The five kings of the plain — Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (Zoar) — are the eastern coalition's opponents. The names of Sodom's king (Bera, possibly meaning 'in evil') and Gomorrah's king (Birsha, possibly meaning 'in wickedness') may be symbolic designations attached to the cities' character. The five cities of the plain — already identified in Genesis 13:10 as Lot's neighborhood — are about to suffer the consequences of rebellion against their eastern overlords. The geography and political situation are specific enough to invite comparison with records from the ancient Near East, though the precise identification of the kings remains debated. The application: Lot's choice to live near Sodom has now drawn him into a regional war. The decisions of where to live and what community to belong to have consequences that extend well beyond the personal and spiritual.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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