Genesis 14:17

Genesis 14:17

 

And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the kings dale.

 

a. NLT: After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). [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 the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh (the same is the King’s Vale). [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 the king of Sodom goeth out to meet him (after his turning back from the smiting of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings who are with him), unto the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's valley. [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: After his [Abram’s] return from the defeat and slaying of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King’s Valley. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

 

e. Septuagint: And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after he returned from the slaughter of Chodollogomor, and the kings with him, to the valley of Saby; this was the plain of the kings.

 

f. Stone Edition of the CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: The king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from defeating Chedolaomer and the kings that were with him, to the Valley of Shaveh which is the king’s valley. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

 

1. “And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him,…”

 

a. [And the] king [4428 melek meh'-lek4428 * melek] [Strong: from 4427; a king:--king, royal.]

 

b. [of] Sodom [Strong: 5467 Cdom sed-ome'; from an unused root meaning to scorch; burnt (i.e. volcanic or bituminous) district; Sedom, a place near the Dead Sea:-- Sodom.]

 

c. went out [Strong: 3318 yatsa' yaw-tsaw';  a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.:--X after, appear, X assuredly, bear out, X begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), + be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, X scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, X still, X surely, take forth (out), at any time, X to (and fro), utter.]

 

d. [to] meet [him] [Strong: 7125 qir'ah keer-aw'; from 7122; an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite):--X against (he come), help, meet, seek, X to, X in the way.]

 

e. after [Strong: 310 'achar akh-ar'; from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.]

 

f. his return [Strong: 7725 shuwb shoob; a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer (+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, + continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, X surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.]

 

g. [from the] slaughter [Strong: 5221 nakah naw-kaw';] to strike, kill, make slaughter…[same word translated “smote in verse 15.]

 

1). The word “slaughter” is also used in the New Testament to describe this battle. The implication is that none were spared, Abram’s men killed them all.

 

a). Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

 

b). In this verse we see that the king of Sodom coming to meet with Abram as he was returning from the battle and rescue. The king of Sodom had fled during his battle with the kings from Mesopotamia earlier in Genesis 14:10. Some teach that the king of Sodom died and this was his replacement.

h. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

 

h. [of] Chedorlaomer [Strong: 3540 Kdorla`omer ked-or-law-o'-mer; 3540 * ] [Strong:  of foreign origin; Kedorlaomer, an early Persian king:--Chedorlaomer.]

 

i. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

j. [and the] kings [Strong: 4428 melek meh'-lek; a king:--king, royal.]

 

2. “…at the valley of Shaveh, which is the kings dale.”

 

a. at [Strong: 413 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

b. [the] valley [Strong: 6010 `emeq ay'-mek; from 6009; a vale (i.e. broad depression):--dale, vale, valley (often used as a part of proper names).]

 

c. Shaveh [Strong: 7740 Shaveh shaw-vay'; from 7737; plain; Shaveh, a place in Palestine:--Shaveh.]

 

1). According to some sources the valley of Shaveh is north of Jerusalem.

 

a). Pulpit Commentary: “A valley about two stadia north of Jerusalem (Josephus, 'Ant.,' 8:10), supposed to be the valley of the Upper Kedron, where Absalom s pillar was after. wards erected (2 Samuel 18:18); which may be correct if the Salem afterwards mentioned was Jerusalem…”

 

2). Barnes Notes: The dale of Shaveh is here explained by the "King's dale." This phrase occurs at a period long subsequent as the name of the valley in which Absalom reared his pillar 2 Samuel 18:18. There is nothing to hinder the identity of the place, which must, according to the latter passage, have been not far from Jerusalem. Josephus makes the distance two stadia, which accords with the situation of Absalom's tomb, though the building now so-called, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, seems to be of later origin. The identity of the King's dale with the valley cast of Jerusalem, through which the Kedron flows, corresponds very well with the present passage.

 

3). According to the wording of the verse and the wording of the earlier verse where it gave the location of the battle, it means that the king of Sodom traveled about 40 miles northwest, from the mountains to which he fled during the battle to the valley of Shaveh just north of present day Jerusalem, which is the location of the ancient city of Salem, where Melchizedek was king.

d. which [is] [Strong: 1931 huw' hoo of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.]

e. [the] kings [Strong: 4428 melek meh'-lek; a king:--king, royal.]

f. dale [Strong: 6010 `emeq ay'-mek from 6009; a vale (i.e. broad depression):--dale, vale, valley (often used as a part of proper names).]