Genesis 19:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

NIV: Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities--and also the vegetation in the land.

NASB: and He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

CSB: He demolished these cities, the entire plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and whatever grew on the ground.

NLT: He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation.

KJV: And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

NKJV: So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

The Lord's rain of sulfur and fire wasn't limited to the city limits of Sodom and Gomorrah. The sins of the people were not a matter of geography, but of culture. God's intent here is not to merely condemn some specific city, but a specific approach to God's revealed truth. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah completely rejected God's character in their sin. So, He overthrew those cities, as well as the surrounding valley. He destroyed all the people in that region, along with all of the vegetation.

Today, the Dead Sea plain continues to be barren and desolate. It wasn't always that way. When Lot chose to settle there, the "Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord…this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah" (Genesis 13:10).

God's judgment for the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah was complete and lasting, a reminder for generations to come that God will hold humans accountable for their sinful choices.

Genesis 19:23–29 describes the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with sulfur and fire. Based on prior descriptions in the book of Genesis, this devastation is both overdue and well-deserved. The Lord's judgment wipes out the cities, all of the valley, all of the people, and all of the vegetation. God demonstrates that He will judge humans for their sinfulness when the time is right. He also demonstrates His grace and mercy, however, remembering His promises to Abraham in rescuing Abraham's nephew Lot.

Two angels, disguised as men, visit Abraham's nephew, Lot, in the city of Sodom. After the men of Sodom attempt to rape the angels in Lot's home, the angels rescue Lot and his family, forcibly removing them from the city. Then God sends fire and sulfur from heaven. This destroys all of the land and people in and around the cities. As stated in earlier verses, this is the result of their great and ongoing wickedness. Lot's wife is turned to a pillar of salt when she disobeys the angels by looking back on the destruction. Lot and his daughters flee first to Zoar, then to a cave in the hills. There, Lot's confused and frightened daughters get him drunk, have sex with him, and each become pregnant.

In the previous chapter, Abraham had bargained with God on behalf of his nephew Lot and the people of Sodom. The Lord assured Abraham He would not destroy the cities if He found ten righteous people there. Chapter 19 immediately demonstrates no righteous people are to be found. Every man of Sodom attempts to attack two visitors, who are God's angels in human form. As the angels rescue Lot, God's judgment falls, utterly destroying everything in the area around Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his daughters end up in a cave in the hills, where the daughters scheme to conceive children by making their father drunk. This ends Lot's role in the story of Genesis, with future chapters focusing exclusively on the life and descendants of Abraham.

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 1:18:06 AM