Charles Ellicott Commentary 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 Goiim," — Genesis 14:1 (ASV)

It came to pass. — Connected with the settlement of Lot in the Jordan valley is one of the most remarkable episodes in the entire Bible, derived either from Canaanite records or, as Mr. Sayce thinks (Chald. Genesis, p. 72), from those of Babylon. The latter view is made more probable by the fact that Amraphel, though only a subject king, is placed first. Furthermore, the way the patriarch is described in it, as “Abram the Hebrew,” certainly seems to suggest that we are dealing with a narrative of foreign origin.

Its incorporation into the history admirably sets forth the consequences of Lot’s choice in the troubles, and even ruin, that overtook him, as well as the bravery and power of Abram, and his generosity to the rescued kings. It is also most interesting, as it shows Abram’s relationship with the Amorites, among whom he lived, and the existence in Palestine of a Semitic population who still worshipped the most high God, and over whom one of the noblest figures in the Old Testament was king.

The narrative is Jehovistic, because Abram calls God Jehovah El Elyon. Nevertheless, it is of such ancient date that it forbids accepting the theory that regards the occurrence of the name Jehovah as proof of later authorship. For information on Elam and the conquests and route of Chedorlaomer, see the Excursus at the end of this book.

Amraphel. — This is an Accadian name, which Lenormant found on Babylonian cylinders, and which he explains as meaning “the circle of the year.”

Shinar. — See the commentary on Genesis 10:10.

Arioch. — That is, Eriaku, which in Accadian means “servant of the moon-god.” He was king of Ellasar, that is, Al-Larsa, the city of Larsa, now called Senkereh. It is situated on the left bank of the Euphrates, in Lower Babylonia, and has contributed some very ancient tablets to the collection in the British Museum. The name occurs again in Daniel 2:14.

Tidal. — More correctly in the Septuagint, Thargal; that is, Tur-gal, meaning the great son (Sayce). In the Syriac he is called “Thargil, king of the Gelae,” this latter term being a mistake resulting from reading Gelim for Goim. This word does not mean “nations” but is a proper name, spelled Gutium in the inscriptions, “by which the Accadians designated the entire tract of country that extended from the Tigris to the eastern borders of Media, including the district afterwards known as Assyria” (Chald. Gen., p. 197).