Genesis 19:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They then provide the rationale, articulating clearly to the righteous man: “Indeed, the outcry of its residents has reached the Lord, and He has sent us to bring about its destruction.” This echoes what God communicated to His ancestor Abraham: “the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great” (Gen. 18:20). Here it is noted, “great is the outcry of its inhabitants to the Lord.” Their wickedness is overwhelming; much like an affliction that cannot be healed and a wound that offers no remedy, thus “the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” This sentiment is mirrored by the revered David, who proclaimed, “You make Your angels spirits, Your ministers a flame of fire” (Psalms 103:4). They assert that they have come to obliterate this entire land (for the sin of its people weighs heavily; indeed, the land itself is subject to judgment); therefore, depart from here.

The angels revealed to Lot their identity and mission from God to annihilate the city and its surrounding area, as the outcry of Sodom's wickedness had reached the Lord. The very essence of humanity, marred by unnatural acts, cries out for divine retribution. The angels explained that the Lord has dispatched them to eradicate those who defy their own inherent nature and provoke the Creator, who established the fabric of creation and its boundaries. He will not permit His creation to be subjected to brutality, nor the divine laws He instituted to be violated and destroyed. The angels instructed Lot to gather his relatives and friends, urging him to flee the impending judgement that awaited the unrighteous city.

It is important to observe that when there is an abundance of wicked individuals, the cities are not redeemed on account of the righteous, but rather, the righteous are set apart.

How will our condition be, considering that the Savior proclaimed that those who turn away from the Gospel are in a more deplorable state than the inhabitants of Sodom? To Capernaum, He stated, "For if the mighty works done in Sodom had been done in you, it would have remained until this day; but I tell you that it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you" (Matt. 11:23-24). If He asserts that the people of Sodom warrant less condemnation than those who disregard the Gospel, then this truth is especially applicable to us.