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;
And it came to pass. This chapter presents Abram in the unexpected character of a warrior. The occasion was this: the King of Sodom and the kings of the adjoining cities, after having been tributaries for twelve years to the King of Elam, combined to throw off his yoke. To chastise their rebellion, as he deemed it, Chedorlaomer, with the aid of three allies, invaded the territories of the refractory princes, defeated them in a pitched battle, where the nature of the ground favoured his army (Genesis 14:10), and hastened in triumph on his homeward march, with a large amount of captives and booty.
Amraphel - supposed by some to be derived from the Sanskrit Amarapala, 'worshipper of the gods;' but it has been suggested, though somewhat doubtingly, by Sir H. Rawlinson, that this name is rather connected with the god Phul-a cylinder having been found at Khileh-Shergat bearing the name of Amraphel, king of Shinar, contemporaneously, as it seems, with the event referred to.
Shinar - i:e., Babylonia (see the note at Genesis 11:2).
Arioch king of Ellasar - or Larsa, the old Babylonian name, as appears from the cuneiform inscriptions of Irak or Senkereh in Mesopotamia, situated between Babylon and the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates. Von Bohlen derives this name also from the Sanskrit, aryaka, 'respected, revered.'
Chedorlaomer - a corruption of Kudur el Ahmar, or 'Kudur the red,' an epithet applied to this king on the ground of his Semitic descent, to distinguish him from the Cushites or Scythian aborigines, who were termed 'the black.' A war of races prevailed at that time among the people of Shinar, who were designated by their different colours, as the opposing factions in England were discriminated in the same way during the wars of the Roses. Another etymology countenanced by the Septuagint form of this name (Chodollogomor) has been proposed-namely, that Chedorlaomer is composed of two words signifying 'servant of Lagomer,' an Elamite god.
These derivations, however, must be regarded as very uncertain, especially as Sir H. Rawlinson has now discovered, and candidly acknowledged, that Kudur-Mabuk, a name read on one of the mounds, and taken at first for Chedorlaomer, must be the name, not of that king himself, but of a descendant; and that Apda Martu of the bricks, which was interpreted to mean 'Ravager of the West,' and applied to the Elamite conqueror, must be regarded still as of unknown signification. One thing, however, is perfectly certain, that great social and political commotions did exist at that period in the native land of Abram; and that, as always happens in times of strife and trouble, daring spirits rose conspicuous to view. Chedorlaomer, who, of all the adjoining kings, had the boldness to undertake, as well as the skill and energy to accomplish, the steerage of the tempest-tossed vessel of the state, attained the supremacy. The rulers of Shinar and of the neighbouring countries surrendered themselves to his authority, and the seat of power was thenceforth transferred to the country over which he reigned.
All this is confirmed by the monumental records, which not only bear that the line of native kings in Shinar was interrupted, but point to Elam as the quarter whence the interruption proceeded (see Loftus, 'Chaldea'). The signet cylinder or official seal of Chedorlaomer, although brought to this country forty years ago by Sir
R.K. Porter, and deposited in the British Museum, was but recently deciphered and identified by Sir H. Rawlinson. This king of Elam was undoubtedly a great prince, inasmuch as he was the first, in historical times, who not only by his genius conceived the idea of a universal empire, but by the influence of his victorious name was enabled to retain so long in peaceful subjection a kingdom extending beyond the southern limits of Palestine, and comprising so many heterogeneous elements.
Elam - or Elymais = Susiana lay on the east bank of the Tigris while it extended eastward to the western Elam - or Elymais = Susiana, lay on the east bank of the Tigris, while it extended eastward to the western boundary of Persia.
Tidal king of nations, [Hebrew, gowyim (H1471), peoples] - some unknown tribes. Rawlinson calls them 'Median Scyths, belonging to the old population.' Amraphel, Arioch, and Tidal, were probably local governors who had submitted to Chedorlaomer on his successful invasion of Chaldea, and were now enlisted as vassals, subordinate chiefs, under his banner in the distant expedition he planned. Each of them brought a contingent of troops to his aid; because, as there seems to have been a general rising among the tributary states in the region all along the east and southeast of the Jordan, a large army was required, and doubtless raised, for their reduction. Wars similar to that described in this chapter, and from exactly the same cause, occur to this day among the Arab chiefs, when any neighbouring tribes on which they have imposed black mail refuse to pay it.
These made war with Bera king of Sodom - [Hebrew, Cªdom (H5467)]. The name Sodom is supposed to come from a root-verb signifying to burn; so that it may have originated either from reference to the subsequent catastrophe that involved it in destruction, or, as Gesenius suggests, to its being built on a bituminous soil, and therefore, perhaps, exposed to frequent fires.
Gomorrah, [Hebrew, `Amoraah (H6017)] - signifying, probably, submersion [Septuagint, Gomorra]. It is always mentioned second in the enumeration of the cities.
Admah ... Zeboiim. These two are generally coupled together in the Scripture notices (Dan. 29:23; Hosea 11:8).
Zoar - i:e., smallness. These five cities stood all near to one another in the ciccar or plain of the Jordan-an extensive oasis, a tract distinguished in early times for its extraordinary beauty and productiveness. Indeed, its flora to this day exhibits quite an Indian type. The almost tropical climate and natural fertility of the region fostered a population characterized by indolence and infeminacy, which led to the grossest and most infamous vices (Genesis 13:13).
Their rulers are called 'kings.' In remote times small independent cities had each its own melek, or petty king. The Hebrew х melek (H4428)] rendered 'king' corresponds, in such connections as the present context, to the modern Arab title of Sheich, or Emir. The Kurds in the mountains of Kurdistan call their chiefs malek to this day.