Person Old Testament
Tidal
Tidal, king of Goiim, was one of the four kings allied with Chedorlaomer in the battle against the five kings of the plain. Mentioned in 2 verses across 1 book, first at Genesis 14:1.
Why it matters. King of Goiim, ally of Chedorlaomer
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Tidal
Tidal, described as king of Goiim, is mentioned in Gen.14.1 and Gen.14.9 as one of the four kings who joined forces with Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, in a battle against the five kings of the cities of the plain, including Sodom and Gomorrah. The name "Tidal" is of uncertain origin, and "Goiim" may refer to a region or a group of people. In the biblical account, Tidal and his allies engaged in a military campaign in Canaan, ultimately defeating the five kings and taking captives, including Abraham's nephew Lot. In response, Abraham and his 318 trained men pursued the victorious kings, defeated them, and rescued Lot and the other captives (Gen.14.14-16). No other details are provided about Tidal's background, the extent of his kingdom, or his fate after the battle. His participation in the alliance with Chedorlaomer suggests a significant political and military role in the ancient Near East, but the exact historical and geographical context remains uncertain.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.