Genesis 14:1
New International Version
At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goyim,

New Living Translation
About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim

English Standard Version
In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

Berean Standard Bible
In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

King James Bible
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 nations;

New King James Version
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 nations,

New American Standard Bible
And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

NASB 1995
And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

NASB 1977
And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

Legacy Standard Bible
And it happened in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

Amplified Bible
In the days of the [Eastern] kings Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,

Christian Standard Bible
In those days King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

American Standard Version
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,

Contemporary English Version
About this time, King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim

English Revised Version
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,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
At that time [four kings]-King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim-

Good News Translation
Four kings, Amraphel of Babylonia, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,

International Standard Version
At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar, Arioch was king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer was king of Elam, and Tidal was king of the Goiim,

Majority Standard Bible
In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

NET Bible
At that time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations

New Heart English Bible
It happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim,

Webster's Bible Translation
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 nations;

World English Bible
In the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar; Arioch, king of Ellasar; Chedorlaomer, king of Elam; and Tidal, king of Goiim,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations,

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim,

Smith's Literal Translation
And it shall be in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch king of Alasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of nations,
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass at that time, that Amraphel king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Pontus, and Chodorlahomor king of the Elamites, and Thadal king of nations,

Catholic Public Domain Version
Now it happened in that time that Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Pontus, and Chedorlaomer, king of the Elamites, and Tidal, king of the Nations,

New American Bible
When Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim

New Revised Standard Version
In the days of King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
AND it came to pass in the days of Amarphel king of Sinar, Arioch king of Dalasar, Cardlaamar king of Elam, and Tarael king of Gelites

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And it was in the days of Amarphel the King of Sinar and Ariok the King of Dalasar and Kardlamar the King of Ilaam and Tareel the King of Gelaya;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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,

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass in the reign of Amarphal king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, that Chodollogomor king of Elam, and Thargal king of nations,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The War of the Kings
1 In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim 2went 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).…

Cross References
Hebrews 7:1-2
This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, / and Abraham apportioned to him a tenth of everything. First, his name means “king of righteousness.” Then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”

Psalm 110:4
The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Joshua 10:3-5
Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, / “Come up and help me. We will attack Gibeon, because they have made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” / So the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon—joined forces and advanced with all their armies. They camped before Gibeon and made war against it.

2 Samuel 8:3
David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.

Isaiah 41:2
Who has aroused one from the east and called him to his feet in righteousness? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.

Ezekiel 38:5-6
Persia, Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets, / as well as Gomer with all its troops, and Beth-togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.

Daniel 2:37-38
You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, strength, and glory. / Wherever the sons of men or beasts of the field or birds of the air dwell, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.

2 Kings 24:1-2
During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded. So Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, until he turned and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. / And the LORD sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim in order to destroy Judah, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets.

Nehemiah 9:7-8
You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. / You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.

Acts 7:4-5
So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. / He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.

Romans 4:13
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.

Hebrews 11:8-9
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going. / By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

2 Chronicles 20:1-2
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. / Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the Sea; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).

Jeremiah 49:34-39
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah. / This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold, I will shatter Elam’s bow, the mainstay of their might. / I will bring the four winds against Elam from the four corners of the heavens, and I will scatter them to all these winds. There will not be a nation to which Elam’s exiles will not go. ...


Treasury of Scripture

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 nations;

A.

Genesis 10:10
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Genesis 11:2
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

Isaiah 11:11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Ellasar.

Isaiah 37:12
Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar?

Elam.

Genesis 10:22
The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.

Isaiah 21:2
A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

Isaiah 22:6
And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

Jump to Previous
Amraphel Am'raphel Arioch Ar'ioch Chedorlaomer Ched-Or-Lao'mer Elam Ellasar Ella'sar Goiim Goi'im Goyim Kedorlaomer Nations Shinar Tidal Time
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Amraphel Am'raphel Arioch Ar'ioch Chedorlaomer Ched-Or-Lao'mer Elam Ellasar Ella'sar Goiim Goi'im Goyim Kedorlaomer Nations Shinar Tidal Time
Genesis 14
1. The battle of four kings against the king of Sodom and his allies.
12. Lot is taken prisoner.
14. Abram rescues him.
17. Melchizedek blesses Abram, who gives him tithes.
21. Abram restores the rest of the spoil to the king of Sodom.














