כְּדׇרְלָעֹמֶר

𐤊𐤃𐤓𐤋𐤏𐤌𐤓

Kedrelaomer

H3540 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain (proper name), name of a foreign king

Definition

A proper name referring to a foreign ruler, specifically a king identified in Genesis as ruling over Elam; used exclusively as a personal name. The semantic range is restricted to the designation of this individual and does not extend to common nouns or titles.

Semantic Range

personal name, specifically the king of Elam in Genesis 14

Root / Etymology

Uncertain; the name is of non-Hebrew, likely Elamite or eastern Mesopotamian origin. Modern scholarship suggests possible Elamite elements: 'Kudur' (servant) + 'Lagamar,' the name of an Elamite deity, thus possibly meaning 'servant of Lagamar.' The word itself does not derive from a Hebrew root and is instead transliterated into the biblical text from a foreign language.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Kedorlaʿomer appears only in Genesis 14, where he is described as king of Elam, leading a coalition of eastern kings against cities of the Jordan plain. The name's form in the Hebrew Bible preserves its foreign character; the initial כְּ (ke-) may reflect a non-Hebrew prefix or an attempt to represent a foreign phoneme. The use of Kedorlaʿomer in Genesis reflects awareness of eastern powers in early biblical tradition. Later traditions, including early translations (e.g., LXX: Χοδολλογομορ), preserve the foreign form rather than translate the name. The designation 'king of Elam' situates him in the wider context of Mesopotamian and Elamite political history, but historical identification remains uncertain. In English translations, the name is sometimes rendered as 'Chedorlaomer,' reflecting an older transliteration convention.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign origin; Kedorlaomer, an early Persian king; Chedorlaomer.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (non-Hebrew proper name) (unknown) — proper name, foreign royal name

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3540-01 כְּדָרְלָעֹ֨מֶר֙ kedarelaomer HNp Chedorlaomer Kedorlaomer 3
H3540-02 כְּדָרלָעֹ֔מֶר kedarlaomer HNp Kedorlaomer Kedorlaomer 1
H3540-03 כְדָרְלָעֹ֗מֶר khedarelaomer HNp Chedorlaomer Kedorlaomer 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3540-01 Genesis 14:1 כְּדָרְלָעֹ֨מֶר֙ kedarelaomer HNp Chedorlaomer Kedorlaomer
H3540-01 Genesis 14:4 כְּדָרְלָעֹ֑מֶר kedarelaomer HNp Chedorlaomer Kedorlaomer
H3540-03 Genesis 14:5 כְדָרְלָעֹ֗מֶר khedarelaomer HNp Chedorlaomer Kedorlaomer
H3540-01 Genesis 14:9 כְּדָרְלָעֹ֜מֶר kedarelaomer HNp Chedorlaomer Kedorlaomer
H3540-02 Genesis 14:17 כְּדָרלָעֹ֔מֶר kedarlaomer HNp Kedorlaomer Kedorlaomer