Bible Encyclopedia: Amraphel

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

AMRAPHEL

am'-ra-fel, am-ra'-fel ('amraphel, or, perhaps better, 'ameraphel).

1. The Expedition Against Sodom and Gomorrah:

This name, which is identified with that of the renowned Babylonian king Hammurabi (which see), is only found in Genesis 14:1, 9, where he is mentioned as the king of Shinar (Babylonia), who fought against the cities of the plain, in alliance with Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Nations (the Revised Version (British and American) GOIIM). The narrative which follows is very circumstantial. From it we learn, that Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela or Zoar, had served Chedorlaomer for 12 years, rebelled in the 13th, and in the 14th year Chedorlaomer, with the kings enumerated, fought with and defeated them in the vale of Siddim, which is described as being the Salt Sea. Previous to this engagement, however, the Elamites and their allies had attacked the Rephaim (Onkelos: "giants") in Ashtaroth-karnaim, the Zuzim (O: "mighty ones," "heroes") in Ham (O: Chamta'), the Emim (O: "terrible ones") in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their Mount Seir, by the Desert. These having been rendered powerless to aid the revolted vassals, they returned and came to Enmishpat, or Kadesh, attacked the country of the Amalekites, and the Amorites dwelling in Hazazontamar (Genesis 14:2-7).

2. The Preparation and the Attack:

At this juncture the kings of the cities of the plain came out against them, and opposed them with their battle-array in the vale of Siddim. The result of the fight was, that the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, with their allies, fled, and fell among the bitumen-pits of which the place was full, whilst those who got away took refuge in the mountain. All the goods and food (the camp-equipment and supplies) of the kings of the plain were captured by Chedorlaomer and his allies, who then continued their march (to their own lands) (Genesis 14:8-11).

3. Abraham's Rescue of Lot:

Among the captives, however, was Lot, Abram's nephew, who dwelt in Sodom. A fugitive, having escaped, went and announced the result of the engagement to Abram, who was at that time living by Mamre's oak plantation. The patriarch immediately marched forth with his trained men, and pursued them to Dan, where he divided his forces, attacked the Elamite-Babylonian army by night, and having put them to flight, pursued them again to Hobah, on the left (or North) of Damascus. The result of this sudden onslaught was that he rescued Lot, with the women and people, and recaptured Lot's goods, which the allies of Amraphel had carried off (Genesis 14:12-16).

4. Difficulties of the Identification of Amraphel:

There is no doubt that the identification of Amraphel with the Hammurabi of the Babylonian inscriptions is the best that has yet been proposed, and though there are certain difficulties therein, these may turn out to be apparent rather than real, when we know more of Babylonian history. The "l" at the end of Amraphel (which has also "ph" instead of "p" or "b") as well as the fact that the expedition itself has not yet been recognized among the campaigns of Hammurabi, must be acknowledged as two points hard to explain, though they may ultimately be solved by further research.

5. Historical Agreements:

It is noteworthy, however, that in the first verse of Genesis 14 Amraphel is mentioned first, which, if he be really the Babylonian Hammurabi, is easily comprehensible, for his renown to all appearance exceeded that of Chedorlaomer, his suzerain. In 14:4 and 5, however, it is Chedorlaomer alone who is referred to, and he heads the list of eastern kings in verse 9, where Tidal comes next (a quite natural order, if Goiim be the Babylonian Gute, i.e. the Medes). Next in order comes Amraphel, king of Babylonia and suzerain of Arioch of Ellasar (Eri-Aku of Larsa), whose name closes the list. It may also be suggested, that Amraphel led a Babylonian force against Sodom, as the ally of Chedorlaomer, before he became king, and was simply crown prince. In that case, like Belshazzar, he was called "king" by anticipation. For further details see ARIOCH and CHEDORLAOMER, and compare ERI-AKU and HAMMURABI; for the history of Babylonia during Hammurabi's period, see that article.

T. G. Pinches

Strong's Hebrew

569. Amraphel -- king of Shinar
... 568, 569. Amraphel. 570 . king of Shinar. Transliteration: Amraphel
Phonetic Spelling: (am-raw-fel') Short Definition: Amraphel. ...
/hebrew/569.htm - 5k

Library

Moses and his Writings
... This has been the experience of God's servants in all times. [Illustration: PORTRAIT
AND WRITING OF AMRAPHEL, KING OF SHINAR, IN ABRAHAM'S TIME]. ...
/.../duff/the bible in its making/chapter iii moses and his.htm

Introduction
... The Babylonia of the age of Amraphel, the contemporary of Abraham, has, thanks to
the recent finds, become as well known to us as the Athens of Perikles; the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/introduction.htm

Chapter xiv
... 1. And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king
of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goyim. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xiv.htm

The Israelites
... In fact, Babylonian rule did not come to an end in the west till after the death
of Abraham; Khammurabi, the Amraphel of Genesis, entitles himself king of "the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

