Saadia · Bereshit 14
Tafsir Reader
Tap any Judeo-Arabic word for a starter gloss. Hover any phrase to see its matching Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, and English light up together. Toggle the Arabic-script form, the Hebrew translation, or the English off if you'd rather read without crutches.
New here? Read Saadia's own preface to this book.
- Bereshit 14:1
וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ-שִׁנְעָר אַרְיוֹךְ מֶלֶךְ אֶלָּסָר כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר מֶלֶךְ עֵילָם וְתִדְעָל מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם
. .
Then it was in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Khuzistan (Elam), and Tidal king of nations,
- Bereshit 14:2
עָשׂוּ מִלְחָמָה אֶת-בֶּרַע מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם וְאֶת-בִּרְשַׁע מֶלֶךְ עֲמֹרָה שִׁנְאָב מֶלֶךְ אַדְמָה וְשֶׁמְאֵבֶר מֶלֶךְ צְבֹיִים וּמֶלֶךְ בֶּלַע הִיא-צֹעַר
. . . . .
that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemever king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela — which is Zoar.
- Bereshit 14:3
כָּל-אֵלֶּה חָבְרוּ אֶל-עֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים הוּא יָם הַמֶּלַח
. .
All these joined together in the valley of Siddim — that is the Dead Sea.
- Bereshit 14:4
שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה עָבְדוּ אֶת-כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר וּשְׁלֹשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה מָרָדוּ
. .
Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer; and in the thirteenth, they rebelled against him.
- Bereshit 14:5
וּבְאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה בָּא כְדָרְלָעֹמֶר וְהַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת-רְפָאִים בְּעַשְׁתְּרֹת קַרְנַיִם וְאֶת-הַזּוּזִים בְּהָם וְאֵת הָאֵימִים בְּשָׁוֵה קִרְיָתָיִם
. . . . .
And in the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him; and they killed the mighty ones (Rephaim) who were in Ashteroth-Karnaim, and the chieftains (Zuzim) who were in Ham, and the Heyubites (Emim) who were in Shaveh-Kiriathaim,
- Bereshit 14:6
וְאֶת-הַחֹרִי בְּהַרְרָם שֵׂעִיר עַד אֵיל פָּארָן אֲשֶׁר עַל-הַמִּדְבָּר
. .
and the Horites who were in Mount al-Sharah (Seir), as far as the plain of Paran, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
- Bereshit 14:7
וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל-עֵין מִשְׁפָּט הִוא קָדֵשׁ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת-כָּל-שְׂדֵה הָעֲמָלֵקִי--וְגַם אֶת-הָאֱמֹרִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בְּחַצְצֹן תָּמָר
. . . . .
Then they turned back, and came to the spring of judgment — that is Rekem (Kadesh); and they slew all who were in the villages of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling at the bend of the date-palms of Hatzatzon.
- Bereshit 14:8
וַיֵּצֵא מֶלֶךְ-סְדֹם וּמֶלֶךְ עֲמֹרָה וּמֶלֶךְ אַדְמָה וּמֶלֶךְ צְבֹיִים וּמֶלֶךְ בֶּלַע הִוא-צֹעַר וַיַּעַרְכוּ אִתָּם מִלְחָמָה בְּעֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים
. . . .
And the king of Sodom went out, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela — which is Zoar — and they arrayed themselves in battle in the valley of Siddim,
- Bereshit 14:9
אֵת כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר מֶלֶךְ עֵילָם וְתִדְעָל מֶלֶךְ גּוֹיִם וְאַמְרָפֶל מֶלֶךְ שִׁנְעָר וְאַרְיוֹךְ מֶלֶךְ אֶלָּסָר--אַרְבָּעָה מְלָכִים אֶת-הַחֲמִשָּׁה
. . . .
against Chedorlaomer king of Khuzistan (Elam), and Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar — four kings against the five.
- Bereshit 14:10
וְעֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים בֶּאֱרֹת בֶּאֱרֹת חֵמָר וַיָּנֻסוּ מֶלֶךְ-סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה וַיִּפְּלוּ-שָׁמָּה וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים הֶרָה נָּסוּ
. . . .
And the valley of Siddim — in it were wells that gave forth bitumen. And the king of Sodom and of Gomorrah fled, and they fell there; and the rest fled to the mountain.
- Bereshit 14:11
וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת-כָּל-רְכֻשׁ סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה וְאֶת-כָּל-אָכְלָם--וַיֵּלֵכוּ
.
