Lexical Summary Shinab: Shinab Original Word: שִׁנְאָב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Shinab Probably from shana and 'ab; a father has turned; Shinab, a Canaanite -- Shinab. see HEBREW shana see HEBREW 'ab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a king of Admah NASB Translation Shinab (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שִׁנְאָב proper name, masculine king of Admah Genesis 14, Σεννααρ (see שִׁנְעָר 1 Chronicles 8:1, ᵐ5 id.). שִׁנְאָן see below III. שׁנה. Topical Lexicon Biblical Context Shinab appears in Genesis 14:2 as king of Admah, one of five Canaanite rulers in the Valley of Siddim who rebel against Chedorlaomer and his eastern allies. His sole mention occurs within Scripture’s earliest narrative of international warfare, intersecting the life of Abram before the covenant of Genesis 15. Historical Background Admah, along with Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboiim and Bela (Zoar), occupied the fertile plain south of the Dead Sea. Extra-biblical texts such as the Mari letters confirm that coalitions of city-states resisted Mesopotamian overlords during the Middle Bronze Age, matching the Genesis 14 framework. Archaeological surveys have located several “Cities of the Plain” candidates—most notably Tall el-Hammam and its environs—underscoring the historic plausibility of Shinab’s realm in the southern Jordan Valley. The Coalition of Kings Genesis 14 records two alliances: For twelve years the plains cities paid tribute; in the thirteenth they revolted. The four-king coalition marched west, subdued the Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim and Horites, then routed Shinab’s alliance in the tar pits of Siddim. The captives and spoils—including Abram’s nephew Lot—were carried north. Relation to Abram’s Mission Shinab’s defeat provides the occasion for Abram’s redemptive intervention. Scripture’s first recorded military action by a man of faith occurs when Abram pursues the captors “as far as Dan” (Genesis 14:14), rescues Lot, and returns the goods. Thus the fall of Shinab becomes the stage on which God reveals: Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty in History: The fleeting mention of Shinab demonstrates that regional rulers rise and fall within God’s larger redemptive plan. Lessons for Ministry Today • Be cautious of alliances built on convenience rather than righteousness; they crumble when pressure mounts. Archaeological and Geographical Notes Bitumen pits (Genesis 14:10) still dot the southern Dead Sea, corroborating the terrain where Shinab fled. Sediment cores indicate seismic events and fire damage consistent with the biblical destruction of nearby cities, offering indirect testimony to Admah’s fate. Though the precise tell of Admah remains under debate, its inclusion among the “cities of the plain” affirms a real geopolitical landscape that Genesis accurately reflects. Prophetic and Eschatological Echoes The memory of Admah surfaces in later prophets as a warning of total judgment: “I will not vent the full fury of My anger… My heart is turned within Me… I will not destroy Ephraim again” (Hosea 11:8-9). Shinab’s ruined city becomes a benchmark for divine wrath restrained only by mercy—anticipating the ultimate deliverance secured in the cross. Cross-References to the Plains Cities • Deuteronomy 29:23 – Admah and Zeboiim cited alongside Sodom and Gomorrah. In sum, although Scripture records Shinab only once, the setting in which he appears illumines God’s dealings with nations, magnifies Abram’s faith, and prefigures themes of deliverance, judgment and covenant that unfold throughout the rest of the Bible. Forms and Transliterations שִׁנְאָ֣ב ׀ שנאב shinAv šin’āḇ šin·’āḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 14:2 HEB: מֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמֹרָ֑ה שִׁנְאָ֣ב ׀ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַדְמָ֗ה NAS: of Gomorrah, Shinab king KJV: of Gomorrah, Shinab king INT: king of Gomorrah Shinab king of Admah 1 Occurrence |
    |