Genesis 14:4

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 14:4

Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer ,.... King of Elam, who was of the race of Shem, and so the prophecy of Noah began to be fulfilled, that Canaan should be servant to Shem, Genesis 9:26 ; for the kings of Sodom, &c.; and their subjects, were of the race of Ham in the line of Canaan, who had by violence seized on that part of the earth which was allotted to the sons of Shem, and therefore Chedorlaomer being a descendant of his claimed his right, and made them tributary to him, which... 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 14:4

Twelve years —dating from the commencement of his reign (Murphy)— they served —and paid tribute (cf. 2 Kings 18:7 )— Chedorlaomer. If the king of Elam was a Shemite prince, this was m accordance with the Noachic prophecy ( Genesis 9:26 ); but according to the monuments the Elamits dynasty was Turanian. And in the thirteenth year— during the whole of the thirteenth year— they rebelled , or had rebelled. 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

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Genesis 14:4

Genesis 14:4. Twelve years they served him The Sodomites were the posterity of Canaan, whom Noah had pronounced a servant to Shem, from whom Elam descended. Thus soon did that prophecy begin to be fulfilled. In the thirteenth year (beginning to be weary of their subjection) they rebelled Denied their tribute, and attempted to shake off the yoke. 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 14:4

Twelve. The No. of Government. See App-10 . served = had served, Genesis 14:4 goes back to the events leading up to the present war with Sodom. thirteenth. The first occurance. Hence the number of Rebellion. See App-10 . 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

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