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Genesis · Bible in Basic English

Genesis 14 Bible in Basic English

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About BBE
  • Scholarly edition
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew (not verified)
  • NT: Critical text (not verified)
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Simplified language
  • 1965
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 Now in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, 2 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 Bela (which is Zoar). 3 All these came together in the valley of Siddim (which is the Salt Sea). 4 For twelve years they were under the rule of Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they put off his control. 5 And in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings who were on his side, overcame the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 And the Horites in their mountain Seir, driving them as far as El-paran, which is near the waste land. 7 Then they came back to En-mishpat (which is Kadesh), making waste all the country of the Amalekites and of the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar. 8 And the king of Sodom with the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is Zoar), went out, and put their forces in position in the valley of Siddim, 9 Against Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, and Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar: four kings against the five. 10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of holes of sticky earth; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were put to flight and came to their end there, but the rest got away to the mountain. 11 And the four kings took all the goods and food from Sodom and Gomorrah and went on their way. 12 And in addition they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who was living in Sodom, and all his goods. 13 And one who had got away from the fight came and gave word of it to Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the holy tree of Mamre, the Amorite, the brother of Eshcol and Aner, who were friends of Abram. 14 And Abram, hearing that his brother's son had been made a prisoner, took a band of his trained men, three hundred and eighteen of them, sons of his house, and went after them as far as Dan. 15 And separating his forces by night, he overcame them, putting them to flight and going after them as far as Hobah, which is on the north side of Damascus. 16 And he got back all the goods, and Lot, his brother's son, with his goods and the women and the people. 17 And when he was coming back after putting to flight Chedorlaomer and the other kings, he had a meeting with the king of Sodom in the valley of Shaveh, that is, the King's Valley. 18 And Melchizedek, king of Salem, the priest of the Most High God, took bread and wine, 19 And blessing him, said, May the blessing of the Most High God, maker of heaven and earth, be on Abram: 20 And let the Most High God be praised, who has given into your hands those who were against you. Then Abram gave him a tenth of all the goods he had taken. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the prisoners and take the goods for yourself. 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have taken an oath to the Lord, the Most High God, maker of heaven and earth, 23 That I will not take so much as a thread or the cord of a shoe of yours; so that you may not say, I have given wealth to Abram: 24 Give me nothing but the food which the fighting-men who went with me have had; but let Aner and Eshcol and Mamre have their part of the goods.

People & places in this chapter

From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.

People

  • Abraham

    Father of nations

    Called by God, he left home in faith to become the father of a chosen people.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 12–25

  • Amraphel

    King of Shinar

    King of Shinar, one of four kings who made war on the five kings of the Valley of Siddim in Abram's day.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:1; Genesis 14:9

  • Aner

    Amorite ally of Abram

    An Amorite, brother of Mamre and Eshcol and bound by treaty to Abram, who went with Abram's men in the rescue of Lot.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:13; Genesis 14:24

  • Arioch

    King of Ellasar

    King of Ellasar, who joined Chedorlaomer in the war of four kings against five.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:1; Genesis 14:9

  • Bera

    King of Sodom

    King of Sodom, named first among the five kings who went to battle against the four kings in the Valley of Siddim.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:2

  • Birsha

    King of Gomorrah

    King of Gomorrah, one of the five kings who fought the four kings in the Valley of Siddim.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:2

  • Chedorlaomer

    King of Elam; coalition leader

    King of Elam whom the kings of the Valley of Siddim served twelve years before rebelling; he carried off Lot, but Abram routed his army and rescued Lot.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:1; Genesis 14:4–5; Genesis 14:9

  • Eshcol

    Amorite ally of Abram

    An Amorite, brother of Mamre and Aner and bound by treaty to Abram, who went with Abram's men in the rescue of Lot.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:13; Genesis 14:24

  • Lot

    Abraham's nephew

    Abraham's nephew who chose the plain of Jordan and settled near Sodom.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 11–14; 19

  • Mamre

    Amorite ally of Abram

    An Amorite, brother of Eshcol and Aner and bound by treaty to Abram, near whose oaks Abram lived; Abram claimed a share of the rescue spoils for him.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:13; Genesis 14:24

  • Melchizedek

    Priest-king of Salem

    King of Salem and priest of God Most High, who brought out bread and wine, blessed Abram, and received a tenth of everything from him.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6

  • Shemeber

    King of Zeboiim

    King of Zeboiim, one of the five kings who fought the four kings in the Valley of Siddim.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:2

  • Shinab

    King of Admah

    King of Admah, one of the five kings who fought the four kings in the Valley of Siddim.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:2

  • Tidal

    King of Goiim

    King of Goiim (called king of nations in the KJV), who joined Chedorlaomer in the war against the five kings.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 14:1; Genesis 14:9

Places

  • Damascus

    Today: Syria

    An ancient Aramean capital where Saul (Paul) was converted and first preached. He later escaped over its wall in a basket.

