Genesis 18:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the Lord said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,

NIV: Then the Lord said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous

NASB: And the Lord said, 'The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.

CSB: Then the Lord said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious.

NLT: So the Lord told Abraham, 'I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.

KJV: And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

NKJV: And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,

Having explained why He will reveal His plans for Sodom to Abraham, the Lord now begins to do so. Apparently, Abraham was unable to hear the Lord's words in the previous verses. Now the Lord speaks directly to him.

What the Lord says is ominous. The outcry against the peoples of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is grave. The language used is similar to what God said to Cain in Genesis 4:10, "Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground." In the same poetic sense, the cries of the victims of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah had reached the ears of God Himself. He was about to execute justice.

God's reason for revealing this to Abraham, in advance, seems to have several layers. First, since Abraham is meant to be the founder of God's chosen people, he needs to see that God's promises—all of His promises—are kept. This not only means the covenant with Abraham, but God's judgment of sin and wickedness. Also, the opportunity for Abraham to plead for the innocent of Sodom, of whom there are virtually none, highlights for Abraham just how depraved that culture had become. These combine to highlight God's perfect justice, which is something He wants His chosen people to understand.

Genesis 18:16–21 is an example of God using human language, and human behavior, to more clearly explain His will. Taking on a temporary human form, God speaks with Abraham about the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This process reveals that God not only intends to keep His promises—all His promises—but that His judgment on Sodom is well-deserved. God does not need to justify His actions to mankind, but in this passage, He does exactly that, for our benefit, and for our learning.

Abraham hurries to offer respect and hospitality to three men who appear near his tent. Over the course of the chapter, the men reveal themselves to be the Lord and two angels in human form. As He had told Abraham in the previous chapter, the Lord now reveals to Sarah that she will have a son within the year. Later, the Lord poetically says He will investigate the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham's nephew Lot lives. Abraham asks, and the Lord agrees, not to destroy Sodom if God finds 10 righteous people there.

God appeared to Abraham in the previous chapter revealing, in part, that Sarah would bear Abraham a son within a year's time. Now the Lord appears again, this time in human form and accompanied by two disguised angels. He reveals to Sarah the same promise. She laughs, and the Lord insists that even her age isn't too hard for Him to overcome. Next the Lord reveals to Abraham that He will investigate the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham receives the Lord's promise not to destroy Sodom (where Abraham's nephew lives) if He finds 10 righteous people in the city. Unfortunately, the city is beyond saving, and the next chapter details its utter destruction.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.