And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
The valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to escape the battle, they fell into these pits. The survivors who were left behind fled to the mountains.
This verse describes how the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were trapped by natural tar pits during their retreat from battle, while other survivors escaped to higher ground.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of Abraham, a coalition of kings from the east, led by Chedorlaomer, had ruled over several regions for twelve years before the kings of the Jordan Valley, including Sodom and Gomorrah, rebelled against them. This verse describes a key moment in the ensuing battle in the Vale of Siddim, where the terrain was dotted with slimepits, likely natural tar pits, that caused chaos as the fleeing kings fell into them. The event sets the stage for Abraham's heroic rescue of his nephew Lot, who was captured during the conflict.
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