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Traditionally, Genesis 14 is viewed as an account of a war (referred to as "the war od Sodom") between Four kings allied together against another group of five kings with certain consequences to Abraham and his nephew Lot in the process. The widely-accepted war narrative goes more or less as follows:

• A group of five kings waged a war on a group of four kings.
• The group of 5 consisted of (1) Bera of Sodom, (2) Birsha of Gomorrah, (3) Shinab of Admah, (4) Shemeber of Zeboiim, and (5) the king of Bela (Zoar).
• The group of four kings consisted of (1) Amraphel of Shinar, (2) Arioch of Ellasar, (3) Chedorlaomer of Elam, and (4) Tidal of Goiim.
• The war started when the five kings rebelled against Chedorlaomer who they had served for 12 years.

 

But, is this really what happens? I would like to propose otherwise...

 

Reordering Genesis 14:1-7 verses chronologically paints a different picture. I color-coded the sub-stories so it would be easier to understand what I am about to say.

 

Genesis 14:1-7 And it happened that in the days of Amraphel, the king of Shinar, Arioch, the king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and Tidal, the king of Goiim,

Bera, the king of Sodom, and Birsha, the king of Gomorrah, Shinab, the king of Admah, and Shemeber, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) had served Kedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-Kiriathaim, and the Horites in their hill country of Seir, as far as El-Paran, which is at the wilderness.

Then they turned back and came to En-Mishpat (that is, Kadesh). And they defeated the whole territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were living in Hazazon-Tamar. 

On hearing reports that Chedorlaomer and his alliance have begun attacking the inhabitants of the lands around them, Bera, the king of Sodom, and Birsha, the king of Gomorrah, Shinab, the king of Admah, and Shemeber, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela joined forces at the valley of Siddim (that is, the sea of the salt) against Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him. English Bible (LEB)

 

This account describes no less than a world war between two super alliances. The first alliance consisted of four powerful kingdoms geographically located in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and western Iran) and Elam (far west and southwest of modern-day Iran). The second alliance comprised five powerful nations located in the levant (present-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, parts of Syria, and parts of southern Turkey).

 

The four kingdoms included (1) Shinar, (2) Ellasar, (3) Elam, and (4) Goiim. The land of Shinar is referenced eight times in the Bible (Genesis 10:10; 11:2; 14:1, 9; Joshua 7:21; Isaiah 11:11; Daniel 1:2; Zechariah 5:11), always in connection to the geographical location of Babylonia (aka "Babel" or "Bavel"). Shinar was the location of the Tower of Babel. Genesis 10:10 mentions that Nimrod, a descendant of Ham, built “Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar” and a plain in Shinar was the site chosen to construct the notorious Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–4). Ellasar was a city-state located in ancient Babylonia. Elam was a significant political force in the Ancient Near East and was closely tied culturally to Mesopotamia. Goiim is often associated with the Mesopotamian kingdom of Gutium. They consisted of a collection of nomads who settled together and were later branded under a single name. Which may provide a clue as to why the Bible refer to them as Goiim which literally translates to "nations" or "peoples".

 

These four mighty kingdoms, led by Kedorlaomer king of Elam, waged war on some of the mightiest giants nations in those days - (1) Rephaim, (2) Zuzim, (3) Emim, (4) Horites, and (5) Amorites. The Rephaim (or Rephaites), their name literally means "terrible ones", were mighty giants who lived in Canaan (Deuteronomy 2:20–21). The Zuzim were also considered mighty giants (Deuteronomy 2:20) who lived east of the Jordan River between Bashan and Moab. The Emim, another nation of formidable giants (Deuteronomy 2:10–11), their name literally means "dreaded ones", were inhabitants of the region east of the Dead Sea, specifically in the area that would later become Moab. The Horites seem to refer to the nation which at that time lived in the hill country of Seir as far as El Paran and the Egyptian border (later to become the territory of the Amalekites). And last, the Amorites, another ancient nation of giants. The “land of the Amorites” included present-day Syria and Israel. Some of the southern mountains of Judea were also called the hill country of the Amorites (Deuteronomy 1:7, 19-20). Og, king of Bashan, was described as the last of the Amorites in his land (Deuteronomy 3:11), and his bed was thirteen feet long and six feet wide. Og is often mentioned alongside Sihon, another Amorite king, as one of the powerful enemies defeated by the Israelites as they journeyed towards the Promised Land.

