What does Genesis 14:2 mean?

The early verses of Genesis 14 are the Bible's first mention of the word "war." This narrative gives us some insight into the culture which surrounded men like Abram and Lot. This culture included various city-states, some of which used the military power to control smaller, weaker groups. Compared to modern warfare, ancient armies were small, and it took a long time to march from one area to another. And so, when kings chose to rebel against each other, it took some time to resolve (Genesis 14:4–5).

Verse 1 listed four kings who became allies to go to war against another group of five kings. The five kings include Bera, king of Sodom, and Birsha, king of Gomorrah. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are often mentioned together in Scripture (Genesis 13:10. The other three were kings of Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. These five cities may have been grouped together near the southern end of the Dead Sea (or Salt Sea) in the Jordan River valley.