Kejadian 10:19

10:19 and the borders of Canaan extended ¹  from Sidon ²  all the way to ³  Gerar as far as Gaza, and all the way to ⁴  Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.

Kejadian 13:10

13:10 Lot looked up and saw ⁵  the whole region ⁶  of the Jordan. He noticed ⁷  that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated ⁸  Sodom and Gomorrah) ⁹  like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, ¹⁰  all the way to Zoar.

Kejadian 19:24

19:24 Then the Lord rained down ¹¹  sulfur and fire ¹²  on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. ¹³ 

Yesaya 1:9-10

1:9 If the Lord who commands armies ¹⁴  had not left us a few survivors,

we would have quickly become like Sodom, ¹⁵ 

we would have become like Gomorrah.

1:10 Listen to the Lord’s word,

you leaders of Sodom! ¹⁶ 

Pay attention to our God’s rebuke, ¹⁷ 

people of Gomorrah!

[10:19]  ¹ tn Heb “were.”

[10:19]  ² map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[10:19]  ³ tn Heb “as you go.”

[10:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “as you go.”

[13:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.

[13:10]  ⁶ tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”

[13:10]  ⁷ tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ⁸ sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).

[13:10]  ⁹ tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.

[13:10]  ¹⁰ sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the Lord and to the land of Egypt for comparison. Just as the tree in the garden of Eden had awakened Eve’s desire, so the fertile valley attracted Lot. And just as certain memories of Egypt would cause the Israelites to want to turn back and abandon the trek to the promised land, so Lot headed for the good life.

[19:24]  ¹¹ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.

[19:24]  ¹² tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).

[19:24]  ¹³ tn Heb “from the Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[19:24]  sn The text explicitly states that the sulfur and fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah was sent down from the sky by the Lord. What exactly this was, and how it happened, can only be left to intelligent speculation, but see J. P. Harland, “The Destruction of the Cities of the Plain,” BA 6 (1943): 41-54.

[1:9]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.

[1:9]  ¹⁵ tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.

[1:10]  ¹⁶ sn Building on the simile of v. 9, the prophet sarcastically addresses the leaders and people of Jerusalem as if they were leaders and residents of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. The sarcasm is appropriate, for if the judgment is comparable to Sodom’s, that must mean that the sin which prompted the judgment is comparable as well.

[1:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “to the instruction of our God.” In this context, which is highly accusatory and threatening, תּוֹרָה (torah, “law, instruction”) does not refer to mere teaching, but to corrective teaching and rebuke.