John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 14:11
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah ,.... They entered these cities and pillaged them, and carried off everything valuable in them, that was portable or could be driven, as their cattle, &c.; they did not burn these cities, nor take possession of them, and leave garrisons in them, which shows them to be petty princes that came for plunder, and to get an equivalent for nonpayment of tribute to one of them: and all their victuals, and went away ; all the meat and drink... read more
John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 14:10
And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits ,.... Or "wells" or "fountains of slime" or bitumen F19 בארת בארת המר "putei, putei bituminis", Vatablus, Piscator, Cartwright, Drusius, Schmidt; so Jarchi. ; a liquid of a pitchy nature, cast out of fountains, and which was used for a cement in buildings; such fountains were near Babylon; see Gill on Genesis 11:3 ; so that this place was naturally prepared for what it was designed to be, a bituminous lake; and hence, when turned... read more