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).
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 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
1And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations, 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). 3All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and 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 border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
- Genesis 13:10And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar.
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.
- Isaiah 1:9Unless the Lord of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.
- Deuteronomy 29:23‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’
- 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 set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred.
- 1 Samuel 13:18another company turned to the road to Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
- Nehemiah 11:34in Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat;
- Genesis 19:20See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”
- Deuteronomy 34:3the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.
- Isaiah 15:5“My heart will cry out for Moab; His fugitives shall flee to Zoar, Like a three-year-old heifer. For by the Ascent of Luhith They will go up with weeping; For in the way of Horonaim They will raise up a cry of destruction,
- Jeremiah 48:34“From the cry of Heshbon to Elealeh and to Jahaz They have uttered their voice, From Zoar to Horonaim, Like a three-year-old heifer; For the waters of Nimrim also shall be desolate.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries