Genesis 18:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The phrase “the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great” suggests that, in addition to the infamous iniquities that defy pardon, they committed numerous other transgressions: the strongest victimizing the weakest and the rich exploiting the poor. Thus, it is noted that their outcry was not only substantial, but their offenses were extraordinary; “their sin was very heavy.” They devised a wickedness previously unknown and engaged in an unnatural and indecent union, so entrenched in evil that they were consumed by every form of corruption with no hope for redemption, destined for total annihilation. Their desires became irreparable and rejected any form of healing.

Similarly, in the book of Revelation, John the Theologian recounts how the souls of the persecuted for God’s word called out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10). The second sin that appeals to heaven is the wickedness of Sodom. The third involves the oppression and suffering inflicted upon the innocent, the downtrodden, the widow, the orphan, and the poor, as suffered by the Israelites under Egyptian bondage. Scripture notes, “The children of Israel groaned because of their bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage, and God heard their groaning” (Exodus 2:23-24). The fourth sin that reaches God's ears is the withholding of wages from laborers, as stated by St. James in his letter to the unjust rich: “The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (James 5:4).

It is necessary to recognize that the sin of Sodom stands out as the most grievous among all sins crying out to heaven. A person who kills another only takes the physical life while leaving the soul intact. Conversely, one who torments the downtrodden or withholds wages takes away merely temporal goods, while the eternal treasures prepared for them in God’s Kingdom remain unaffected. The iniquity of Sodom, however, deprives both the sinner and the other of everlasting heavenly rewards and not only corrupts the body but also subjects the soul to eternal death, leading to condemnation within the fiery Gehenna. The grievousness of such a sin is revealed through the dual murder it entails—that of both the soul and the body—depriving individuals of entry into the Heavenly Kingdom, which makes it more heinous than simple murder or the acts of causing suffering or withholding wages. It is even regarded as more vile than other sexual immorality. For this sin, God not only seeks to punish in hell with eternal damnation but also ordained that the sinner should face temporal death, as stated in Leviticus (Leviticus 20:13). The Lord Himself executed the fiery judgment upon the Sodomites, serving as an example that such an offender should be judged without mercy. Yet, should any of these individuals escape punishment in this life—having kept their sin hidden from mankind or having offered a false apology—they shall not evade judgment in the life to come, when body and soul will be reunited and cast into the fiery Gehenna. For those who hide from men cannot conceal themselves from God, who sees all; having escaped human hands now, they will not avoid divine judgment later: “For it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, for He will require justice” (Hebrews 10:31; Psalm 57:11). Those interested in further understanding the weight and abhorrence of this specific sin are encouraged to read the Fourth Discourse of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans.

The Holy Fathers encourage us to reflect deeply on the words of God, as He declared: ‘The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied unto Me, and their sins are great. When I come down, I will see, if by their crying that comes to Me, they are accomplished.’ We must contemplate the meaning of the Lord’s words, commit them to memory, and direct our conduct by them, to steer clear of both minor and major evils that frequently arise from our lack of discretion.

Sodom and Gomorrah were located in the lush valley of Palestine, a region so fertile that Scripture likens it to Egypt, and in its remarkable beauty, it is compared to Paradise (Genesis 13:10). The people, rich in earthly possessions, succumbed to the vice of gluttony. It is difficult for us to grasp the extent of indulgence that characterized ancient times, where individuals exhibited bodily strength and health beyond our understanding. The ‘iniquity of Sodom consisted in pride, in the fullness of bread, and in the abundance of wine’ (Ezekiel 16:49). From such overindulgence arises a carnal mindset, closely tied to carnal wisdom, or a way of thinking that is ‘joined to the cattle of the senseless, and made like unto them’ (Psalm 48:13). The essence of carnal wisdom is pride, which acts as the gateway to all sins and vices. A proud person is estranged from the reverence of God, void of the fear of the Lord, indifferent to the divine and civil laws, unconcerned for their neighbor's rights, wellbeing, and life, lacking self-awareness, disconnected from virtue, and becomes an antagonist to both humanity and themselves. This proud individual is inclined to all forms of wickedness as if entitled to engage in them. A proud man possesses a hardened heart and a mind influenced by evil. From the Sodomites' indulgence emerged a carnal existence, with pride as the very soul of that existence. The fusion of blind pride and this carnal state birthed a unique offspring: unquenchable and unrestrained debauchery. This debauchery craved not merely natural pleasures but sought after the unnatural with fervor. Scripture states, ‘The men that were in Sodom were wicked and sinful before God greatly’ (Genesis 13:13). Their sins remained unhealed despite the mightiest of interventions. The people of Sodom did not repent after enduring twelve years of servitude to a foreign king (Genesis 14:4), nor did they repent after facing military defeat and the capture of many of their citizens (Genesis 14:10-12). These unrepentant sinners, hopelessly ensnared in sin, were summoned to face divine judgment. ‘The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied unto Me,’ declares God to His beloved prophet, ‘and their sins are great. When I come down, I will see if by their cry that comes to Me they are fulfilled.’

Alternatively, the outcry of moral depravity to God may suggest a depth of wickedness that undermines the very pillars of virtue and morality, disrupting the natural order, and which cannot be remedied by human efforts, thus invoking the need for divine retribution. This understanding has led to the recognized notion within the Church of grievous sins.

As these sins grew increasingly rampant, they reached a point of egregiousness, surpassing the limits of God’s forbearance. Like informers or witnesses, they raised a loud cry before God, calling for the execution of His righteous judgment upon the sinners. This outcry is referred to as the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah, originating primarily from these cities, although other nearby towns also faced destruction for similar transgressions.