Genesis 19:22 kjv

Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Genesis 19:22 nkjv

Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Genesis 19:22 niv

But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar.)

Genesis 19:22 esv

Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Genesis 19:22 nlt

But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there." (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means "little place.")

Genesis 19 verses

Genesis 19 22 Meaning

Genesis 19:22 reveals a crucial divine principle at play during the judgment of Sodom: God's justice is meticulously applied with precise consideration for the righteous. The angelic agent of destruction declares an inability to execute the pending judgment until Lot and his family are safely beyond the city limits, emphasizing that the preservation of the righteous precedes the pouring out of divine wrath on the wicked. This limitation is not a sign of divine weakness, but rather a profound demonstration of God's holy character, which is just in judgment yet mercifully faithful to His covenant and His people. Lot's hurried escape is thus critical, not just for his own survival, but as a prerequisite for the full manifestation of God's righteous decree upon the cities of the plain.

Genesis 19 22 Context

This verse is nestled within the dramatic narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah's impending destruction. Immediately preceding it, Lot has narrowly escaped the city, urged by two angels dispatched by the Lord. He has just pleaded for the small city of Zoar to be spared as a refuge, confessing his inability to flee to the mountains due to fear of death. The angels have granted this request. The "hurry, escape there" is an immediate follow-up to this concession, emphasizing the continued urgency for Lot to reach the designated place of safety. The greater context of Gen 19 includes Abraham's prior intercession (Gen 18), establishing God's justice in relation to the number of righteous individuals, and the egregious wickedness of Sodom shown by their attempted sexual assault on the angelic guests. The angels are not merely messengers but active agents of divine judgment. This verse therefore highlights that divine judgment, though certain, is precisely calibrated and held back by divine mercy for those designated as righteous until they are secured.

Genesis 19 22 Word analysis

• "Hurry," (Hebrew: maher, מַהֵר): An imperative command denoting great urgency. It underscores the imminent nature of the judgment and the critical need for swift obedience. There is no time for delay or dawdling.

• "escape there," (Hebrew: himmalet shammah, הִמָּלֵט שָׁמָּה): Himmalet means to deliver oneself, to make a hurried escape. It's a command for active flight. Shammah points directly to the previously designated refuge, Zoar, signifying a specific destination crucial for Lot's salvation. This is a purposeful flight.

• "for I cannot do" (Hebrew: ki lo ukhal la'asot, כִּי לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת): "I" refers to the angelic agent empowered by the Lord to execute judgment. The phrase "cannot do" signifies a divine self-imposed limitation, not a lack of power. It demonstrates God's holy character and commitment to His righteous principles. He is bound by His own nature to preserve the just.

• "anything" (Hebrew: davar, דָּבָר): This covers any act of judgment, implying that the destruction cannot begin in any form or degree. It emphasizes a complete cessation of destructive action.

• "until you arrive there." (Hebrew: ad-bo'akha shammah, עַד־בֹּאֲךָ שָׁמָּה): This is a strict condition. The arrival of Lot at Zoar is the prerequisite for God's judgment to fall on Sodom. It highlights God's patience and specific regard for the safety of Lot.

• "Hurry, escape there": This phrase highlights divine urgency and the necessity of immediate, decisive action in response to God's warnings of impending judgment. It implies active obedience is required for deliverance.

• "for I cannot do anything until you arrive there": This powerful statement reveals a fundamental divine principle: the wrath of God on the wicked is restrained and delayed until His chosen ones, even if they are few, are safely removed from the path of destruction. This is not a lack of power but a holy self-restraint stemming from God's character of both justice and mercy. His holiness will not permit the innocent to suffer indiscriminately with the guilty. The judgment waits on the protection of the righteous.

Genesis 19 22 Bonus section

The Hebrew phrasing "cannot do davar" (anything/word) can imply that the divine word of judgment, once given, cannot be executed until the divine word of protection (for Lot) has been fully realized. It reflects a deeper truth that God's character maintains a perfect consistency between His promises of salvation and His decrees of judgment. The very ground Sodom occupied was waiting for Lot to clear it. This episode subtly presents a "type" or shadow of future events. Just as Lot was removed from the zone of immediate destruction, believers are delivered from the wrath to come. The event also underscores God's willingness to listen to and adjust His plans (even allowing Zoar, which was not the original instruction, due to Lot's plea), while still maintaining His overarching purpose. This demonstrates His compassion even when fulfilling a severe act of justice.

Genesis 19 22 Commentary

Genesis 19:22 is a profound demonstration of God's character and the principles governing His justice and mercy. The angelic statement, "for I cannot do anything until you arrive there," serves as a cornerstone, revealing that divine judgment, while absolutely certain due to Sodom's pervasive wickedness, is withheld by an unshakeable divine commitment to the safety of the righteous. This isn't a limitation of divine power, for God is omnipotent; rather, it is a holy, self-imposed restraint stemming from His inherent nature. God, being just, will not destroy the righteous with the wicked (as Abraham's intercession earlier explored, Gen 18:23).

The verse emphasizes the absolute urgency required from Lot. His safe arrival in Zoar is the literal trigger for the judgment. This underlines the necessity of human obedience to divine commands for deliverance. It portrays a divine meticulousness, where every detail concerning the righteous is carefully accounted for before wrath is unleashed. The "until" clause underscores God's patience and precise timing, ensuring that mercy precedes judgment for His people. This theme resonates throughout Scripture, where God often orchestrates the protection or removal of His own before calamities or final judgments descend, from Noah in the ark before the Flood (Gen 7) to the sealing of the saints in Revelation before the final plagues (Rev 7:3). It is a divine assurance that believers are secure in God's keeping, even in the face of widespread tribulation, and are ultimately preserved from His wrath (1 Thess 1:10).