    Cited in the guide: Acts 9:3; Genesis 14:15; 2 Kings 5:12

Cross references (22)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Genesis 10:10; Genesis 10:22; Isaiah 37:12; Genesis 11:2; Isaiah 11:11
  2. 2 Genesis 13:10; Deuteronomy 29:23; Genesis 10:19; Hosea 11:8; Isaiah 1:9–10
  3. 3 Numbers 34:12; Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16; Genesis 19:24; Psalm 107:34
  4. 4 Ezekiel 17:15; Genesis 9:25–26
  5. 5 Deuteronomy 3:11; Deuteronomy 2:10–11; Genesis 15:20; Deuteronomy 1:4; Deuteronomy 3:22
  6. 6 Deuteronomy 2:22; Deuteronomy 2:12; Genesis 21:21; Numbers 12:16; Numbers 13:3
  7. 7 2 Chronicles 20:2; Genesis 16:14; Genesis 20:1; Numbers 20:1; 1 Samuel 27:1–12
  8. 8 Genesis 19:22; Genesis 19:20; Genesis 13:10; Genesis 14:10; Genesis 14:2–3
  9. 10 Genesis 19:17; Isaiah 24:18; Genesis 19:30; Jeremiah 48:44; Genesis 11:3
  10. 11 Genesis 14:21; Genesis 14:16; Deuteronomy 28:35; Genesis 12:5; Deuteronomy 28:31
  11. 12 Genesis 12:5; Genesis 11:27; Revelation 3:19; Genesis 13:12–13; Job 9:23
  12. 13 Genesis 13:18; Genesis 14:24; Genesis 40:15; 1 Samuel 4:12; Exodus 2:6
  13. 14 Judges 18:29; Genesis 15:3; Genesis 17:12; Ecclesiastes 2:7; Genesis 17:27
  14. 15 Acts 9:2; Deuteronomy 15:2; 1 Kings 15:18; Isaiah 41:2–3; Psalm 112:5
  15. 16 1 Samuel 30:18–19; 1 Samuel 30:8; Genesis 12:2; Isaiah 41:2; Genesis 14:11–12
  16. 17 2 Samuel 18:18; Hebrews 7:1; Proverbs 19:4; Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 18:6
  17. 18 Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 6:20–7:3; Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 5:10; Psalm 76:2
  18. 19 Genesis 14:22; Hebrews 7:6–7; Ruth 3:10; Psalm 24:1; Numbers 6:23–27
  19. 20 Genesis 28:22; Nehemiah 13:12; Hebrews 7:4–9; Malachi 3:10; Deuteronomy 14:28
  20. 22 Daniel 12:7; Psalm 83:18; Revelation 10:5–6; Daniel 4:34; Judges 11:35
  21. 23 2 Kings 5:16; 2 Corinthians 11:9–12; Hebrews 13:5; Esther 9:15–16; 2 Kings 5:20
  22. 24 Proverbs 3:27; Matthew 7:12; Genesis 14:13; Romans 13:7–8; 1 Timothy 5:18

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 14:22 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book IV, Preface)

    For faith towards God justifies a man; and therefore he said, "I will stretch forth my hand to the most high God, who made the heaven and the earth." All these truths, however, do those holding perverse opinions endeavour to overthrow, because of one passage, which they certainly do not understand correctly.

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  2. Quotes verse 14:18 Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine (Book IV, Chapter 21)

    … Lord's supper prefigured in the case of Melchizedek the priest, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, where it says: And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed Abraham.' Now, that Melchizedek was a type of Christ, the Holy Spirit declares in the Psalms, …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)

  3. Quotes verse 14:14 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily XXXV)

    Yea, the patriarch himself we admire for this, that in his own person he ran to the herd, and snatched up the calf, and that, when he had three hundred and eighteen servants born in his house. But now some are filled with so much pride, as to do these things by servants, and not to be ashamed.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)

  4. Quotes verse 14:18 John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (Book IV, Chapters XII–XIII)

    With bread and wine Melchisedek, the priest of the most high God, received Abraham on his return from the slaughter of the Gentiles.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)