Genesis 14:4
New International Version
For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

New Living Translation
For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.

English Standard Version
Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Berean Standard Bible
For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

King James Bible
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

New King James Version
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

New American Standard Bible
For twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

NASB 1995
Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.

NASB 1977
Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now for twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Amplified Bible
Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer [the most powerful king in the invading confederacy], but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Christian Standard Bible
They were subject to Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They were subject to Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

American Standard Version
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

English Revised Version
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
For 12 years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Good News Translation
They had been under the control of Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.

International Standard Version
They were subject to Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but they rebelled in the thirteenth year.

Majority Standard Bible
For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

NET Bible
For twelve years they had served Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

New Heart English Bible
Twelve years they served Kedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year, they rebelled.

Webster's Bible Translation
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

World English Bible
They served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
[for] twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Young's Literal Translation
twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Smith's Literal Translation
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and the thirteenth year they revolted.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For they had served Chodorlahomor twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they revolted from him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For they had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years, and in the thirteenth year they withdrew from him.

New American Bible
For twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

New Revised Standard Version
Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Twelve years they served Cardlaamar, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Twelve years they served Kardlaamar; the thirteenth year they rebelled.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Twelve years they served Chodollogomor, and the thirteenth year they revolted.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The War of the Kings
3The latter five came as allies to the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). 4For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5In 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,…

Cross References
Exodus 1:11-14
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. / But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. / They worked the Israelites ruthlessly ...

2 Kings 18:7
And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.

2 Kings 24:1
During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded. So Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, until he turned and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.

2 Chronicles 36:13
He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.

Nehemiah 9:27-28
So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies. / But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.

Jeremiah 27:8
As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and does not place its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation by sword and famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I have destroyed it by his hand.

Jeremiah 52:3-5
For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon. / So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built a siege wall all around it. / And the city was kept under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.

Daniel 3:14-18
and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up? / Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?” / Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ...

Daniel 5:18-19
As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor. / Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.

Matthew 17:24-27
After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?” / “Yes,” he answered. When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?” / “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ...

Matthew 22:17-21
So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” / But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you testing Me? / Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. ...

Luke 20:22-25
Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” / But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them, / “Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they answered. ...

John 8:33-36
“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?” / Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. / A slave does not remain in the house forever, but a son remains forever. ...

Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.

Acts 7:6-7
God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. / ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’


Treasury of Scripture

Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

they served.

Genesis 9:25,26
And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren…

they rebelled.

Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

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Chedorlaomer Ched-Or-Lao'mer Control Kedorlaomer Rebelled Rule Served Subject Thirteenth Twelve
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Chedorlaomer Ched-Or-Lao'mer Control Kedorlaomer Rebelled Rule Served Subject Thirteenth Twelve
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.














For twelve years
This phrase sets the stage for understanding the duration of subjugation experienced by the kings of the region. The number twelve in biblical terms often symbolizes governmental perfection or completeness. The twelve years of subjugation suggest a complete cycle of domination, indicating that the kings had been under the rule of Chedorlaomer for a significant period, enough to establish a pattern of control and tribute.

they had been subject
The Hebrew root for "subject" is "עָבַד" (avad), which means to serve or to be in bondage. This implies a forced servitude, where the kings were not merely allies but were under the oppressive control of Chedorlaomer. This servitude was likely marked by heavy tributes and loss of autonomy, reflecting a common practice in ancient Near Eastern politics where stronger kings imposed their will on weaker ones.

to Chedorlaomer
Chedorlaomer is identified as the king of Elam, an ancient civilization located in what is now southwestern Iran. His name, of Elamite origin, suggests he was a powerful ruler, possibly leading a coalition of kings. Historically, Elam was known for its military prowess and influence, which aligns with Chedorlaomer's role as a dominant figure in this narrative. His leadership over the coalition indicates his significant influence and the fear he instilled in the surrounding regions.

but in the thirteenth year
The thirteenth year marks a pivotal moment of change. Biblically, the number thirteen can symbolize rebellion or apostasy, which is fitting in this context. The transition from the twelfth to the thirteenth year signifies a breaking point, where the subjugated kings decide to challenge the established order. This year becomes a turning point, highlighting the courage and desperation of the rebelling kings.

they rebelled
The Hebrew word for "rebelled" is "מָרַד" (marad), which conveys the idea of revolt or uprising. This act of rebellion was a significant and risky decision, as it meant defying a powerful overlord. Historically, such rebellions were not uncommon, as subjected peoples often sought to regain their freedom and autonomy. This rebellion sets the stage for the ensuing conflict and demonstrates the universal desire for self-determination and resistance against oppression.

(4) They served.--That is, paid a yearly tribute, that they might be exempt from Chedorlaomer's marauding expeditions (see 2Kings 18:7). There must, therefore, have been envoys going from time to time to and from the Jordan valley to Shinar.

Verse 4. - Twelve years - dating from the commencement of his reign (Murphy) - they served - and paid tribute (cf. 2 Kings 18:7) - Chedorlaomer. If the king of Elam was a Shemite prince, this was m accordance with the Noachic prophecy (Genesis 9:26); but according to the monuments the Elamits dynasty was Turanian. And in the thirteenth year - during the whole of the thirteenth year (vide Ewald's 'Hebrews Synt.,' § 300, a; cf. Ver. 5) - they rebelled, or had rebelled.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For twelve
שְׁתֵּ֤ים (šə·têm)
Number - fd
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

years
שָׁנָ֔ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

they had been subject
עָבְד֖וּ (‘ā·ḇə·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

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

but in the thirteenth
וּשְׁלֹשׁ־ (ū·šə·lōš-)
Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

year
שָׁנָ֖ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

they rebelled.
מָרָֽדוּ׃ (mā·rā·ḏū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4775: To rebel


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OT Law: Genesis 14:4 Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer and (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 14:3
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