בראשית, פרק י״ד, פסוק ז׳

After completing their conquests in the south, the alliance of four kings alters its course. Rather than pushing further outward, the invading armies turn back, marching north and east toward the Dead Sea. Their goal is to subjugate additional nations and close in on their primary target in the Valley of Siddim. This tactical shift brings them to an area known as Kadesh, specifically near the border of the Land of Israel, which would later become the launching point for the Israelite spies [ביאור יש"ר, שטיינזלץ]. While various desert regions bear the name Kadesh, they are all part of one massive, continuous desert expanse [גור אריה].

This specific location is also called Ein Mishpat, a name carrying multiple layers of meaning. On a practical level, it was a wide, accessible plain designed for public gatherings, where ruling monarchs would set up their courts to judge the local populations [רמב״ן, רד״ק, מזרחי]. Others view the name as a reference to the distant future, anticipating the time when Moses and Aaron would be judged by God at this very site over the incident of drawing water from the rock [רש״י, מזרחי]. A third perspective links the concept of judgment directly to the awakening of God's strict justice in the world, which manifested in that specific location [העמק דבר, רקנאטי].

Continuing their campaign, the invading forces strike a vast, open plain heavily populated with cities, rather than agricultural farmland [רד״ק, ביאור יש"ר]. The narrative identifies this region as the territory of the Amalekites, which presents a chronological puzzle, as Amalek, the grandson of Esau, had not yet been born. The primary approach among commentators resolves this by explaining that the biblical account uses the name the region would eventually acquire by the time of Moses, once Amalek's descendants had settled there. Alternatively, some suggest that during this ancient era, a prominent local ruler from the Horite nation was named Amalek, and the territory was named in his honor. According to this view, it was only generations later that Esau's son Eliphaz named his own son Amalek after this ancient, respected leader [רמב״ן, אם למקרא].

Finally, the armies defeat the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar. Commentators universally identify this location as the city of Ein Gedi, a fact later confirmed in the Book of Chronicles. Situated near the Dead Sea, the area was famous for its abundant growth of palm trees [שד״ל]. Reaching Ein Gedi is a critical milestone for the four kings, as it marks their physical arrival at the outskirts of Sodom and Gomorrah. By securing this area, they clear the path for the looming, decisive battle against the king of Sodom and his allied forces who are waiting for them just ahead [ביאור יש"ר, מלבי״ם].