This verse from Genesis 14:2 is part of a larger narrative about a war between two coalitions of city-states in the ancient Near East. Let's break down what it means:
"They made war with...": This indicates that the kings listed after this phrase were on one side of a conflict.
"Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).": This lists the kings and the names of their respective cities who were allied together. These five cities (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela/Zoar) were located in the plain of Siddim (near the Dead Sea).
In essence, this verse simply identifies one side of a military conflict, specifying the kings and their cities who were allied in the war described in Genesis 14. These cities were later destroyed by God in Genesis 19 due to their wickedness, which is why Sodom and Gomorrah are well-known cities.
This verse from Genesis 14:2 is part of a larger narrative about a war between two coalitions of city-states in the ancient Near East. Let's break down what it means:
"They made war with...": This indicates that the kings listed after this phrase were on one side of a conflict.
"Bera, king of Sodom, and with Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, and Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).": This lists the kings and the names of their respective cities who were allied together. These five cities (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela/Zoar) were located in the plain of Siddim (near the Dead Sea).
In essence, this verse simply identifies one side of a military conflict, specifying the kings and their cities who were allied in the war described in Genesis 14. These cities were later destroyed by God in Genesis 19 due to their wickedness, which is why Sodom and Gomorrah are well-known cities.