In those days
This phrase sets the historical context, indicating a specific period in the ancient Near East. It suggests a time when tribal and city-state kings were common, and alliances were often formed for mutual benefit or conquest. The phrase invites readers to consider the historical and cultural backdrop of the patriarchal era, a time when God's chosen people were beginning to establish their identity amidst surrounding nations.

Amraphel king of Shinar
"Amraphel" is a name that has intrigued scholars, with some associating it with Hammurabi, the famous Babylonian king, though this is debated. "Shinar" is often identified with the region of ancient Mesopotamia, specifically Babylon. This highlights the geopolitical significance of the area, known for its early advancements in civilization and its role as a center of power and culture. The mention of Shinar connects the narrative to the broader biblical theme of Babylon as a symbol of human pride and rebellion against God.

Arioch king of Ellasar
"Arioch" is a name that appears elsewhere in ancient texts, suggesting a historical basis for the character. "Ellasar" is less clearly identified but is thought to be a city or region in Mesopotamia. This reference underscores the interconnectedness of ancient Near Eastern politics, where local rulers often engaged in alliances and conflicts. It also reflects the biblical theme of God's sovereignty over all nations, regardless of their power or influence.

Kedorlaomer king of Elam
"Kedorlaomer" is a name of Elamite origin, indicating a ruler from Elam, an ancient kingdom located to the east of Mesopotamia, in what is now southwestern Iran. Elam was a significant power in the region, known for its military prowess. The inclusion of Kedorlaomer in this coalition highlights the far-reaching influence and ambition of these kings. It also sets the stage for the unfolding narrative of God's intervention in the affairs of nations, demonstrating His ultimate authority.

Tidal king of Goiim
"Tidal" is a name that some scholars associate with Hittite or Anatolian origins, though its exact identification remains uncertain. "Goiim" is a Hebrew term meaning "nations" or "peoples," suggesting a coalition of various tribes or groups. This phrase emphasizes the diversity and complexity of ancient political landscapes, where alliances were often fluid and based on mutual interests. It also reflects the biblical theme of God's concern for all nations, as He works through history to fulfill His purposes.

XIV.

INVASION OF THE JORDAN VALLEY BY CHEDOR-LAOMER, KING OF ELAM.

(1) It came to pass.--Connected with the settlement of Lot in the Jordan valley is one of the most remarkable episodes in the whole of the Bible, derived either from Canaanite records, or, as Mr. Sayce thinks (Chald. Genesis, p. 72), from those of Babylon. The latter view is made the more probable by the fact that Amraphel, though but a subject king, is placed first; and the way in which the patriarch is described in it, as "Abram the Hebrew," seems certainly to suggest that we have to do here with a narrative of foreign origin.

Its incorporation with the history admirably sets forth the consequences of Lot's choice in the troubles, and even ruin, which overtook him, the bravery and power of Abram, and his generosity to the rescued kings. It is also most interesting, as showing Abram's relation to the Amorites, among whom he lived, and the existence in Palestine of a Semitic population, who still worshipped "the most high God," and over whom one of the noblest figures in the Old Testament was king. The narrative is Jehovistic, for Abram calls God Jehovah El Elton, but is, nevertheless, of such ancient date as to forbid the acceptance of the theory which regards the occurrence of the name Jehovah as a proof of later authorship. Upon Elam and the conquests and route of Chedorlaomer, see Excursus at end of this book.

Amraphel.--An Accadian name, which Lenormant has found on Babylonian cylinders, and which he explains as meaning "the circle of the year."

Shinar.--See on Genesis 10:10.

