Shinab שִׁנְאָב
King of Admah who rebelled against Chedorlaomer.
Biography
Shinab is mentioned in Gen.14.2 as the king of Admah, one of the five cities in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea or Dead Sea region). He, along with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (Zoar), engaged in a rebellion against Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, to whom they had been subject for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, these kings fought against Chedorlaomer and his allies in the Battle of the Valley of Siddim. The outcome of the battle is not explicitly stated for Shinab, but it is known that the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into the tar pits, while the rest fled to the mountains.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentGenesis 1 verse Study available
- Genesis 14:2
"they made war with Bera, king of Sodom; Birsha, king of Gomorrah; Shinab, king of Admah; Shemeber, king of Zeboiim; and the king of Bela (also called Zoar)."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שִׁנְאָב | H8134 |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Shinab
ible:Gen.14.2">Ge 14:2). The reading is very uncertain. If the incident narrated is founded on fact, Shinab may be identical with Sanibu, an Ammonite king in the time of Tiglath-pileser III (so French Delitzsch, Wo lag das Paradies? 294); or the name may be equated by the Assyrian Sin-sar-ucur (compare "Shenazzar"), and Shem-eber with the Assyrian Sumu-abi (Sayce, The Expository Times, VIII, 463). Jewish exegesis gives a sinister explanation of all four names (Ge 14:2). The Midrash (Ber. Rab. 42) explains Shinab as sho'-ebh mammon, "one who draws money (wherever he can)." It is of interest to note that the names fall into two alliterative pairs and that each king's name contains exactly as many letters as that of his city. On the whole, however, the list leaves an impression of artificiality; as the names are not repeated in Ge 14:8, it is highly probable that they are later additions to the text.
Horace J. Wolf
shi'-nar (shin`ar; Senaar Sen(n)aar):