Kejadian 14:15

14:15 Then, during the night, ¹  Abram ²  divided his forces ³  against them and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, which is north ⁴  of Damascus.

Kejadian 14:2

14:2 went to war ⁵  against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). ⁶ 

1 Raja-raja 16:9

16:9 His servant Zimri, a commander of half of his chariot force, conspired against him. While Elah was drinking heavily ⁷  at the house of Arza, who supervised the palace in Tirzah,

Yeremia 49:24

49:24 The people of Damascus will lose heart and turn to flee.

Panic will grip them.

Pain and anguish will seize them

like a woman in labor.

[14:15]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text simply has “night” as an adverbial accusative.

[14:15]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:15]  ³ tn Heb “he divided himself…he and his servants.”

[14:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “left.” Directions in ancient Israel were given in relation to the east rather than the north.

[14:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “made war.”

[14:2]  sn Went to war. The conflict here reflects international warfare in the Early and Middle Bronze periods. The countries operated with overlords and vassals. Kings ruled over city states, or sometimes a number of city states (i.e., nations). Due to their treaties, when one went to war, those confederate with him joined him in battle. It appears here that it is Kedorlaomer’s war, because the western city states have rebelled against him (meaning they did not send products as tribute to keep him from invading them).

[14:2]  ⁶ sn On the geographical background of vv. 1-2 see J. P. Harland, “Sodom and Gomorrah,” The Biblical Archaeologist Reader, 1:41-75; and D. N. Freedman, “The Real Story of the Ebla Tablets, Ebla and the Cities of the Plain,” BA 41 (1978): 143-64.

[16:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “while he was drinking and drunken.”