What is the meaning of Genesis 13:13?

But

• This little word signals a sharp turn in the narrative. Abram and Lot have just separated; Lot chose the lush plain of the Jordan and “pitched his tents near Sodom” (Genesis 13:12).

• Scripture uses “but” to warn of hidden danger or moral decline (cf. Joshua 7:1; Acts 5:1-2).

• The verse alerts us that beneath Sodom’s outward prosperity lay a spiritual crisis—a reality still true wherever worldly success masks rebellion (1 John 2:15-17).

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the men of Sodom

• The phrase points to the whole population, not a few outliers. The city’s culture itself had become corrupt.

• Later texts confirm that moral rot was city-wide: “the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great” (Genesis 18:20); their “arrogance, abundant food and careless ease” bred sin (Ezekiel 16:49).

• Even Lot felt the daily pressure of their lifestyle (2 Peter 2:7-8), reminding believers today that environment influences conduct.

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were wicked

• “Wicked” refers to active, deliberate evil, not mere mistakes (Genesis 6:5; Romans 3:10-12).

• Sodom’s residents normalized what God calls wrong—sexual perversion (Genesis 19:4-5), violence, and injustice (Isaiah 3:9).

• The Lord’s later judgment underscores that unchecked wickedness invites divine intervention (Luke 17:28-30).

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great sinners

• The wording intensifies the verdict: their sin wasn’t occasional but habitual and escalating (Psalm 36:1-4).

• Jude 1:7 cites Sodom for “sexual immorality and perversion,” while 2 Peter 2:6 lists them as a living warning.

• God’s patience has limits; persistent, unrepentant sin stores up wrath (Romans 2:5).

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against the LORD

• Every transgression is personal; it targets the very character of God (Psalm 51:4).

• Sodom’s sin wasn’t merely social; it rejected divine authority (Isaiah 13:11).

• The Lord sees all (Proverbs 15:3), and His holiness demands justice (Romans 1:18). The coming destruction of Sodom in Genesis 19 proves He will act.

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summary

Genesis 13:13 is a sober divine footnote. In one concise sentence God contrasts worldly allure with spiritual peril, exposes a city’s pervasive evil, and frames sin as a direct offense against Himself. The verse prepares us for Sodom’s judgment, reminding us that environments matter, wickedness can become cultural, and persistent sin invites God’s righteous response.