Arioch
Arioch, king of Ellasar, was one of the four kings who joined forces with Chedorlaomer in the battle against the five kings of the plain.
Biography
Arioch, king of Ellasar, is introduced in Genesis 14:1 as one of four powerful Mesopotamian kings who formed a military coalition under the leadership of Chedorlaomer of Elam. This alliance waged war against the five kings of the Cities of the Plain, including Sodom and Gomorrah. After subduing these cities and plundering their goods, the coalition carried off captives including Lot, Abram's nephew. When Abram learned of Lot's capture, he mobilized 318 trained men from his household and, with allies, pursued the coalition as far north as Dan and Hobah, north of Damascus (Genesis 14:14–15). The text does not confirm Arioch's specific fate, but the entire coalition was routed, the captives liberated, and the plunder recovered.
Significance
Arioch's role as a member of the coalition against which Abram prevailed carries profound theological weight. The episode in Genesis 14 demonstrates that the promise God made to Abram, to bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him (Genesis 12:3), had immediate, practical dimensions. Abram's victory over kings, including Arioch, establishes him as a figure of power and divine favor in Canaan. It also occasions the mysterious blessing of Melchizedek, priest of God Most High, foreshadowing the priestly and royal dimensions of the Abrahamic line that would ultimately culminate in Christ (Hebrews 7).
Verse Appearances (2)
Genesis
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]