Bible Strands
Genesis 18:20
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Yahweh addresses Abraham immediately after discussing his covenantal role, marking the transition from promise to impending judgment. The declaration occurs as Yahweh prepares to descend and verify the reports concerning Sodom and Gomorrah.
The words — The Hebrew זַעֲקַת (zaʿaqat) means “outcry,” and רָבָה (rabah) translates to “great” or “grievous.” These terms directly quantify the complaint reaching Yahweh and the severity of the sin.
The thread — The same outcry motif anchors the judgment in Genesis 19:13, while Isaiah 3:9 and Ezekiel 16:49 later reference Sodom’s sin as a pattern of public defiance and social indifference.
Why it lands — The text states that divine action follows a recorded grievance and confirmed sin, not arbitrary will. It requires the reader to acknowledge that judgment is a measured response to documented reality.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
Cross-references
- Genesis 19:13 because we are about to destroy this place. For the outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that He has sent us to destroy it.”
- Isaiah 3:9 The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.
- Ezekiel 16:49 Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy.
- Genesis 4:10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
- Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.
- James 5:4 Look, the wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
- Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the plant of His delight. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry of distress.
- Jeremiah 14:7 Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.