Now the woodland vale had many pits of slime. And the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrha turned their backs, and were overthrown there: and they that remained, fled to the mountain.
וְעֵ֣מֶק הַשִׂדִּ֗ים בּֽ͏ֶאֱרֹ֤ת בֶּאֱרֹת֙ חֵמָ֔ר וַיָּנֻ֛סוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹ֥ם וַעֲמֹרָ֖ה וַיִּפְּלוּ־שָׁ֑מָּה וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים הֶ֥רָה נָּֽסוּ׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
In order to understand how these rulers, filled with dread at the bravery and might of their opponents, fled in fear, we refer to Scripture, which states, ‘And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah turned and fled, and fell down’ where the pits were, ‘and the rest fled into the mountains.’ Notice how these leaders, simply by being present, instilled great fear in their foes, causing them to retreat in panic.
Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, along with three of his allies, launched an attack against the king of Sodom and his four companions. They defeated the king of Sodom and his coalition, took all the riches of Sodom, as well as Lot and his belongings, and subsequently left the area.
Regarding the kings who united for battle, as mentioned in the 14th chapter of Genesis, it is important to understand that they did not reign as monarchs over vast territories, but each governed a single city. They were akin to rulers and nobles; however, collectively, they were subordinate to the Assyrian empire. Therefore, the Jewish historian Josephus refers to the conflict faced by the Sodomites as an Assyrian war. Before the ultimate destruction of the Sodomites, the Lord permitted foreign invasions and captivity to afflict them, seeking their repentance and a turning away from wickedness.
The compassionate God, who desires not the ruin of sinners, even when they deserve eternal judgment, does not deliver immediate punishment; instead, He introduces various hardships—such as foreign assaults, conflicts, famines, or diseases—that may lead them to reflection and change. If they persist in their sinful ways, then He ultimately surrenders them to complete devastation. This approach was exemplified with the Sodomites: first, they faced severe judgments, and when they failed to repent, they were consumed by fire, as will be elaborated further. This illustrates how God employs sinners as instruments of judgment, for wicked individuals are, in God's hands, like a rod of correction wielded against those who defy Him. Hence, He chastised the Jews through the Chaldeans, the Chaldeans through the Persians, the Persians through the Greeks, the Greeks through the Romans, the Romans through the Goths, and presently, the Christians endure judgment from the Hagarites, a reality observable in places such as Greece.
Numerous tar pits exist, though it remains unclear whether they are oil wells or the indentations created in the earth during the extraction of bitumen.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS