Bera

Biblical Account

Bera is the king of Sodom who appears in Genesis 14. His name occurs only once, in Genesis 14:2. In the rest of the chapter he is referred to without a name as "the king of Sodom."

According to Genesis 14, Bera, together with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Zoar, served Chedorlaomer king of Elam for twelve years. In the thirteenth year they rebelled (Genesis 14:4). In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came against them together with Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, and Tidal king of nations. The five kings joined battle in the vale of Siddim, which is now the salt sea (the Dead Sea), but were defeated (Genesis 14:8–10).

This valley was full of slime pits (pits of natural asphalt, or bitumen). The text records that the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there, while those who remained fled to the mountain. The enemy took the goods and provisions of Sodom and Gomorrah and also carried off Abram's nephew Lot, who lived in Sodom.

Abram led 318 trained servants born in his own house in pursuit and recovered Lot and the plundered goods. On his return, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale (Genesis 14:17). There Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine and blessed Abram, and Abram gave him tithes of all.

The king of Sodom then proposed, "Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself" (Genesis 14:21). Abram refused, saying that he had lifted up his hand to the LORD. He declared that he would not take anything belonging to the king of Sodom, "from a thread even to a shoelatchet," lest the king should say that he had made Abram rich. He made exceptions only for what the young men had eaten and for the portion of Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, who had gone with him (Genesis 14:22–24). Scripture does not record what became of Bera afterward.

Significance Within Scripture

Sodom had already been introduced in Genesis 13:13 as a place whose men were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. In the latter part of Genesis 14, two kings meet Abram in succession. Melchizedek, priest of God, offers a blessing, while Bera, king of Sodom, offers wealth. Many interpreters regard this contrast as the heart of the scene.

Immediately after Abram declines the goods, God says, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (Genesis 15:1). For this reason, Abram's refusal is widely read as expressing a stance that regards God alone as his reward.

The New Testament does not mention Bera directly. Hebrews 7 discusses Abraham's meeting with Melchizedek as he returned from the slaughter of the kings, but it does not mention the king of Sodom.

Interpretations and Issues

• The slime pit scene: Genesis 14:10 says that the king of Sodom "fell" into the pits, yet in 14:17 the same king of Sodom comes out to meet Abram. Interpretations therefore differ. Some read the original Hebrew as meaning that he threw himself down to hide; others hold that he fell in but came out alive; still others take it to mean that the soldiers with the king fell in.
• Meaning of the name: Jewish tradition is said to have associated "Bera" with the Hebrew word for "evil" and "Birsha" with "wickedness." These are explanations from interpretive tradition; the text itself does not explain the meaning of the names.
• What the text does not say: It is commonly assumed that Bera died in the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 19, but Scripture does not say who was king of Sodom at that time or what became of Bera.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church the name Bera is seldom used; he is usually referred to as "the king of Sodom." Sermons on Genesis 14 frequently address the king of Sodom's offer and Abram's refusal. Preachers often contrast Melchizedek with the king of Sodom, using the scene to illustrate a faith that seeks the blessing God gives rather than the profit the world offers. The same scene is also cited, together with Abram's giving a tenth to Melchizedek, in sermons explaining the tithe.