Arioch.--i.e., Eriaku, which in Accadian means "servant of the moon-god." He was king of Ellasar, i.e., Al-Larsa, the city of Larsa, now called Senkereh. It is situated on the left bank of the Euphrates, in Lower Babylonia, and has contributed some very ancient tablets to the collection in the British Museum. The name occurs again in Daniel 2:14.

Tidal.--More correctly in the LXX., Thargal, that is, Tur-gal. the great son (Sayce). In the Syriac he is called "Thargil, king of the Gelae," the latter being a mistake, through reading Gelim for Goim. This word does not mean "nations," but is a proper name, spelt Gutium in the inscriptions, "by which the Accadians designated the whole tract of country which extended from the Tigris to the eastern borders of Media, including the district afterwards known as Assyria" (Chald. Gen., p. 197). . . .

Verse 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 Erpenius); Pontus (Jonathan); the successor of Nimrod (vide Genesis 10:10). Arioch. Sanscrit, Arjaka, venerated (Bohlen, Gesenius, Furst); probably from the root אֲרִי, a lion, hence leonine (Gesenius, Murphy). The name, which re. appears in Daniel 2:14, has been compared, though doubtfully, with the Urukh of the inscriptions (vide 'Records of the Past,' vol. 3. p. 9). King of Ellasar. Pontus (Symmachus, Vulgate); the region between Babylon and Elymais (Gesenius); identified with Larsa or Laranka, the Λάρισσα or λαράχων of the Greeks, now Senkereh, a town of Lower Babylonia, between Mugheir (Ur) and Wrarka (Erech), on the left bank of the Euphrates (Rawlinson). Chedorlaomer. A "handful of sheaves," if the word be Phoenicio-Shemitie, though probably its true etymology should be sought in ancient Persian (Gesenius, Furst). The name has been detected by archaeologists in Kudur-mapula, the Ravager of the West, whom monumental evidence declares to have reigned over Babylon in the twentieth century B.C.; and "Kudurnanhundi the Elamite, the worship of the great gods who did not fear," and the conqueror of Chaldaea, B.C. 2280; but in both instances the identifications are problematical. The name Chedorlaomer in Babylonian would be Kudur-lagamer; but as yet this name has not been found on the inscriptions (vide 'Records of the Past,' vol. 3 pp. 7, 19). King of Elam. East of Babylonia, on the north of the Persian Gulf (cf. Genesis 10:22). And Tidal. "Fear, veneration" (Gesenius); terror (Murphy); "splendor, renown" (Furst); though the name may not be Shemitic. King of nations. The Scythians (Symmachus); the Galilean heathen (Clericus, Rosenmüller, Delitzsch), which are inappropriate in this connection nomadic races (Rawlinson); probably some smaller tribes so gradually subjugated by Tidal as to render it "impossible to describe him briefly with any degree of accuracy" (Kalisch).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
In those days
בִּימֵי֙ (bî·mê)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

Amraphel
אַמְרָפֶ֣ל (’am·rā·p̄el)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 569: Amraphel -- king of Shinar

king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Shinar,
שִׁנְעָ֔ר (šin·‘ār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8152: Shinar -- another name for Babylon

Arioch
אַרְי֖וֹךְ (’ar·yō·wḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 746: Arioch -- king of Ellasar

king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Ellasar,
אֶלָּסָ֑ר (’el·lā·sār)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 495: Ellasar -- a country of unknown location

Chedorlaomer
כְּדָרְלָעֹ֙מֶר֙ (kə·ḏā·rə·lā·‘ō·mer)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3540: Chedorlaomer -- a king of Elam

king
מֶ֣לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Elam,
עֵילָ֔ם (‘ê·lām)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5867: Elam -- a son of Shem, also his descendants and their country

and Tidal
וְתִדְעָ֖ל (wə·ṯiḏ·‘āl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8413: Tidal -- perhaps a Canaanite king

king
מֶ֥לֶךְ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Goiim
גּוֹיִֽם׃ (gō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts


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OT Law: Genesis 14:1 It happened in the days of Amraphel (Gen. Ge Gn)
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