 

THIS WAS THE REAL WAR reported on in Genesis 14. A war of ancient super powers, some of which were formidable nations of giants. A world war if you will. It culminated in a sweeping victory for the four kingdoms, led by Kedorlaomer king of Elam.

 

And, here is the twist, at the height of that world war, a pitiful coalition of five regional rulers--(1) Bera, the king of Sodom, (2) Birsha, the king of Gomorrah, (3) Shinab, the king of Admah, (4) Shemeber, the king of Zeboiim, and (5) the king of Bela--sprang to action. A coalition of rulers that a year earlier rebelled against Kedorlaomer, the mighty king of Elam. It was a miscalculation, you see, they thought that they could cement their newly-established freedom for good by defeating him as he was busy warring super powers in their locality. Big mistake.

 

Mighty giants nations in the area were badly smitten and entire cities were wiped off the map by the powerful armies of Chedorlaomer alliance. Even in the wildest of contrived imaginations, the five regional rulers stood no chance. When the two groups met, Chedorlaomer alliance easily crushed the regional coalition. The five armies were left weak and in disarray. Many of the fleeing coalition soldiers fell and died in tar pits. The soldiers who managed to avoid the pits escaped to the hills of Judea. As Chedorlaomer alliance ransacked Sodom and captured its inhabitants as loot of war. The allied forces then embarked on their journey back home, double victorious, with their loot which happened to include one victim in particular: Lot, the nephew of Abraham.

 

Abraham, who merely 2 chapters earlier, entered Egypt fearfully and survived by cunning, responded to the news of his nephew Lot’s abduction with a swift display of military might. Unintimidated by the prospect of taking on the combined armies of four mighty kings who had dominated Canaan for more than a decade and have just defeated all the giants nations thereof, he instantly and self-confidently mustered a unit of 318, highly trained, loyal members of his household and set off in hot pursuit of the victorious invaders. Wishing to utilize the element of surprise, Abraham and his small army set out in the darkness of night. Although they are ten days’ travel from the four kings, they miraculously reach them in a single day! They overtake them, inflict a decisive defeat by means of a bold night attack and then pursue the survivors all the way north, beyond Damascus. Three of the four mighty kings were killed. Only Amrafel survived. Amazing! Abraham returned with Lot, whom he had freed from captivity, as well as with all of the possessions and people that were taken in the war. 

Upon his return, he turned over all the spoils of war to the king of Sodom, forgoing his half, and asks only for the rations of his men and a share for his allies. 

 

Now that we understand what really transpired in this account, we can appreciate even more the commanding power and bravery of Abraham and the enormity of the miracle Yah performed on Abraham's behalf. We are left with a major lesson to reflect on in this story. Namely, Faith over Fear - an impregnable faith in and fear of Yah is our shield in any kind of battle.

 

Immediately upon Abraham's return from the battle, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, confirms this lesson. Greeting Abraham, he used the term מִגֵּן which is derived from the same root of מָגֵן or shield. This term literally means "shielded and defeated".

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High [El Elyon] who delivered [shielded and defeated] your enemies into your hand. English Bible (LEB)

 

Yah also confirmed this observation immediately following this account:

Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying: “Do not be afraid, Abram; I am your shield [מָגֵן], and your reward shall be very great.” English Bible (LEB)

 

Faith over fear is what Yah expects of us. We are to set aside fear and make a conscious decision to trust in Yah’s presence and promises, even when faced with challenging situations. Even when faced with "super powers", we need not fear.