Genesis 18:25

Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Abraham addresses God regarding the judgment of Sodom, immediately following his query about fifty righteous inhabitants in Genesis 18:24. He speaks at the moment God has revealed His intention to investigate the city's outcry and Abraham is interceding for its inhabitants.

The words — חָלִ֨לָה (cha.Li.lah) translates literally as "far be it," expressing strong rejection of the proposed action. The phrase מֵ/עֲשֹׂ֣ת (me./'a.Sot) means "from doing," forming the grammatical construction that forbids putting the righteous to death with the wicked.

The thread — The distinction between divine justice and the treatment of the righteous versus the wicked appears in Job 8:20, Job 8:3, and Isaiah 3:10. These references track the consistent biblical assertion that God does not pervert justice or equate the blameless with evildoers.

Why it lands — The text states that God, as Judge of all the earth, will act rightly rather than treat the righteous and wicked identically. It asks the reader to align their understanding of divine judgment with the principle that God's verdicts are strictly proportional to moral 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

חָלִ֨לָהcha.Li.lahfar be itלְּךָ֜le./Khato <the>/ youמֵעֲשֹׂ֣ת׀me./'a.Sotfrom/ doing כַּדָּבָ֣רka./da.Varaccording to the/ manner הַזֶּ֗הha./Zeh<the>/ this לְהָמִ֤יתle./ha.Mitto/ put to death צַדִּיק֙tza.Dik[the] righteous עִם־'im-with רָשָׁ֔עra.Sha'[the] wicked וְהָיָ֥הve./ha.Yahand/ it will be כַצַּדִּ֖יקkha./tza.Dikas the/ righteous [person]כָּרָשָׁ֑עka./ra.Sha'as the/ wicked [person]חָלִ֣לָהcha.Li.lahfar be itלָּ֔ךְLa/khto <the>/ youהֲשֹׁפֵט֙ha./sho.Fet¿/ [the] judge of כָּל־kol-all הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ earth לֹ֥אlo'not יַעֲשֶׂ֖הya.'a.Sehwill he do מִשְׁפָּֽט׃mish.Patjustice

King James Version

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Cross-references

Job 8:20 Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.
Job 8:3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
Isaiah 3:10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
Psalms 58:11 Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”
Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.
Psalms 94:2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render a reward to the proud.
Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.
Job 34:17 Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
Psalms 98:9 before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.
Malachi 3:18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”