Genesis 18 · Verse 20

Genesis 18:20

And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
Genesis 18:20, King James Version

Genesis 18:20 in other translations

BSBThen the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
WEBThe LORD said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,
ASVAnd Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
YLTAnd Jehovah saith, ‘The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah--because great; and their sin--because exceeding grievous:
DARBYAnd Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grievous,
BBEAnd the Lord said, Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is very great, and their sin is very evil,
WebsterAnd the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

What does Genesis 18:20 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah - See note on Gen 13:13.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 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…

Read the full comment on Genesis 18:16-22 →

Genesis 18:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
זַעֲקַ֛תza.'a.Kat[the] outcry ofH2201
סְדֹ֥םse.DomSodomH5467
וַעֲמֹרָ֖הva.'a.mo.Rahand GomorrahH6017
כִּי\־ki-forH3588
רָ֑בָּהRa.bahit is greatH7231
וְחַ֨טָּאתָ֔םve.Cha.ta.Tamand sin theirH2403
כִּ֥יkithatH3588
כָבְדָ֖הkha.ve.Dahit is heavyH3513
מְאֹֽד\׃me.'OdexceedinglyH3966

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 18:20

  • Genesis 19:13

    For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

  • Ezekiel 16:49-50

    Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

  • Isaiah 3:9

    The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

  • Genesis 13:13

    But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

  • Genesis 4:10

    And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

  • James 5:4

    Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

  • Jeremiah 14:7

    O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.

  • Isaiah 5:7

    For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the cry.
4:10; 19:13; Isa 3:9; 5:7; Jer 14:7; Jas 5:4
sin.
13:13

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 18:19

    For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

  • Genesis 18:20

    And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

  • Genesis 18:21

    I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Read all of Genesis 18

Genesis 18:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Jehová le dijo: Por cuanto el clamor de Sodoma y Gomorra se aumenta más y más, y el pecado de ellos se ha agravado en extremo,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel dit: Parce que le cri de Sodome et de Gomorrhe est grand, et que leur péché est très aggravé,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova sprach: Weil das Geschrei von Sodom und Gomorra groß, und weil ihre Sünde sehr schwer ist,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit itaque Dominus: Clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrhæ multiplicatus est, et peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis.