The war of the kings and Lot’s capture, in early reading
Says The five kings “in the thirteenth year they rebelled” (Gen 14:4); in the Valley of Siddim it was “four kings against five”, and the valley “was full of tar pits” (14:9–10). The victors “carried off” Lot and his possessions, “since Lot was living in Sodom” (14:12; וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב בִּסְדֹם).
Calvin writes, “The ambition of Chedorlaomer was the torch of the whole war”, and defends the list of kings, though “derided by profane men as fabulous”. Keil gives the cause as “the revolt of the kings of the vale of Siddim from Chedorlaomer” and sees “a prelude of the future assault of the worldly power upon the kingdom of God established in Canaan”. He reads the Amalekite territory as “designated proleptically by the name of its future and well-known inhabitants”. Pseudo-Jonathan calls Siddim “the vale of the gardens (paredesaia)”, with “many pits filled with bitumen”, and renders Rephaim as “the Giants (gibboraia)”. Jubilees says Chedorlaomer “slew the king of Gomorrah”. Josephus adds that Lot “had come to assist the Sodomites”. Augustine recalls the war “when five kings carried on war against four”. These are their readings.
Implies “In those days” (14:1) places the campaign in Abram’s lifetime as an event among real kings, and 14:12 continues 13:12–13: Lot, who had moved his tent toward Sodom, is now living in it.
Uncertain The date of the campaign and the route of the eastern kings are open; these readings do not fix the meaning of 14:1–12.
Claims
- SaysGen 14:4–12: in the thirteenth year the five kings rebelled; four kings fought five in the Valley of Siddim, which was full of tar pits; the victors took Lot and his goods, for he was living in Sodom.
- ImpliesBecause the war is dated “in those days” of named kings (14:1) and Lot is now living in Sodom (14:12) after moving his tent toward it (13:12), the narrative presents the campaign as a real event in Abram’s lifetime that continues the account of Lot’s choice.
- UncertainThe date of the campaign and the route of the eastern kings are open; the early readings do not fix the meaning.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 14:4, 14:9–10, 14:12
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 14:12
- Calvin, Genesis (King) 1 public domain Calvin, Genesis 1 (King, CTS 1847), on Gen 14:1, p. 380 (leaf n389); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 14:1–12, p. 202 (leaf n205), p. 205 (leaf n208); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Etheridge public domain Etheridge, vol. 1 (1862), Targum of Palestine (Pseudo-Jonathan) and Jerusalem Targum on Gen 14:3–10, p. 197 (leaf n209), p. 198 (leaf n210); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- APOT public domain Jubilees 13:22–29 (Charles, APOT vol. 2, 1913), p. 33 (leaf n52); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Josephus (Whiston) public domain Ant. 1.9.1 = 1.171–176 (Whiston, 1817, vol. 1), p. 29 (leaf n38); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain Civ. 16.22 (trans. Dods, NPNF¹ 2; CCEL npnf102.iv.XVI.22), p. 323 (leaf n346); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased
2026-11-12
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