Genesis 14:3

Genesis 14:3

 

All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea.

 

a. NLT: This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea. [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: All these joined together in the vale of Siddim (the same is the Salt Sea). [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: All these have been joined together unto the valley of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea; [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:  The latter kings joined together [as allies] in the Valley of Siddim, which is [now] the [Dead] Sea of Salt. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

 

e. Septuagint: All these met with one consent at the salt valley; this is now the sea of salt.

 

f.  Stone Edition of the Chumash, Rabbinic Commentary: All these had joined at the Valley of Siddim, now the Salt Sea.  [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim…”

 

a. All [Strong: 3605 kol kole or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

b. these [Strong: 428 'el-leh ale'-leh prolonged from 411; these or those:--an- (the) other; one sort, so, some, such, them, these (same), they, this, those, thus, which, who(-m).]

c. [were] joined together [Strong: 2266 chabar khaw-bar'; a primitive root; to join (literally or figuratively); specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate:--charm(- er), be compact, couple (together), have fellowship with, heap up, join (self, together), league.]

 

d. in [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).]

 

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

 

d. [of] Siddim [Strong: 7708 Siddiym sid-deem'; plural from the same as 7704; flats; Siddim, a valley in Palestine:--Siddim.]

 

1). The earliest descriptions that we see in Scripture concerning this area do not mention a sea in the area.

 

a). Genesis 13:10-12 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.

13:12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

 

b). Genesis 14:10 “And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits;”

 

(1) slimepits [Strong: 2560 chamar khaw-mar' a primitive root; properly, to boil up; hence, to ferment (with scum); to glow (with redness); as denominative (from 2564) to smear with pitch:--daub, befoul, be red, trouble.] [Gesenius: bitumen.]  [Thorndike-Barnhart Dictionary: any one of a number of minerals that will burn, such as asphalt, petroleum, and naphtha.]

 

2). Jesus described it as a busy area, full of agricultural and commercial activity.

 

a). Luke 17:28 Likewise also in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded.

 

3). The prophet Ezekiel described it as a place of abundant food.

 

a). Ezekiel 16:49  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

 

4). And Moses, the writer of Deuteronomy described it as well known for their vineyards, their grape s and their wine, though he associated it all with ungodliness.

 

a). Deuteronomy 32:32, 33 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:

32:33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

 

2. “…which is the salt sea.”

 

a. 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.]

 

b. [the] salt [Strong: 4417 melach meh'-lakh; from 4414; properly, powder, i.e. (specifically) salt (as easily pulverized and dissolved:--salt((-pit)).]

 

c. sea [Strong: 3220 yam yawm; from an unused root meaning to roar; a sea (as breaking in noisy surf) or large body of water; specifically (with the article), the Mediterranean Sea; sometimes a large river, or an artificial basin; locally, the west, or (rarely) the south:--sea (X -faring man, (-shore)), south, west (-ern, side, -ward).]

 

1). This is a geographical reference inserted by Moses [Moses of course because he wrote Genesis], to point out the location of the battle. At the time all this occurred it was still just a “vale”, there was no Dead Sea. It was a lush agricultural area. The Dead Sea formed as a result of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Before the Dead Sea was formed, the area was called the vale of Siddim, and during that time, the whole plain of Jordan “was well watered everywhere,” in fact Genesis 13:10 compares the area to “the garden of the LORD”, presumably the Garden of Eden. There are no descriptions in the Scripture that I know of that mention the area, pre-destruction, as having a sea or lake there. Looking at the little bit of information that we have, I speculate that the Jordan River flowed south through the whole “plain of Jordan”, with tributaries branching off southwest and southeast and at its southernmost end was the “vale of Siddim” a very well watered area. I personally believe that the Dead Sea formed as a result of the judgment/destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, i.e., it was not there previously.

 

2). Siddim, vale of (Unger’s Bible Dictionary) (sidim; the valley of the fields; perhaps so called from the high cultivation in which it was kept before the destruction of Sodom and the other cities), the scene of the battle between Chedorlaomer, and his allies, and the five confederate kings (Genesis 14:2). However, it is possible that Siddim may designate “salt flats” from Hittite siyanta, “salt”.