The Meaning of Genesis 14:10 Explained

Genesis 14:10

KJV: And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.

YLT: And the valley of Siddim is full of bitumen-pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah flee, and fall there, and those left have fled to the mountain.

Darby: And the vale of Siddim was full of pits of asphalt. And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there: and they that remained fled to the mountain.

ASV: Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that remained fled to the mountain.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the vale  of Siddim  [was full of]  slimepits;  and the kings  of Sodom  and Gomorrah  fled,  and fell  there; and they that remained  fled  to the mountain. 

What does Genesis 14:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 14:1-12 - Abram At Hebron Lot Taken Captive
Lot lifted up his eyes for himself, but when the last of Lot's followers had streamed out of the camp, God bade Abram lift up his eyes, not to choose, but to behold what God had chosen for him. He must first estimate his possessions, and then enjoy them. Let us count up our treasures in Christ, and use them. Lot grasped at and lost his all. Abram left and inherited all. Notice how prodigal God's provision is: "All the land"¦ for ever"¦ as the dust"¦ the length and breadth." It was a far cry from the valley of the Euphrates to Sodom, and the little confederate kings dared to rebel against Chedorlaomer, who swept over their lands like a sirocco, and marched up the valley of the Jordan, laden with booty, and carrying Lot. You cannot have the sweets of the world and miss its bitters. The path of separation is the only way of safety and peace! [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 14

1  The battle of four kings against the king of Sodom and his allies
12  Lot is taken prisoner
14  Abram rescues him
17  Melchizedek blesses Abram, who gives him tithes
21  Abram restores the rest of the spoil to the king of Sodom

What do the individual words in Genesis 14:10 mean?

Now the Valley of Siddim - [was full of] pits asphalt and fled the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and [some] fell there and the remainder to the mountains fled
וְעֵ֣מֶק הַשִׂדִּ֗ים‪‬ בֶּֽאֱרֹ֤ת בֶּאֱרֹת֙ חֵמָ֔ר וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־ סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה וַיִּפְּלוּ־ שָׁ֑מָּה וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים הֶ֥רָה נָּֽסוּ

וְעֵ֣מֶק  Now  the  Valley 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
הַשִׂדִּ֗ים‪‬  of  Siddim 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂדִּים  
Sense: valley where the Dead Sea is located.
בֶּֽאֱרֹ֤ת  - 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בְּאֵר  
Sense: well, pit, spring.
בֶּאֱרֹת֙  [was  full  of]  pits 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: בְּאֵר  
Sense: well, pit, spring.
חֵמָ֔ר  asphalt 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵמָר  
Sense: slime, pitch, asphalt, bitumen.
וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ  and  fled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
סְדֹ֥ם  of  Sodom 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: סְדֹם  
Sense: a Canaanite city, usually paired with Gomorrah, located in the area of the Dead Sea and the Jordan river; both cities destroyed by God in judgment.
וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה  and  Gomorrah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲמֹרָה  
Sense: the twin-city in evil with Sodom, both destroyed in judgment by God with fire from heaven.
וַיִּפְּלוּ־  and  [some]  fell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים  and  the  remainder 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
הֶ֥רָה  to  the  mountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
נָּֽסוּ  fled 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.