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Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.
Genesis 19:4 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.
  • KJV But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
  • BSB Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.
  • NASB Before they lay down, the men of the city—the men of Sodom—surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;
  • NLT But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.

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

Before bedtime, the men of Sodom, young and old, surround Lot's house.

Overview

The whole city, every age and quarter, joins in the assault, showing how pervasive its corruption is. This unanimous wickedness confirms that not even ten righteous could be found. The verse exposes the depth of depravity that brings divine judgment.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 11

  • Gen 13:13Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.
  • Prov 4:16For they don’t sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
  • Exod 23:2“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.
  • Gen 18:20Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
  • Matt 27:20–25Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
  • Rom 3:15“Their feet are swift to shed blood.
  • Jer 5:1–6“Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her.
  • Exod 16:2The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;
  • Prov 6:18a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,
  • Jer 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?
  • Mic 7:3Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Genesis videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Genesis 19:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GenesisMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

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 19:4 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.