Genesis 14:3

_ALL THESE WERE JOINED TOGETHER IN THE VALE OF SIDDIM, WHICH IS THE SALT SEA._ All these were joined together - i:e., were confederate. THE VALE OF SIDDIM, [Hebrew, _ `EEMEQ_ (H6010).] - a low and broad tract of land bounded by hills. SIDDIM. Gesenius, who regards the word as probably Arabic, takes it to denote a depression or wady full of obstructions; a plain cut up by stony channels and pits (Genesis 14:10). [The Septuagint has epi teen pharanga teen halukeen , upon the salt valley. The common view is, that _ SIDIYM_ (H7708) is the plural of _ SAADEEH _ (H7704), a level cultivated field; and accordingly the Jewish Targums for the most part render "the vale of Siddim" 'the valley of the fields.']

1-12 The wars of nations make great figure in history, but we should not have had the record of this war if Abram and Lot had not been concerned. Out of covetousness, Lot had settled in fruitful, but wicked Sodom. Its inhabitants were the most ripe for vengeance of all the descendants of Canaan. The invaders were from Chaldea and Persia, then only small kingdoms. They took Lot among the rest, and his goods. Though he was righteous, and Abram's brother's son, yet he was with the rest in this trouble. Neither our own piety, nor our relation to the favourites of Heaven, will be our security when God's judgments are abroad. Many an honest man fares the worse for his wicked neighbours: it is our wisdom to separate, or at least to distinguish ourselves from them, 2 Corinthians 6:17. So near a relation of Abram should have been a companion and a disciple of Abram. If he chose to dwell in Sodom...

- 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 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‛om

EXPOSITION GENESIS 14:1 AND IT CAME TO PASS. After the separation of Abram and Lot, the latter of whom now appears as a citizen of Sodom, and not merely a settler in the Jordan circle; perhaps about the eighty-fourth year of Abram's life (Hughes). The present chapter, "the oldest extant record respecting Abraham" (Ewald), but introduced into the Mosaic narrative by the Jehovistic editor (Knobel, Tuch, Bleek, Davidson), possesses traces of authenticity, of which not the least is the chronological definition with which it commences (Havernick). IN THE DAYS OF AMRAPHEL. Sanscrit, _Amrapala_, keeper of the gods (Gesenius); _Arphaxad_ (Furst); powerful people (Young, 'Analytical Concordance'); root unknown (Murphy, Kalisch). KING OF SKINAR. _Babel _(Onkelos); Bagdad (Arabic version of Erpe

ALL THESE WERE JOINED TOGETHER IN THE VALE OF SIDDIM,.... Or "of fields", or "ploughed lands" b, 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 Genesis 13:10; though Aben Ezra thinks it had its name from the slime or bitumen, of which there was great plenty in it, see Genesis 14:10. Now the above five kings, as they all dwelt in the plain, they entered into a confederacy, met together, and joined their forces in this vale, to oppose the four kings that were come to make war with them, as being an advantageous place, as they judged, perhaps on more accounts than one; and here they stayed to receive the enemy, and give him battle, see...

CHAPTER 14 THE FIRST RECORDED WAR AND LOT'S DELIVERANCE _ 1. The battle of the confederacy (Genesis 14:1)_ 2. Sodom and Gomorrah spoiled (Genesis 14:11) 3. Abram's rescue (Genesis 14:14) 4. Sodom's king to meet Abram (Genesis 14:17) 5. Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) 6. The king's offer and Abram's answer (Genesis 14:21) The record of the first war is here foreshadowing the last great warfare still to com

THE FOUR KINGS MAKE WAR WITH THE FIVE REBEL KINGS. The four kings of Lower Babylonia, Larsa, Elam, and (?) Guti, made war on the five kings of the cities of the Plain, who had formed a confederacy in the Vale of Siddim, a district now covered by the Dead Sea, and after twelve years'subjection threw off the yoke of Elam. Amraphel is by most scholars identified with Hammurabi (p. 51), in spite of serious objections which others regard as insuperable. The date of Hammurabi has been much disputed (pp. 119, 130). He threw off the sovereignty of Elam, then overthrew Rim-Sin, the brother and successor of Arad-Sin or Eri-aku, and created a united kingdom of Babylonia after the conquest of Sumer and Accad. He has become specially famous in recent times through the discovery of the legislation, known as the Code of Hammurabi, which, apart from its intrinsic interest for the student of jurisprudenc...

VALE. Afterward, the Salt (or Dead Sea), when Moses wrote. SIDDIM. the Siddim....

_All these_ Probably the kings mentioned in Genesis 14:2, i.e. the five local subject princes. That there should be any doubt whether "all these" refers to the four kings of the east, or to the five kings of the west, is an example of the unskilful style in which this section is written. _joined together_ The five local kings combined: "the vale of Siddim" was their rallying place. But as "the vale of Siddim" was their own country, the wording is awkward. Hence some prefer R.V. marg. "joined themselves together against," with a change of subject; i.e. the kings of the E. combined and marched against the kings of the W. But the change of subject, interrupting Genesis 14:2_; Genesis 14:4_, is surely too harsh....

_4. The Biblical Account (ch. 14)._ And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 that they 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 Beta (the same is Zoar). 3 All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashterothkarnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shavehkiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their mount Seir, unto El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 And they returned, and came to Enmishpat (the same is Kadesh), and smote all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites...