Genesis 14:3,Genesis 14:8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 14:1-12

We have here an account of the first war that ever we read of in scripture, which (though the wars of the nations make the greatest figure in history) we should not have had the history of if Abram and Lot had not been concerned in it. Now, concerning this war, we may observe, I. The parties engaged in it. The invaders were four kings, two of them no less than kings of Shinar and Elam (that is, Chaldea and Persia), yet probably not the sovereign princes of those great kingdoms in their own... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 14:3

All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim ,.... Or "of fields", or "ploughed lands" F2 אל עמק השדים "valle amaenissimorum agrorum", Munster; "in planitie agrorum", Fagius; so Jarchi; "in valle occationum", Hiller. Onomastic. Sacr. p. 937. "dicta ab agris occatis", Schmidt. , a fruitful vale abounding with corn; or of gardens or paradises, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, being full of gardens and orchards, and was as the garden of the Lord, even as Eden, see ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:1-24

The kingdom of God in its relation to the contending powers of this world. I. GOD 'S JUDGMENTS ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO FALL . War is made by confederate kings or princes against the people of the wicked cities of the plain, who by their propinquity would naturally be leagued together, but by their common rebellion against Chedorlaomer were involved in a common danger. Notice the indication of the future judgment given in the course of the narrative—"the vale of Siddim was full... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:3

All these— the last-named princes— were joined together — i.e. as confederates (so. and came with their forces)—in (literally, to ) the vale of Siddim . The salt valley ( LXX .); a wooded vale (Vulgate); a plain filled with rocky hollows (Gesenius), with which Genesis 14:10 agrees; the valley of plains or fields (Onkelos, Raschi, Keil, Murphy). Which is the salt sea. i.e. where the salt sea afterwards arose, on the destruction of the cities of the plain— Genesis 19:24 , ... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 14:1-24

- Abram Rescues Lot1. 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 Λάρισσα Larissa or Λαράχων 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, Kedorla’omer, was compared by Col.... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Genesis 14:1-24

Click image for full-size versionAbram meets Melchizedek (14:1-24)Lot’s selfish choice brought him unexpected trouble. In the Dead Sea region where Lot lived, a group of city-states rebelled against their Mesopotamian overlords and brought war upon themselves. Lot was captured and his possessions plundered (14:1-12). Abram was in no danger but he was concerned for Lot. With a fighting force of over three hundred from his large household, along with others from neighbouring households, he... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Genesis 14:3

vale. Afterward, the Salt (or Dead Sea), when Moses wrote. Siddim = the Siddim. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 14:3-4

"All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea). Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.""Which is the Salt Sea ..." The meaning here appears to be that the site of the battle mentioned was at the time of the writing of Genesis a portion of the Dead Sea. As Yates said, "Scholars affirm that the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah lie beneath the waters of the south end of this sea."[5]"They rebelled ..." Chedorlaomer was probably the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 14:1-12

The four kings (Genesis 14:1) resided in the eastern part of the Fertile Crescent. They sought to dominate the land of Canaan by subjugating five kings (Genesis 14:2) who lived there. They probably wanted to keep the trade routes between Mesopotamia and Egypt open and under their control. It is interesting that people living around Babylon initiated this first war mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 14:2).Scholars have debated the identity of the Rephaim (Genesis 14:5; cf. Genesis 15:20; literally... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 14:1-16

Abram’s war with four kings 14:1-16 A major significance of this literary unit is that it describes two more challenges to God’s faithfulness and Abram’s faith. So far Abram had to contend with several barriers to God fulfilling His promises to him. His wife was barren, he had to leave the land, his life was in danger, and his anticipated heir showed no interest in the Promised Land. Now he became involved in a war and consequently became the target of retaliation by four powerful kings. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 14:1-12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 14:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:1-24

The Pulpit Commentary - Genesis 14:3

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Genesis 14:1-24

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Genesis 14:1-24

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Genesis 14:3

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Genesis 14:3-4

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 14:1-12

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Genesis 14:1-16

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