Genesis 14:3 kjv

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

Genesis 14:3 nkjv

All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

Genesis 14:3 niv

All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea Valley).

Genesis 14:3 esv

And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

Genesis 14:3 nlt

This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea ).

Genesis 14 verses

Genesis 14 3 Meaning

Genesis 14:3 describes the gathering place of five kings from the Jordan plain who rebelled against Kedorlaomer and his allies. They assembled for battle in the Valley of Siddim, which is further identified as the Salt Sea. This precise geographical detail sets the stage for the subsequent military conflict known as the War of the Kings, linking the historical narrative to a prominent natural feature that later becomes widely recognized as the Dead Sea. The verse grounds the ancient account in a verifiable location, which, to the original audience, carried deep implications regarding prosperity and divine judgment.

Genesis 14 3 Context

Genesis 14 opens with an unusual historical account: the War of the Kings. Four kings from Mesopotamia and lands to the east—Kedorlaomer of Elam, Tidal of Goiim, Amraphel of Shinar, and Arioch of Ellasar—had previously dominated the city-states of the Jordan Plain for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, these five local kings, including Bera of Sodom and Birsha of Gomorrah, rebelled. Verse 3 sets the crucial geographic scene for the counter-attack, indicating where these rebellious kings united to face their overlords. This rebellion is central to the chapter, as it directly leads to Lot's capture and Abraham's subsequent rescue mission, a pivotal event showcasing Abraham's strength and God's protective hand. The historical context includes an era of regional conflicts, where city-states frequently formed alliances and vied for control, with stronger imperial powers extending their influence over smaller polities. The identification of the Valley of Siddim with the Salt Sea immediately places the narrative in a location already known to the audience, likely associated with prosperity that succumbed to devastation, thus hinting at deeper themes of divine interaction with humanity.

Genesis 14 3 Word analysis

• All these (Kol-elleh כָּל-אֵלֶּה):

  • Signifies the entirety of the five rebellious kings mentioned in Gen 14:2, emphasizing their unified front.
  • This collective action underscores the political and military alliances prevalent in the ancient Near East.

• were joined together (chavaru חָבְרוּ):

  • Derived from the Hebrew root חָבַר (chavar), meaning "to be joined," "to be knit together," "to league together," or "to combine."
  • Implies a deliberate and strategic formation of an alliance or confederacy for a shared purpose, specifically for combat.
  • It's more than just gathering; it's a consolidation of forces, indicating strategic planning for the impending battle against the superior eastern coalition.
  • The act of "joining" here is foundational to their collective identity and purpose against a common foe.

• in the Valley of Siddim (be-emek haSiddim בְּעֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים):

  • emek (עֵמֶק): Hebrew for "valley," referring to a low, broad plain.
  • Siddim (הַשִּׂדִּים): The precise meaning is debated but possibly relates to "furrows" (from a root implying tilled land) or "bitumen pits," as hinted by Gen 14:10, suggesting a distinct, possibly uneven or pockmarked, geographical feature.
  • This valley was known for its abundant resources (fertility from the Jordan) and also its bitumen deposits, which might have made the terrain treacherous, especially for chariots.
  • It's presented as the specific strategic rendezvous point for the allied kings, implying a choice based on tactical considerations, possibly anticipating a favorable battleground.

• that is, the Salt Sea (hu Yam haMelah הוּא יַם הַמֶּלַח):

  • hu (הוּא): Hebrew for "it," "he," or "that," used here as an explanatory or identificatory particle, equivalent to "that is."
  • Yam haMelah (יַם הַמֶּלַח): Hebrew for "Sea of Salt," or the "Salt Sea," which is the biblical name for what is now known as the Dead Sea.
  • This parenthetical clause clarifies the location for the ancient reader, who would be familiar with the "Salt Sea" but perhaps less so with "the Valley of Siddim," especially after the cataclysmic events of Genesis 19 transformed the landscape.
  • The identification is crucial: it definitively links the location of this early battle to the later site of divine judgment, subtly foreshadowing the dramatic transformation and destruction of the cities of the plain (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar) due to their wickedness. This provides an interpretative layer, connecting a past historical event with a significant future event of theological import for the Israelites.
  • This note confirms that the Valley of Siddim, previously a fertile area (Gen 13:10), was subsumed by or transformed into the Dead Sea after the judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, serving as a landmark.

Genesis 14 3 Bonus section

The geographical identification of the Valley of Siddim as the Salt Sea suggests a later editorial note or Mosaic authorial intent to help subsequent generations understand the location, given the drastic geological changes that occurred after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This implies that by the time Genesis was formalized, the Valley of Siddim, as it was in Abraham's day, no longer existed as a distinct topographical feature but had been absorbed into the Dead Sea. This anachronistic clarity served to confirm the historicity of the event while linking it intrinsically to the dramatic acts of God. Scholars note that the unique geological activity and composition (bitumen, sulfur) of the Dead Sea region lend a natural backdrop to the biblical account of destruction by fire and brimstone. The very minerals of the land testified to its transformative judgment.

Genesis 14 3 Commentary

Genesis 14:3 is more than a mere geographical note; it is a pregnant statement that anchors a critical early patriarchal narrative event—the War of the Kings—within a landscape profoundly significant for its past prosperity, impending judgment, and subsequent desolation. By identifying the "Valley of Siddim" as "the Salt Sea," the text immediately cues the ancient reader to the catastrophic divine intervention detailed in Genesis 19. This means that at the time of Abraham, the valley was a known feature, fertile enough to attract Lot, but by the time Moses likely penned these words, it was submerged under the hyper-saline waters of the Dead Sea. The phrase "were joined together" highlights the organized nature of the resistance, showcasing the formation of strategic alliances for collective defense in this ancient world. This setting, chosen for battle, paradoxically foreshadows their own eventual destruction, not by an invading army, but by the Hand of God, which ultimately transforms their battleground into a monument of judgment. The very ground on which these kings allied for conflict would soon become the physical manifestation of divine wrath, demonstrating God's sovereign control over nations and nature alike. The initial description of the Plain as "like the garden of the LORD" (Gen 13:10) contrasts sharply with its later state as the Salt Sea, providing a powerful object lesson on the consequences of sin and the fulfillment of divine promise and judgment.