Genesis 19: Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Two angels come to Sodom, and when the men of the city surround Lot's house and demand the visitors, the angels strike them blind. At dawn the angels lead Lot and his family out, Yahweh rains sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt. Later, in a cave, Lot's two daughters have sons by their father: Moab and Ben Ammi.
Who is speaking?
Lot, the two angels (the text also calls them "the men"), the men of Sodom, and Lot's daughters speak. No verse is in gold. In verses 12 to 15 the men (the angels) speak to Lot. In verses 17 to 22 the text says only "he said", and Lot answers "my lord" (or: Lord). God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth,
In plain English: The two angels came to Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed with his face to the ground,
Good to know: Genesis 18 calls the visitors "men". Here two of them are called angels (malakim, messengers). After that the text uses both names: "the men" in and again in verses 12 and 16, and "the angels" in verse 15.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.”
In plain English: and said, "Please, my lords, come to your servant's house. Stay the night and wash your feet, and you can get up early and go on your way." They said, "No, we will spend the night in the street (or town square)."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
In plain English: But he kept urging them strongly, so they went with him and came into his house. He made them a feast and baked bread without yeast, and they ate.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.
In plain English: Before they went to bed, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, young and old, all the people from every part of the city.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.”
In plain English: They called to Lot and said, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, so that we can have sex with them (the Hebrew says "know them")."
The Hebrew word: "Have sex with" is yada, the everyday word "to know". Hebrew also uses it for a man and a woman coming together, as in : "The man knew Eve his wife."
How it is translated: In its 874 verses this Bible says "know" or a word like it (known, knowledge) about 8 times in 10, and "have sex" in only 3. Older Bibles like the King James say here, "that we may know them".
What changes: Read as plain "know", the men want to find out who the visitors are. In Lot uses the same word for his daughters, who "have not known" a man (this Bible says "virgin").
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself.
In plain English: Lot went out to them at the doorway and shut the door behind him.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly.
In plain English: He said, "Please, my brothers, don't do this wicked thing.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
In plain English: Look, I have two daughters who are virgins. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you like. Only don't do anything to these men, because they have come under the protection of my roof."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now we will deal worse with you than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door.
In plain English: They said, "Get out of the way!" Then they said, "This one man came here as a foreigner, and now he makes himself our judge! Now we will treat you worse than them!" They pushed hard against Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.
In plain English: But the men reached out, pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
In plain English: They struck the men at the door of the house with blindness, from the smallest to the greatest, so that they wore themselves out trying to find the door.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place:
In plain English: The men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, anyone you have in the city: bring them out of this place,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown so great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it.”
In plain English: because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry against its people has become so great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to destroy it."
Good to know: Genesis does not sum up Sodom's sin in one word. calls the men of Sodom very wicked, and speaks of a great cry and very serious sin. Later books describe it in their own words, for example and .
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
14Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city!” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.
In plain English: Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry (or: had married) his daughters. He said, "Get up! Get out of this place, because Yahweh is going to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
15When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”
In plain English: At dawn the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment (or: the sin) of the city."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
16But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city.
In plain English: But he hesitated. So the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and his two daughters' hands, because Yahweh was merciful to him, and they brought him out and left him outside the city.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
17It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!”
In plain English: When they had brought them out, he said, "Run for your life! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain. Run to the mountains, or you will be swept away!"
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
18Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord.
In plain English: Lot said to them, "Oh no, my lord (or: Lord)!
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
19See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die.
In plain English: Look, your servant has found favor with you, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can't escape to the mountains, or disaster will catch me and I will die.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
20See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.”
In plain English: Look, this town is near enough to run to, and it is small. Please let me escape there. It is small, isn't it? Then I will live."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
21He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
In plain English: He said to him, "All right, I will grant this request too: I will not destroy the town you have spoken of.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
22Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
In plain English: Hurry, escape there, because I can't do anything until you get there." That is why the town was called Zoar.
Good to know: Zoar sounds like mits'ar, "a little one", the word Lot uses twice in ("it is a little one"). It is the town called Bela in .
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
23The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
In plain English: The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
24Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky.
In plain English: Then Yahweh rained sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from Yahweh out of the sky.
Good to know: The verse names Yahweh twice: Yahweh rained sulfur and fire "from Yahweh out of the sky".
Church tradition: Some early church writers read the two mentions as two persons of God. Others read it as a Hebrew way of saying that the fire came from God himself, out of the sky. Genesis 19 does not explain it.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
25He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground.
In plain English: He destroyed those cities and the whole plain, everyone who lived in the cities, and everything that grew on the ground.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
26But Lot’s wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
In plain English: But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
27Abraham went up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Yahweh.
In plain English: Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before Yahweh.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
28He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.
In plain English: He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of the plain, and he saw smoke rising from the land like smoke from a furnace.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
29When God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
In plain English: So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and he sent Lot out of the middle of the destruction when he destroyed the cities where Lot had lived.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
30Lot went up out of Zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters.
In plain English: Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the mountains with his two daughters, because he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He lived in a cave with his two daughters.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
31The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth.
In plain English: The older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man on earth (or: in the land) to sleep with us, as is the custom everywhere.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
32Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.”
In plain English: Come, let's get our father to drink wine, and we will sleep with him, so that we can keep our father's family line alive."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
33They made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she arose.
In plain English: That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
34It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight. You go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.”
In plain English: The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Look, last night I slept with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight. Then you go in and sleep with him, so that we can keep our father's family line alive."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
35They made their father drink wine that night also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she got up.
In plain English: That night too they got their father to drink wine, and the younger daughter went and slept with him. He did not know when she lay down or when she got up.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
36Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father.
In plain English: So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
37The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.
In plain English: The older daughter had a son and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
38The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.
In plain English: The younger daughter also had a son and named him Ben Ammi. He is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.