Genesis 14 was such a blessing to me as I studied it out. I love studying the life of Abraham. I’m looking forward to meeting him. Two of the highlights for me in this chapter are the possible identity of some of the invading kings and all the circumstances surrounding the first mention of the tithe in Scripture.
Genesis 14:1
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;
a. NLT: About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]
b. ASV: 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 Goiim, [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]
c. Young’s Literal Translation: And it cometh to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]
d. Amplified Bible: In the days of the kings Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim, In the days of the kings Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim,
e. Septuagint: And it came to pass in the reign of Amarphal king of Sennaar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, that Chodollogomor king of Elam, and Thargal king of nations,
f. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary : And it happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar; Arioch, king of Ellasar; Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]
1. “And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar,…”
a. And it came to pass [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]
b. [in the] days [Strong: 3117 yowm yome: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.]
c. Amraphel [Strong: 569 'Amraphel am-raw-fel': of uncertain (perhaps foreign) derivation; Amraphel, a king of Shinar:--Amraphel.] [Gesenius: Amraphel = "sayer of darkness: fall of the sayer"]
1). Amraphel (Unger’s Bible Dictionary) “…a king of Shinar, the alluvial lowland of southern Babylonia, and ally of Chedorlaomer in the invasion of the west in the time of Abraham…formerly identified with Hammurabi the Great of the First Dynasty of Babylon…but is now disproved chronologically.”
2). Chumash, p.61, Note 1. “Amraphel…The Sages (Eruvin 53a) identify Amraphel as Nimrod, who reigned over Shinar [Babylon]…”
3). According to the Biblical chronology, Shem’s grandson, Salah lived until Abraham was 118 years old. Because the Bible does not give the age breakdown of the descendants of Japheth and Ham like it does with Shem’s we have to compare them. Using those comparisons, if Shem’s grandson Salah was contemporary with Abraham for 118 years it is probable that Ham’s grandson, Nimrod was also contemporary with Abraham. It is indeed a possibility that this person could be Nimrod perhaps under a different name.
c. king [Strong: 4428 melek meh'-lek: from 4427; a king:--king, royal.]
d. [of] Shinar [Strong: 8152 Shin`ar shin-awr': probably of foreign derivation; Shinar, a plain in Babylonia:--Shinar.]
1). Shinar (Unger’s Bible Dictionary) “…roughly spoken of as southern Babylonia.” [See map.]
2). We must remember that Nimrod was king over Shinar.
a). Genesis 10:8-10 And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.
10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
2. “…Arioch king of Ellasar…”
a. Arioch [Strong: 746 'Aryowk ar-yoke': of foreign origin; Arjok, the name of two Babylonians:--Arioch.] [Gesenius: Arioch = "lion-like"]
1). Arioch [Unger’s Bible Dictionary] Perhaps Sumerian eri-aku, servant of the moon-god. The king of Ellasar, who was in alliance with Chedorlaomer in his invasion of the Jordan valley.
b. king [Strong: 4428 melek meh'-lek: from 4427; a king:--king, royal.]
c. Ellasar [Strong: 495 'Ellacar el-law-sawr': probably of foreign derivation; Ellasar, an early country of Asia:--Ellasar.] [Gesenius: Ellasar = "God is chastener"]
1). Ellasar (Harper Collins Bible Dictionary) The identification of Ellasar is uncertain … Larsa, a city in southern Babylonia seems likely if Shinar, the home of Amraphel (Genesis 14:1) derives from the Sinjar Mountains of middle Mesopotamia.
3. “…Chedorlaomer king of Elam…”
a. Chedorlaomer [Strong: 3540 Kdorla`omer ked-or-law-o'-mer: of foreign origin; Kedorlaomer, an early Persian king:--Chedorlaomer.]
1). Chumash, p.61, Note 1: “The Midrash identifies Chedorlaomer as Elam, the son of Shem son of Noah…Although , as indicated in verse 5, Chedorlaomer was the leader of this alliance, Amraphel is mentioned first because he was the senior of the four kings.”
b. king [Strong: 4428 melek meh'-lek: from 4427; a king:--king, royal.]
c. Elam [Strong: 5867 `Eylam ay-lawm' or mOwlam (Ezra 10:2; Jeremiah 49:36) {o-lawm'}; probably from 5956; hidden, i.e. distant; Elam, a son of Shem and his descendants, with their country; also of six Israelites:--Elam.]
1). Elam was located just northeast of the Persian Gulf in present day Iran. Elam is listed as one of the sons of Shem in Genesis 10:22.
a). Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram;
2). Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter 6.4: “Shem, the third son of Noah, had five sons, who inhabited the land that began at Euphrates, and reached to the Indian Ocean; for Elam left behind him the Elamites, the ancestors of the Persians. Ashur lived at the city of Nineveh; and named his subjects Assyrians, who became the most fortunate nation, beyond others. Arphaxad named the Arphaxadites, who are now called Chaldeans. Aram the Aramites, which the Greeks call Syrians; as Laud founded the Laudites, which are now Lydians.”
a). Elam was a city named after Shem’s son. If Elam’s age when he died was comparable to Arphaxad, his brother’s age (Arphaxad was contemporary with Abram for 86 years. Abram was 86 years old when Arphaxad died), then Elam was living when this war occurred. As previously stated, Jewish tradition teaches that Chedorlaomer was none other than Elam, Shem’s son. Not only is this possibly true, there is a good possibility that Abram was known to Chedorlaomer and that Chedorlaomer was known to Abram. Ur the city where Abram grew up is only about 150 miles from Elam, the city and nation descended from Elam, the son of Shem. The point I’m making is that Abram went to war and defeated not only Shem’s grandchildren but possibly even his son! The question that begs to be asked is, Where or what part does Shem play in all this? He was certainly alive while all this was going on. Perhaps the reason for Shem disappearing from the Biblical record after the flood, and also why Abraham gains the preeminence in the Biblical record and not Shem or any of his sons. In the end this is speculation
3). Shem, the son of Noah and one of those who survived the flood, lived until Abraham was 150 years old. So he was alive at this point. There is no doubt that the city/state of Elam was associated with the son of Shem. It is such a shock to me that a man of the stature of Shem, who survived the flood, would have no preeminence after the flood. It seems he just dropped off the map after the flood. Those are the facts, but why is unknown. Perhaps, Shem became a worldly individual, perhaps even antagonistic toward the things of God.
4). There is a fascinating passage of Scripture in Ezekiel that I believe sheds more than a little light on this. Looking at this passage we must remember this multitude of men including all the men from Elam were slaughtered by Abram and his confederacy.
a). Ezekiel 32:24, 25 There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.
32:25 They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword: though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit: he is put in the midst of them that be slain
4. “…and Tidal king of nations.”
a. [and] Tidal [Strong: 8413 Tid`al tid-awl' perhaps from 1763: fearfulness; Tidal, a Canaanite:--Tidal.]
b. king [Strong: 4428 melek meh'-lek: from 4427; a king:--king, royal.]
c. nations [Strong: 1471 gowy go'-ee rarely (shortened) goy {go'-ee}; apparently from the same root as 1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.] [Gesenius: the nations besides Israel.]
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