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class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="http://biblehub.com/commentaries/">Commentaries</a> > Genesis 18:20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../genesis/18-19.htm" title="Genesis 18:19">◄</a> Genesis 18:20 <a href="../genesis/18-21.htm" title="Genesis 18:21">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse">And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;</div><div id="jump">Jump to: <a href="/commentaries/barnes/genesis/18.htm" title="Barnes' Notes">Barnes</a> • <a href="/commentaries/benson/genesis/18.htm" title="Benson Commentary">Benson</a> • <a href="/commentaries/illustrator/genesis/18.htm" title="Biblical Illustrator">BI</a> • <a href="/commentaries/calvin/genesis/18.htm" title="Calvin's Commentaries">Calvin</a> • <a href="/commentaries/cambridge/genesis/18.htm" title="Cambridge Bible">Cambridge</a> • <a href="/commentaries/clarke/genesis/18.htm" title="Clarke's Commentary">Clarke</a> • <a href="/commentaries/darby/genesis/18.htm" title="Darby's Bible Synopsis">Darby</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ellicott/genesis/18.htm" title="Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers">Ellicott</a> • <a href="/commentaries/expositors/genesis/18.htm" title="Expositor's Bible">Expositor's</a> • <a 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href="/commentaries/king-en/genesis/18.htm" title="Kingcomments Bible Studies">King</a> • <a href="/commentaries/lange/genesis/18.htm" title="Lange Commentary">Lange</a> • <a href="/commentaries/maclaren/genesis/18.htm" title="MacLaren Expositions">MacLaren</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhc/genesis/18.htm" title="Matthew Henry Concise">MHC</a> • <a href="/commentaries/mhcw/genesis/18.htm" title="Matthew Henry Full">MHCW</a> • <a href="/commentaries/parker/genesis/18.htm" title="The People's Bible by Joseph Parker">Parker</a> • <a href="/commentaries/poole/genesis/18.htm" title="Matthew Poole">Poole</a> • <a href="/commentaries/pulpit/genesis/18.htm" title="Pulpit Commentary">Pulpit</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sermon/genesis/18.htm" title="Sermon Bible">Sermon</a> • <a href="/commentaries/sco/genesis/18.htm" title="Scofield Reference Notes">SCO</a> • <a href="/commentaries/ttb/genesis/18.htm" title="Through The Bible">TTB</a> • <a href="/commentaries/wes/genesis/18.htm" title="Wesley's Notes">WES</a> • <a href="#tsk" title="Treasury of Scripture Knowledge">TSK</a></div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="comtype">EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)</div><a name="mhc" id="mhc"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/mhc/genesis/18.htm">Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary</a></div>18:16-22 The two who are supposed to have been created angels went toward Sodom. The one who is called Jehovah throughout the chapter, continued with Abraham, and would not hide from him the thing he intended to do. Though God long forbears with sinners, from which they fancy that the Lord does not see, and does not regard; yet when the day of his wrath comes, he will look toward them. The Lord will give Abraham an opportunity to intercede with him, and shows him the reason of his conduct. Consider, as a very bright part of Abraham's character and example, that he not only prayed with his family, but he was very careful to teach and rule them well. Those who expect family blessings must make conscience of family duty. Abraham did not fill their heads with matters of doubtful dispute; but he taught them to be serious and devout in the worship of God, and to be honest in their dealings with all men. Of how few may such a character be given in our days! How little care is taken by masters of families to ground those under them in the principles of religion! Do we watch from sabbath to sabbath whether they go forward or backward?<a name="bar" id="bar"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/barnes/genesis/18.htm">Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a></div>The Lord now proceeds to unfold his design. There is justice in every step of the divine procedure. He comes down to inquire and act according to the merits of the case. The men now depart on their errand; but Abraham still stands before the Lord.<a name="jfb" id="jfb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/jfb/genesis/18.htm">Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a></div>17. the Lord said, Shall I hide—The chief stranger, no other than the Lord, disclosed to Abraham the awful doom about to be inflicted on Sodom and the cities of the plain for their enormous wickedness.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/poole/genesis/18.htm">Matthew Poole's Commentary</a></div> Sins are said to cry when they are gross, and manifest, and impudent, and such as highly provoke God to anger. He names only these two cities, as being the most eminent in state, and exemplary in wickedness; but under them he includes the rest, as appears by the story. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="gil" id="gil"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gill/genesis/18.htm">Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a></div>And the Lord said,.... The Targum of Jonathan adds, to the ministering angels, the two angels that were with him in the likeness of men; or to Abraham, at least in his hearing, by which he understood that Sodom and other cities were about to be destroyed for their sins: <p>because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great; either of Lot in it, whose righteous soul was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked, and cried to heaven against them; or of the inhabitants that were oppressed by others, either in their bodies, being forced to submit to their unnatural usage of them, or in their estates, of which they wronged them; particularly the cry of the poor among them, whom they