What is the meaning of Genesis 18:28? Suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five “Suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five…” (Genesis 18:28a) - Abraham has just asked the LORD to spare Sodom if fifty righteous are found (Genesis 18:24). Now he gently lowers the number by five. - His wording shows humility: “suppose” signals respect while still pressing the point. Similar respectful boldness appears in Moses’ plea for Israel in Exodus 32:11–13. - The request assumes that righteous people really do restrain judgment on the wicked—a truth echoed in Proverbs 11:11, where “By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.” - The phrase reminds us that every righteous person matters to God. Jesus highlights this same principle by leaving ninety-nine sheep to seek one (Luke 15:4–7). Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five? “Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” (Genesis 18:28b) - Abraham appeals to God’s justice: it would seem disproportionate to condemn thousands if only five citizens fall short of the fifty standard. - This argument rests on God’s revealed character as “abounding in loving devotion and truth” who “does not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:6–7). - The question invites us to consider the weight of righteousness within a community. Jeremiah 5:1 records God challenging Jerusalem: “Roam the streets… If you can find but one person who acts justly… I will forgive this city.” - Abraham is also interceding for Lot and his household (Genesis 19:12–13). His love mirrors the heart behind 1 Timothy 2:1–4, where believers are urged to pray for all people that they might be saved. He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.” “He replied, ‘If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.’” (Genesis 18:28c) - The LORD immediately agrees, revealing His readiness to show mercy. Psalm 103:8–10 celebrates this: “The LORD is compassionate… He has not dealt with us according to our sins.” - God’s answer confirms that His judgments are precise, not capricious. He weighs actual moral realities rather than acting on impulse, as underscored in Ezekiel 18:23—He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. - Each step downward (from fifty to forty-five and beyond in Genesis 18:29–32) magnifies divine patience. 2 Peter 3:9 affirms, “The Lord is patient… not wanting anyone to perish.” - Yet the absence of even ten righteous (Genesis 18:32) will eventually lead to Sodom’s destruction, illustrating Romans 1:18—God’s wrath is revealed against persistent ungodliness when no righteous remnant is found. summary Genesis 18:28 captures the tender tension between divine justice and mercy. Abraham, confident in God’s character, negotiates ten fewer righteous and hears God’s gracious promise: the city will stand for the sake of forty-five. The verse teaches that righteous lives carry preserving power, intercessory prayer matters, and God is eager to spare judgment when even a small nucleus of faithfulness is present. |
    |