Genesis 14:9

Summary

Genesis 14:9 completes the list of the four eastern kings — Kedorlaomer of Elam, Tidal of Goyim, Amraphel of Shinar, and Arioch of Ellasar — who are then summarized as "four kings" opposed to "the five" kings mentioned earlier in the chapter. The verse is essentially a genealogical/military roster closing with a numerical summary.

Key words

• 'et ("with", H0854) — a preposition appearing twice (positions 1 and 19); rather than marking a direct object, it expresses accompaniment or opposition, here linking the list of names and later joining "four kings" with "the five."
• Melekh ("king of", H4428G) — construct singular noun, repeated four times, each time bound to a following place-name (Elam, Goyim, Shinar, Ellasar), producing a chain of construct phrases "king of X."
• 'arba'ah ("four", H0702) — cardinal number, common gender, summarizing the preceding four names as a single group.
• ha-chamishah ("the five", H2568 + H9009) — cardinal number with definite article, referring back anaphorically to five kings named earlier in the chapter, contrasted with the "four" just listed.

What the text says

The verse is built as a list of four royal names, each followed by the construct phrase melekh + place name, giving a rhythmic sequence: "Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of Goyim, and Amraphel, king of Shinar, and Arioch, king of Ellasar." The conjunction ve- ("and", H9002) joins each pair after the first name, creating a simple additive list rather than a subordinated clause.

The closing formula, "four kings with/against the five" ('arba'ah melakhim 'et ha-chamishah), uses the numeral 'arba'ah ("four") as a summary noun standing for the four just-named kings, and ha-chamishah ("the five") as a numeral with the definite article, pointing back to five kings introduced earlier in the narrative. The preposition 'et here does not mark a grammatical object of a verb; the clause has no finite verb at all. It functions purely as a comitative/oppositional preposition holding the two numbered groups together in a single nominal summary.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew preposition 'et ("with") is rendered by the LXX as πρός ("toward/against") and by the Vulgate as adversus ("against"). Both Greek and Latin resolve the ambiguous Hebrew "with" into an explicitly adversarial sense, reflecting the military context, whereas the Hebrew wording itself is neutral as to hostility. The Vulgate also renders 'Arioch melekh 'Ellasar as "Arioch regem Ponti" ("king of Pontus"), differing from the Hebrew place-name 'Ellasar and from the LXX's transliteration Ἐλλασάρ.