Shinab שִׁנְאָב
King of Admah who rebelled against Chedorlaomer.
Who is Shinab in the Bible?
Shinab was the king of Admah, one of the five cities in the Valley of Siddim near the Dead Sea region (Genesis 14:2). He joined a coalition of local kings, including the rulers of Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboiim, and Bela, in rebelling against Chedorlaomer of Elam, to whom they had been subject for twelve years. In the thirteenth year of their subjugation, these kings engaged Chedorlaomer and his allies in the Battle of the Valley of Siddim, though the specific outcome for Shinab is not detailed in Scripture. His significance lies in illustrating the geopolitical instability of the ancient Near East during Abraham's time and the precarious position of the Canaanite city-states in resisting Mesopotamian overlords.
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
- Genesis 14:2
"went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar)."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | שִׁנְאָב |
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):