Genesis 14:5
in Genesis 14In the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
KJV
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
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This verse in Genesis 14
Commentary
6 notes on this verse(Verse 5.) And the giants settled in Astaroth Carnaim, and strong nations along with them: and Ominaeos in the city of Save, before they came to Sodom. Four kings who came from Babylon killed the giants, that is, the strong ones of Arabia, and the Zozim in Hom, and the Emim in the city of Save, which is still called by that name today. But the Zuzim and the Emim are interpreted as terrifying and horrifying: for this reason, the Seventy [translators], conveying the sense rather than word for word, translated them as the strongest nations.
This site's exposition
the Rephaites in Ashteroth-karnaim
on Genesis 14:5-7
Chedorlaomer comes down the east side and defeats the Rephaites, the Zuzites, the Emites and the Horites before he turns toward Sodom. Deuteronomy 2:10 and 11 count the Emites among the Rephaites and call them as tall as the Anakites, and Israel will meet these nations on this ground. Amalek is born at 36:12, and the land already carries his name.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And they struck the Rephaim in Ashtaroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim with them, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim, Rephaim in Hebrew, in Greek are called Giants: in the singular number, however, a Rephaim is called a Giant.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), upon the alarm of which it had been the wisdom of the king of Sodom to submit, and desire conditions of peace; for how could he grapple with an enemy thus flushed with victory? But he would rather venture the utmost extremity than yield, and it sped accordingly. Quos Deus destruet eos dementat--Those whom God means to destroy he delivers up to infatuation.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Rephaims - A people of Canaan: Gen 15:20. Ashteroth - A city of Basan, where Og afterwards reigned; Jos 13:31. Zuzims - Nowhere else spoken of, unless they were the same with the Zamzummims, Deu 2:20, as some imagine. Emims - A people great and many in the days of Moses, and tall as the Anakim. They dwelt among the Moabites, by whom they were reputed giants; Deu 2:10, Deu 2:11. Shaveh Kiriathaim - Rather, as the margin, the plain of Kiriathaim, which was a city afterwards belonging to Sihon king of Heshbon; Jos 13:19.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבְאַרְבַּע֩ | uvearba' | and in four- | H702 → | 318 times |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה | ʾesreh | teen | H6240 → | 338 times |
| שָׁנָ֜ה | shanah | year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| כְדָרְלָעֹ֗מֶר | khedarelaomer | Kedorlaomer | H3540 → | 5 times |
| וְהַמְּלָכִים֙ | vehamelakhim | and the kings | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אִתּ֔וֹ | ʾito | [were] with him | H854 → | 929 times |
| וַיַּכּ֤וּ | vaiyaku | and they defeated | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| רְפָאִים֙ | refaim | [the] Rephaites | H7497 → | |
| בְּעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣ת | beashterot | in Ashteroth | H6255 → | |
| קַרְנַ֔יִם | karnayim | Karnaim | H6255 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַזּוּזִ֖ים | hazuzim | the Zuzites | H2104 → | |
| בְּהָ֑ם | beham | in Ham | H1990 → | |
| וְאֵת֙ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָֽאֵימִ֔ים | haeimim | the Emites | H368 → | |
| בְּשָׁוֵ֖ה | beshaveh | in Shaveh | H7740 → | |
| קִרְיָתָֽיִם׃ | kiryatayim | Kiriathaim | H7156 → |
וּבְאַרְבַּע֩and in four-
uvearba'H702 →318 times
עֶשְׂרֵ֨הteen
ʾesrehH6240 →338 times
שָׁנָ֜הyear
shanahH8141 →877 times
בָּ֣אhe came
ba'H935 →2568 times
כְדָרְלָעֹ֗מֶרKedorlaomer
khedarelaomerH3540 →5 times
וְהַמְּלָכִים֙and the kings
vehamelakhimH4428 →2525 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אִתּ֔וֹ[were] with him
ʾitoH854 →929 times
וַיַּכּ֤וּand they defeated
vaiyakuH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
רְפָאִים֙[the] Rephaites
refaimH7497 →
בְּעַשְׁתְּרֹ֣תin Ashteroth
beashterotH6255 →
קַרְנַ֔יִםKarnaim
karnayimH6255 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַזּוּזִ֖יםthe Zuzites
hazuzimH2104 →
בְּהָ֑םin Ham
behamH1990 →
וְאֵת֙and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָֽאֵימִ֔יםthe Emites
haeimimH368 →
בְּשָׁוֵ֖הin Shaveh
beshavehH7740 →
קִרְיָתָֽיִם׃Kiriathaim
kiryatayimH7156 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 3:22Do not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God Himself will fight for you.”
it leads to
- Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
- Deuteronomy 20:4
For the LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”
- Deuteronomy 1:30
The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt
- Joshua 10:42
And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign.
- 2 Chronicles 20:29
And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
- Exodus 14:14
Through
Deuteronomy 1:4This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
it leads to
- Numbers 21:21–35
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
- Numbers 21:21–35
Through
Deuteronomy 3:11(For only Og king of Bashan had remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed of iron, nine cubits long and four cubits wide, is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.)
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 12:26
Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
- Jeremiah 49:2
Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites. It will become a heap of ruins, and its villages will be burned.…
- 2 Samuel 12:26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.