The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Told that Sodom is to be destroyed, Abraham bargains — will God spare the city for fifty righteous people? For forty-five? He works the number down to ten, and God agrees each time. It is one of the boldest exchanges in scripture, and Abraham's argument is about God's own character: shall not the judge of all the earth do right?
Two messengers reach the city and Lot takes them in. The townsmen surround the house demanding they be handed over, and Lot's counter-offer of his daughters is recorded without approval. At dawn the visitors drag Lot, his wife and daughters out; fire falls, and Lot's wife, looking back, becomes a pillar of salt.
Ezekiel later summarises Sodom's guilt differently and pointedly: pride, plenty, and refusing to help the poor and needy.
Where in scripture
[16] The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way. [17] Yahweh said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do, [18] since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him? [19] For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.” [20] Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, [21] I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.” …
Genesis 18:16–33 — opening verses
[1] The 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, [2] and 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.” [3] He 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. [4] But 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. …
Genesis 19:1–29 — opening verses
[49] “‘“Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and prosperous ease was in her and in her daughters. She also didn’t strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. [50] They were haughty, and committed abomination before me. Therefore I took them away when I saw it.
Ezekiel 16:49–50
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
