Genesis 19 · Verse 20

Genesis 19:20

Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
Genesis 19:20, King James Version

Genesis 19:20 in other translations

BSBLook, there is a town nearby where I can flee, and it is a small place. Please let me flee there—is it not a small place? Then my life will be saved.”
WEBSee now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.”
ASVbehold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?), and my soul shall live.
YLTlo, I pray thee, this city is near to flee thither, and it is little; let me escape, I pray thee, thither, (is it not little?) and my soul doth live.'
DARBYBehold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is small: I pray thee, let me escape thither — is it not small? — and my soul shall live.
BBEThis town, now, is near, and it is a little one: O, let me go there (is it not a little one?) so that my life may be safe.
WebsterBehold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a small one: Oh, let me escape thither! (Is it not a small one?) and my soul shall live.

What does Genesis 19:20 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 It is a little one - Probably Lot wished to have it for an inheritance, and therefore pleaded its being a little one, that his request might be the more readily granted. Or he might suppose, that being a little city, it was less depraved than Sodom and Gomorrah, and therefore not so ripe for punishment; which was probably the case.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 19:1-29

Lot was good, but there was not one more of the same character in the city. All the people of Sodom were very wicked and vile. Care was therefore taken for saving Lot and his family. Lot lingered; he trifled. Thus many who are under convictions about their spiritual state, and the necessity of a change, defer that needful work. The salvation of the most righteous men is of God's mercy, not by their own merit. We are…

Read the full comment on Genesis 19:1-29 →

Genesis 19:20 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.

הִנֵּה\־hi.neh-here!H2009
נָ֠אna'pleaseH4994
הָעִ֨ירha.'Irthe cityH5892
הַזֹּ֧אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063
קְרֹבָ֛הke.ro.Vah[is] nearH7138
לָנ֥וּסla.Nusto fleeH5127
שָׁ֖מָּהSha.mahthere towardsH8033
וְהִ֣יאve.Hi'and itH1931
מִצְעָ֑רmitz.'Ar[is] a small placeH4705
אִמָּלְטָ֨ה'i.mal.Tahlet me escapeH4422
נָּ֜אna'pleaseH4994
שָׁ֗מָּהSha.mahthere towardsH8033
הֲלֹ֥אha.Lo'¿ notH3808
מִצְעָ֛רmitz.'Ara small placeH4705
הִ֖ואhi'[is] itH1931
וּתְחִ֥יu.te.Chiso it may liveH2421
נַפְשִֽׁי\׃naf.Shilife myH5315

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

Cross references for Genesis 19:20

  • Psalms 119:175

    Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me.

  • Proverbs 3:5-7

    Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

  • Isaiah 55:3

    Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

  • Genesis 19:30

    And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

  • Genesis 12:13

    Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

  • Amos 3:6

    Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
this.
30; Pr 3:5-7; Am 3:6
and my.
12:13; Ps 119:175; Isa 55:3

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

Context

  • Genesis 19:19

    Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

  • Genesis 19:20

    Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

  • Genesis 19:21

    And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.

Read all of Genesis 19

Genesis 19:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		He aquí ahora esta ciudad está cerca para huir allá, la cual es pequeña; escaparé ahora allá, (¿no es ella pequeña?) y vivirá mi alma.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Voici, je te prie, cette ville-là est proche pour y fuir, et elle est petite; que je m’y sauve donc, (n’est-elle pas petite?) et mon âme vivra.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Siehe doch, diese Stadt ist nahe, um dahin zu fliehen, und sie ist klein; laß mich doch dahin mich retten, damit meine Seele am Leben bleibe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		est civitas hæc juxta, ad quam possum fugere, parva, et salvabor in ea: numquid non modica est, et vivet anima mea?