Genesis Chapter 14 ExplainedGenesis Chapter 14Verses 1-12:Raiding, conquering, and making other kings and city-states subservient vassalswere all part of the world of the Fertile Crescent in Abraham’s day. Theselocations mentioned range from Shinar in the east (the region south of the SaltSea; Dead Sea), to the Jordan Valley, to the land of Moab, Southwest of the DeadSea to Mt. Seir (later Edom).Amalekites (seenote on Exodus 17:8), did not yet exist in Abram’s time (36:12), but they didwhen Moses wrote. Amorites scattered throughout Palestine became Canaanites.Vassal states, when they thought they could throw off the yoke of their suzerainwith impunity, rebelled by not paying the assessed tribute and waited for anymilitary response.This timerebellion evoked a major military excursion by the offended suzerainChedorlaomer and his allies (verses 5-7). In the ensuing confrontation withSodom and Gomorrah and their allies (verses 8-10), the vassals miscalculated andthey lost. Lot, by then a resident of Sodom, was taken captive.Genesis 14:1 'And it came to pass in the daysof Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam,and Tidal king of nations;'Fourteen yearsprevious to the time of the incident narrated here (verse 5), “Chedorlaomer”(not Hammurabi), had control of the plain of Jordan.
At this time, Abram waspossibly still in Haran. Five cities of the plain revolted; and Chedorlaomer,with three allies, marched against them.The reason for theallies’ presence is only a guess, but they certainly came a long distance tocontrol this area. So, they may have come to control the copper mines south andsouthwest of the Dead Sea. The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions reveal that the mineswere worked for centuries.
During the 60s and 70s, Ocampo’s works showcases a paradoxical order. His works are in subtlety gradating in colors and the shapes are irregular. Ocampo remained fixated to human figures from from 50s (Fixty-Six E) until the 70s. Ocampo’s art can be described as humanist and oftentimes, Christian elements such as nativities. The Literal Interpretation of the Genesis One Creation Account by Rich Deem Introduction. Get out your Bibles and be prepared for a shock. You are about to read the Genesis creation account and see (probably) for the first time what the text really says.
Later, Solomon worked them.Genesis 14:2 'That these made war with Beraking of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, andShemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.' The spirit ofdespotism had descended from Nimrod to the present potentates of the East, andprompted them to aim at universal empire. The five kings are the pettysovereigns, each of a single town and its neighborhood. The area in which thesetowns lay was very circumscribed.With the exceptionof the territory of Bela it was afterward submerged and formed part of the basinof the Salt Sea. Hence, Siddim is said to be the Salt Sea. The dale is the deepvalley or glen in which these kings dwelt on the banks of the Jordan, or theSalt Lake into which it flowed.Of the fivecities, Sodom was the chief in power, luxury, and wickedness; whence it ismentioned first. Bela is also called Zoar, 'the little,' and, hence, is placedlast; even the name of its king is not given.
'All these joined together.' Genesis 14:3 'All these were joined together inthe vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.' Those mentioned inverse 1 formed a league in self-defense, and marched out to meet the enemy inthe dale of Siddim. These made war with Bera, etc.There are just afew things in this to note.(1) Elam is modernIran;(2) Vale of Siddimand Salt Sea are the same as the Dead Sea; and(3) Remember thatLot had settled at, or near, Sodom.Genesis 14:4 'Twelve years they servedChedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.'