Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 1. In the days of Amraphel] Who this king was is not known; and yet, from the manner in which he is spoken of in the text, it would seem that he was a person well known, even when Moses wrote this account.But the Vulgate gives a different turn to the place, by rendering the passage thus: Factum est in illo tempore, ut Amraphel, &c. ""It came to pass in that time that Amraphel, &c."" The Chaldee Targum of Onkelos makes Amraphel king of Babylon, others make him king of Assyria; some make him the same as Nimrod, and others, one of his descendants.
Arioch king of Ellasar] Some think Syria is meant; but conjecture is endless where facts cannot be ascertained.
Chedorlaomer king of Elam] Dr. Shuckford thinks that this was the same as Ninyas, the son of Ninus and Semiramis; and some think him to be the same with Keeumras, son of Doolaved, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah; and that Elam means Persia; see chap. x. 22. The Persian historians unanimously allow that Keeumras, whose name bears some affinity to Chedorlaomer, was the first king of the Peeshdadian dynasty.
Tidal king of nations] µywg goyim, different peoples or clans. Probably some adventurous person, whose subjects were composed of refugees from different countries.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-12 - The wars of nations make great figure in history, but we should no have had the record of this war if Abram and Lot had not bee concerned. Out of covetousness, Lot had settled in fruitful, but wicke Sodom. Its inhabitants were the most ripe for vengeance of all the descendants of Canaan. The invaders were from Chaldea and Persia, the only small kingdoms. They took Lot among the rest, and his goods Though he was righteous, and Abram's brother's son, yet he was with the rest in this trouble. Neither our own piety, nor our relation to the favourites of Heaven, will be our security when God's judgments ar abroad. Many an honest man fares the worse for his wicked neighbours it is our wisdom to separate, or at least to distinguish ourselves from them, 2Co 6:17. So near a relation of Abram should have been companion and a disciple of Abram. If he chose to dwell in Sodom, he must thank himself if he share in Sodom's losses. When we go out of the way of our duty, we put ourselves from under God's protection, an cannot expect that the choice made by our lusts, should end to ou comfort. They took Lot's goods; it is just with God to deprive us of enjoyments, by which we suffer ourselves to be deprived of the enjoyment of him.
Original Hebrew ויהי1961 בימי3117 אמרפל569 מלך4428 שׁנער8152 אריוך746 מלך4428 אלסר495 כדרלעמר3540 מלך4428 עילם5867 ותדעל8413 מלך4428 גוים׃1471