The Destruction of the Sodomites by the Assyrian Wall.
... tribute: but on the thirteenth year they rebelled, and then the army of the Assyrians
came upon them, under their commanders Amraphel, Arioch, Chodorlaomer ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 9 the destruction of.htm

Canaan
... Khammurabi, the Amraphel of the Book of Genesis, calls himself king of the country
of the Amorites as well as of Babylon, and his great-grandson does the same. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... that Kimtarapashtum was the true reading of the name; his proposal, partially admitted
by Hommel, furnishes us with a mixed reading of Khammurapaltu, Amraphel. ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

"In the Volume of the Book it is Written of Me" (Heb. . .
... perpetuates the characteristics of the earlier empires (Babylon, Persia, Greece,
and Rome), so dominions: "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in the volume of the.htm

The Old Testament and Archeology
... in the winter of 1901-1902, is the monument upon which is inscribed the legal code
of Hammurabi, king of Babylon, generally identified with the Amraphel of Gen ...
/.../the christian view of the old testament/chapter iv the old testament.htm

Appendices
... makes Larsa his capital. Khammurabi or Ammurapi, the Amraphel of Genesis,
43 (or 55) years (BC2376-2333). He defeats the Elamites ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Amraphel

one that speaks of secrets

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Amraphel

(keeper of the gods) perhaps a Hamite king of Shinar or Babylonia, who joined the victorious incursion of the Elamite Chedorlaomer against the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain. Gen. 14. (B.C. 1898.)

ATS Bible Dictionary

Amraphel

King of Shinar in the time of Abraham. With three other petty kings, he made war upon the tribes around the Dead Sea, and the cities of the plain, Genesis 14:1.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

King of Shinar, southern Chaldea, one of the confederates of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, in a war against Sodom and cities of the plain (Genesis 14:1, 4). It is now found that Amraphel (or Ammirapaltu) is the Khammu-rabi whose name appears on recently-discovered monuments. (see CHEDORLAOMER). After defeating Arioch (q.v.) he united Babylonia under one rule, and made Babylon his capital.

Thesaurus

Amraphel (2 Occurrences)
... the confederates of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, in a war against Sodom and cities
of the plain (Genesis 14:1, 4). It is now found that Amraphel (or Ammirapaltu ...
/a/amraphel.htm - 12k

Arioch (6 Occurrences)
... ar'-i-ok: ('aryokh): (1) The name of the vassal king of Ellasar, under Chedorlaomer,
king of Elam, and Amraphel, king of Shinar (Babylonia), who took part in ...
/a/arioch.htm - 10k

Tidal (2 Occurrences)
... 1. The Name and Its Forms: Tidal is mentioned in Genesis 14:1, 9 in the account
of the expedition of Chedorlaomer of Elam, with his allies, Amraphel of Shinar ...
/t/tidal.htm - 11k

Hammurabi
... cham-oo-ra'-be: 1. Etymology of His Name, with Reference to Amraphel; His Dynasty
2. The Years Following His Accession 3. Military Operations and Further Pious ...
/h/hammurabi.htm - 47k

Ellasar (2 Occurrences)
... was worshipped. This temple was restored by Ur-Engur, Hammurabi (Amraphel),
Burna-burias, Nebuchadrezzar and Nabonidus. Among the ...
/e/ellasar.htm - 9k

Am'raphel (2 Occurrences)
Am'raphel. Amraphel, Am'raphel. Amulet . Multi-Version Concordance Am'raphel
(2 Occurrences). ... (See RSV). Amraphel, Am'raphel. Amulet . Reference Bible.
/a/am'raphel.htm - 6k

Chedorlaomer (5 Occurrences)
... Khammu-rabi, whose name is also read Ammi-rapaltu or Amraphel by some scholars,
succeeded in overcoming Eri-Aku and driving the Elamites out of Babylonia. ...
/c/chedorlaomer.htm - 16k

Goiim (3 Occurrences)
... Genesis 14:1 It happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of
Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim, (WEB JPS ASV ...
/g/goiim.htm - 7k

Goyim (7 Occurrences)
... Genesis 14:1 And it cometh to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch
king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goyim, (YLT). ...
/g/goyim.htm - 8k

Goi'im (3 Occurrences)
... Genesis 14:1 And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch
king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, (See RSV). ...
/g/goi'im.htm - 7k

Bible Concordance

Amraphel (2 Occurrences)

Genesis 14:1 It happened in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Arioch, king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goiim,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Genesis 14:9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar; four kings against the five.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Amraphel

Amraphel: King of Shinar

Related Terms

Arioch (6 Occurrences)

Tidal (2 Occurrences)

Hammurabi

Ellasar (2 Occurrences)

Am'raphel (2 Occurrences)

Chedorlaomer (5 Occurrences)

Goiim (3 Occurrences)

Goyim (7 Occurrences)