And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;
And there went out the king of Sodom, ... It appears that the five chiefs of the ciccar had resolved to oppose the invaders [Hebrew, wayeetsee' (H3318), went forth], and having rallied their subjects, ventured to attack the enemy in the rocky fastness of Engedi, where they lay en- camped. But being repulsed and driven down into the 'vale,' a regular engagement [Hebrew, waya`arkuw (H6186) 'itaam (H854) milchaamaah (H4421), to put the battle in array, to draw up an army against any one] ensued on that verdant spot, beside the shore of the Dead Sea.'