Genesis 14:5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
The setting
Eastern Jordan, ~2000 BC. Chedorlaomer's coalition army systematically destroying ancient giant tribes city by city, moving south toward Sodom.
The emotion here: horror at recording systematic destruction
The original word
nakah (נָכָה) — to strike down, smite, defeat completely in battle
Why it matters
The Rephaim, Zuzim, and Emim were legendary giant peoples — this was ethnic cleansing on a massive scale
Read with care
What most readers miss in Genesis 14:5
These weren't just military victories — entire peoples disappeared from history in this campaign
Common misconceptionPeople think this is just ancient warfare, but Moses is showing how quickly entire civilizations can vanish — and why Abram's rescue mission was so urgent.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Genesis 14:5
Bible Genome reading
Genesis 14:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Genesis 14:5 comes from the book of Genesis, written during the Patriarchal period. The setting is the battlefield. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 5% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include warfare, conquest, ancient peoples. Notable phrases: fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came; struck the Rephaim.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Genesis 14:5 mean to you, today?
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