Shinab
Shinab was the king of Admah who, along with other kings, rebelled against Chedorlaomer, king of Elam.
Biography
Shinab was the king of Admah, one of the five city-states of the Vale of Siddim, during the time of the patriarch Abraham. He is mentioned in Genesis 14:2 as one of the five kings who, after twelve years of vassalage under Chedorlaomer of Elam, joined a coalition to rebel in the thirteenth year. The subsequent battle in the Vale of Siddim resulted in a decisive defeat of the five kings. Lot, Abraham's nephew residing in Sodom, was captured during this conflict, prompting Abraham's famous military pursuit and rescue operation. Admah, along with Zeboiim, was later destroyed alongside Sodom and Gomorrah as a judgment for wickedness (Deuteronomy 29:23).
Significance
Shinab appears as a minor but contextually significant figure in the backdrop of Abraham's story. His rebellion and the resulting war provide the narrative occasion for Abraham's military intervention, which in turn occasions the remarkable encounter with Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18-20). This meeting has profound theological resonance, prefiguring the royal-priestly office of the Messiah (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7). Shinab's ultimate fate, his city sharing in the catastrophic judgment of the plain cities, also serves as a perpetual biblical emblem of divine wrath against entrenched wickedness.
Verse Appearances (1)
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]