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Genesis 14 Berean Standard Bible

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  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Critical text
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  • 2022
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Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim 2 went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea ). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert. 7 Then they turned back to invade En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and arrayed themselves for battle in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since Lot was living in Sodom. 13 Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty to Abram. 14 And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night, Abram divided his forces and routed Chedorlaomer’s army, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He retrieved all the goods, as well as his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the rest of the people. 17 After Abram returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High — 19 and he blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. 21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the LORD God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not accept even a thread, or a strap of a sandal, or anything that belongs to you, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share for the men who went with me—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. They may take their portion.”

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)