Gomorrah

Lore & Background

Gomorrah appears in Genesis as one of the five cities of the plain, ruled by King Birsha (Genesis 14:2). Its king joined battle in the vale of Siddim, which was full of slimepits, and fled there (Genesis 14:10). The city's goods were taken by invading kings (Genesis 14:11). The LORD declared that the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sin very grievous (Genesis 18:20), leading to their destruction by brimstone and fire (Genesis 19:24). Abraham saw the smoke of the land rising like a furnace (Genesis 19:28). In later scriptures, Gomorrah is used as a byword for utter ruin. Deuteronomy 29:23 describes its overthrow as a land of brimstone, salt, and burning, where nothing grows. Deuteronomy 32:32 metaphorically refers to the vine of Sodom and fields of Gomorrah producing bitter grapes. Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah invoke Gomorrah to warn of judgment: Isaiah 1:9-10 calls corrupt rulers and people 'rulers of Sodom' and 'people of Gomorrah,' and Jeremiah 23:14 compares Jerusalem's prophets to Sodom and its inhabitants to Gomorrah. The destruction of Babylon (Isaiah 13:19) and Edom (Jeremiah 49:18; 50:40) is likened to the overthrow of Gomorrah and its neighbor cities.

Reader's Guide

The passages portray Gomorrah as a historical city that was physically destroyed by divine judgment. In Genesis, it is a real place with a king, located in a fertile plain (Genesis 13:10) that became a battlefield (Genesis 14:8). Its sin is described as 'very grievous' (Genesis 18:20), and its destruction is depicted as a literal event involving fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24). The aftermath is a barren, smoking landscape (Genesis 19:28). In Deuteronomy, Gomorrah becomes a symbol of total desolation—a land of brimstone, salt, and burning where nothing grows (Deuteronomy 29:23). The metaphor of its vine producing bitter grapes (Deuteronomy 32:32) suggests moral corruption. Prophetic books use Gomorrah as a warning: Isaiah 1:9-10 applies the name to corrupt Israel, and Jeremiah 23:14 compares wicked prophets to Sodom and Gomorrah. The destruction of foreign nations like Babylon (Isaiah 13:19) and Edom (Jeremiah 49:18; 50:40) is said to be 'as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,' emphasizing complete and irreversible ruin. The passages consistently treat Gomorrah as a historical example of divine punishment for sin, without providing details about the nature of that sin beyond its grievousness.

Did You Know?

• Gomorrah was ruled by King Birsha (Genesis 14:2).
• The vale of Siddim, where Gomorrah's king fought, was full of slimepits (Genesis 14:10).
• The LORD destroyed Gomorrah with brimstone and fire from heaven (Genesis 19:24).
• Deuteronomy 29:23 describes Gomorrah's land as brimstone, salt, and burning, where no grass grows.