Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
- KJV And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
- NKJV And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,
- NASB And the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.
- NLT So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The LORD declares that the outcry over Sodom and Gomorrah's grievous sin is great.
Overview
The 'cry' suggests the appeal of victims and the scandal of the cities' wickedness rising before God. Their sin is described as exceedingly serious, warranting divine investigation and judgment. The passage affirms that God takes human evil seriously and will hold it to account.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Gen 19:13because 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.”
- Ezek 16:49–50Now 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.
- Isa 3:9The 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.
- Gen 4:10“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
- Gen 13:13But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.
- Jas 5:4Look, 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.
- Jer 14:7Although our iniquities testify against us, O LORD, act for the sake of Your name. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.
- Isa 5:7For 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.
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From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 18:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.