historical · Gen 14:1–24 · ✓ Approved

The four kings, their realms, and Salem: places and persons in Genesis 14

Says “In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim” made war on five kings (Gen 14:1–2; אַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ־שִׁנְעָר; כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר מֶלֶךְ עֵילָם). “For twelve years they had been subject to Chedorlaomer” (14:4). After the battle came “Melchizedek king of Salem” (14:18; מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם).

Josephus sets the war “when the Assyrians had the dominion over Asia”, with the kings as “commanders Amrephel, Arioch, Chodorlaomor, and Tidal”. Keil answers that there is “no ground whatever for regarding the four kings mentioned in ver. 1 as four Assyrian generals or viceroys”; he holds that “the imperial power of Asia had already extended as far as Canaan”, that “It cannot be determined with certainty where Ellasar was”, and that Goyim “is the name of one particular nation or country”. Pseudo-Jonathan says of Amraphel, “he is Nimrod”. Jubilees names “Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Amraphel, king of Shinar”. On Salem, Keil writes, “It must be Jerusalem, therefore, which is called by the old name Salem in Ps. lxxvi. 2”, and Josephus, “they afterwards called it Salem Jerusalem”. Calvin also takes Salem as Jerusalem, yet of a contrary opinion says, “I do not oppose it”. These are their readings.

Uncertain Who the four kings were, where their realms lay, when the campaign took place, and the site of Salem are open. No ancient Near Eastern inscription is cited or compared here, and these identifications do not fix the meaning of Gen 14.

Claims

SaysGen 14:1–4, 18: Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim made war on the five kings, who had served Chedorlaomer twelve years; afterwards Melchizedek king of Salem came out.
UncertainThe identity of the four kings, the location of their realms, the date of the campaign and the site of Salem are open; no ancient Near Eastern text is cited or compared, and the identifications do not fix the meaning.

Citations

BSB public domain Gen 14:1–4, 14:18
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 14:1, 14:18
Josephus (Whiston) public domain Ant. 1.9.1 = 1.171–176 and 1.10.2 = 1.180–182 (Whiston, 1817, vol. 1), p. 29 (leaf n38), p. 30 (leaf n39); 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 14:1–18, p. 201 (leaf n204), p. 202 (leaf n205), p. 207 (leaf n210); 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 14:1, p. 196 (leaf n208); 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
Calvin, Genesis (King) 1 public domain Calvin, Genesis 1 (King, CTS 1847), on Gen 14:18, p. 388 (leaf n397); checked against the printed page (scan); quoted, otherwise paraphrased

Sources BSB public domain OSHB CC BY 4.0 Josephus (Whiston) public domain Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Etheridge public domain APOT public domain Calvin, Genesis (King) 1 public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

2026-11-12

Open in Reader All notes on this passage