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food, and they went.
- Bereshit 14:12
וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת-לוֹט וְאֶת-רְכֻשׁוֹ בֶּן-אֲחִי אַבְרָם וַיֵּלֵכוּ וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב בִּסְדֹם
.
And they took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, and his goods, and they went; and he was dwelling in Sodom.
- Bereshit 14:13
וַיָּבֹא הַפָּלִיט וַיַּגֵּד לְאַבְרָם הָעִבְרִי וְהוּא שֹׁכֵן בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא הָאֱמֹרִי אֲחִי אֶשְׁכֹּל וַאֲחִי עָנֵר וְהֵם בַּעֲלֵי בְרִית-אַבְרָם
. . . .
Then the fugitive came, and told Abram the Hebrew; and he was dwelling in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshkol and the brother of Aner — and these were the covenant-allies of Abram.
- Bereshit 14:14
וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם כִּי נִשְׁבָּה אָחִיו וַיָּרֶק אֶת-חֲנִיכָיו יְלִידֵי בֵיתוֹ שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַיִּרְדֹּף עַד-דָּן
. . . . .
And when Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he drew out his servants — those born in his house — three hundred and eighteen; and he pursued them as far as Banyas (Dan).
- Bereshit 14:15
וַיֵּחָלֵק עֲלֵיהֶם לַיְלָה הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו וַיַּכֵּם וַיִּרְדְּפֵם עַד-חוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר מִשְּׂמֹאל לְדַמָּשֶׂק
. . .
And he divided his forces against them by night — he and his servants — and they struck them, and pursued them as far as Hovah, which is to the left of Damascus.
- Bereshit 14:16
וַיָּשֶׁב אֵת כָּל-הָרְכֻשׁ וְגַם אֶת-לוֹט אָחִיו וּרְכֻשׁוֹ הֵשִׁיב וְגַם אֶת-הַנָּשִׁים וְאֶת-הָעָם
. .
And he brought back all the goods; and Lot his kinsman and his goods he brought back, and the women also, and the rest of the people.
- Bereshit 14:17
וַיֵּצֵא מֶלֶךְ-סְדֹם לִקְרָאתוֹ אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבוֹ מֵהַכּוֹת אֶת-כְּדָרְלָעֹמֶר וְאֶת-הַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ--אֶל-עֵמֶק שָׁוֵה הוּא עֵמֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ
. . . .
Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, to the valley of Shaveh — that is the playground of the king.
- Bereshit 14:18
וּמַלְכִּי-צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן
. .
And Melchizedek, king of Dar al-Salam (Salem), brought out for him food and drink; and he was a priest to the Most High Power.
- Bereshit 14:19
וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ
. .
And he blessed him, and said: 'May Abram be blessed to the Most High Power, the Possessor of the heavens and the earth;
- Bereshit 14:20
וּבָרוּךְ אֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֲשֶׁר-מִגֵּן צָרֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ וַיִּתֶּן-לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל
. .
and blessed be the Most High Power, who has delivered your enemies into your hands.' And he gave him a tithe of everything.
- Bereshit 14:21
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ-סְדֹם אֶל-אַבְרָם תֶּן-לִי הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻשׁ קַח-לָךְ
. .
And the king of Sodom said to Abram: 'Give me the souls, and the goods take for yourself.'
- Bereshit 14:22
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל-מֶלֶךְ סְדֹם הֲרִמֹתִי יָדִי אֶל-יְהוָה אֵל עֶלְיוֹן קֹנֵה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ
. .
And Abram said to him: 'I have lifted up my hand, swearing by God the Most High Power, the Possessor of the heavens and the earth:
- Bereshit 14:23
אִם-מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ-נַעַל וְאִם-אֶקַּח מִכָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לָךְ וְלֹא תֹאמַר אֲנִי הֶעֱשַׁרְתִּי אֶת-אַבְרָם
. . .
from a thread to a sandal-strap — if I take of all that is yours — that you may not say, "I have made Abram rich."
- Bereshit 14:24
בִּלְעָדַי רַק אֲשֶׁר אָכְלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וְחֵלֶק הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ אִתִּי עָנֵר אֶשְׁכֹּל וּמַמְרֵא הֵם יִקְחוּ חֶלְקָם
. . .
Only what the youths have eaten; and the portion of the men who went with me — Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre — they shall take their portion.'
English is a working draft — author revising