suffered to starve, though there were fulness of bread in the midst of them, see <a href="/ezekiel/16-49.htm">Ezekiel 16:49</a>; the Jews (b) say, they appointed false judges, who oppressed all strangers that came to Sodom, and made a law, that whoever relieved a poor person should be burnt with fire: or the cry of their sins, which were many and great, and openly and impudently committed; the cry of which came into the ears of the Lord of hosts, and called for vengeance. Those two cities, which perhaps were the greatest and the most remarkable for their sins, are put for all the five cities of the plain, called Pentapolis. <p>And because their sin is very grievous; attended with very aggravated circumstances, they enjoyed great plenty of good things; and were not to be bore with, being so exceeding sinful, and so publicly and audaciously committed, especially that sin so frequent among them, which has its name from Sodom, see <a href="/genesis/13-13.htm">Genesis 13:13</a>. <p>(b) Pirke Eliezer, c. 25. <a name="gsb" id="gsb"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/gsb/genesis/18.htm">Geneva Study Bible</a></div><span class="cverse2">And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;</span></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><div class="comtype">EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)</div><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/cambridge/genesis/18.htm">Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges</a></div><span class="bld">20</span>. <span class="ital">Because … because</span>] Better, as marg., <span class="ital">Verily … verily</span>.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="ital">the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah</span>] See <a href="/genesis/19-13.htm" title="For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.">Genesis 19:13</a>. (1) Either, this is the complaint concerning Sodom and Gomorrah going up to Heaven. The genitive “of” is then objective, like “the report of Tyre” (<a href="/isaiah/23-5.htm" title="As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.">Isaiah 23:5</a>), “the spoil of thine enemies” (<a href="/deuteronomy/20-14.htm" title="But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shall you take to yourself; and you shall eat the spoil of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.">Deuteronomy 20:14</a>). (2) Or, it is the cry by the cities, which are personified, and which make their loud complaint against the inhabitants. The genitive then is subjective. See <a href="/genesis/4-10.htm" title="And he said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.">Genesis 4:10</a>.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="ital">their sin is very grievous</span>] Cf. <a href="/genesis/13-13.htm" title="But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.">Genesis 13:13</a>; <a href="/context/ezekiel/16-49.htm" title="Behold, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy....">Ezekiel 16:49-50</a>.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="pul" id="pul"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/genesis/18.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 20.</span> - A<span class="cmt_word">nd the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great.</span> Literally, <span class="accented">the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah</span> (cf. <a href="/genesis/4-10.htm">Genesis 4:10</a>), <span class="accented">because it is</span> (not, it is indeed, Baumgarten, Keil) <span class="accented">multiplied</span>; the place of emphasis being conceded to the subject of discourse, viz., the cry of Sodom s wickedness. <span class="cmt_word">And because their sin is very great.</span> Literally, <span class="accented">and their sin, because it is heavy, i.e.</span> abundant and heinous. Genesis 18:20<a name="kad" id="kad"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/kad/genesis/18.htm">Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament</a></div>"The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah, yea it is great; and their sin, yea it is very grievous." The cry is the appeal for vengeance or punishment, which ascends to heaven (<a href="/genesis/4-10.htm">Genesis 4:10</a>). The כּי serves to give emphasis to the assertion, and is placed in the middle of the sentence to give the greater prominence to the leading thought (cf. Ewald, 330). <div class="vheading2">Links</div><a href="/interlinear/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 Interlinear</a><br /><a href="/texts/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 Parallel Texts</a><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/niv/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="http://bibleapps.com/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 Bible Apps</a><br /><a href="/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 Parallel</a><br /><a href="http://bibliaparalela.com/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="http://holybible.com.cn/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="http://saintebible.com/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 French Bible</a><br /><a href="http://bibeltext.com/genesis/18-20.htm">Genesis 18:20 German Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/">Bible Hub</a><br /></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td align="center"><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><br /> </div> <div id="left"><a href="../genesis/18-19.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Genesis 18:19"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Genesis 18:19" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../genesis/18-21.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Genesis 18:21"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Genesis 18:21" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div> <div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>