Why were the men of Sodom described as "wicked" in Genesis 13:13? Text Under Study “But the men of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against the LORD.” (Genesis 13:13) Narrative Setting: Contrast With Abram and Lot (Genesis 13) Abram builds altars and calls on the Name of Yahweh; Sodom’s populace cultivates hardened rebellion. Moses inserts v. 13 before Lot moves into Sodom (v. 12) to forewarn the reader that Lot’s choice fixes him amid a society already notorious for defiant wickedness. Canonical Amplification: How Scripture Details Their Sin Genesis 18:20-21 — “the outcry … is great and their sin is very grievous.” Genesis 19:4-9 — attempted homosexual gang rape of visiting angels, coupled with violence (“we will deal worse with you,” v. 9). Ezekiel 16:49-50 — arrogance, gluttony, prosperous ease, neglect of the poor, haughtiness, and “abominations” (תּוֹעֵבָה, toʿēbah — cultic-moral detestations). Jude 7 — “sexual immorality” and pursuit of “strange flesh” (sarkos heteras, unnatural relations). 2 Peter 2:6-8 — lawless deeds that “tormented his [Lot’s] righteous soul.” These passages form a composite portrait: sexual perversion, violent aggression, social injustice, pride, and blatant atheism. Cultural–Historical Background Early Bronze Age city-states typically practiced hospitality as sacred duty; Sodom’s citizens invert that norm with predatory hostility (Genesis 19). Contemporary Nuzi and Mari tablets, while recording legal sexual transgressions, never sanction communal assault, marking Sodom as extraordinarily corrupt in its cultural milieu. Archaeological Corroboration • Tall el-Hammam (southern Jordan), matching the biblical description of “the plain of the Jordan,” bears a 1.7-meter ash layer fused by temperatures >2,000 °C, pottery glazed to trinitite, and a high salt influx — consistent with a sudden high-energy destruction (airburst) around the Middle Bronze horizon; a calibrated radiocarbon range (ca. c. 2000 BCE) aligns with Ussher’s 2067 BCE dating for Sodom’s fall. • Bab edh-Dhraʿ and Numeira exhibit collapsed defensive walls, thick ash beds, and rapid abandonment, indicating fiery cataclysm matching Genesis 19:24-28. These finds substantiate that an actual city cluster was swiftly incinerated, leaving a region still barren (cf. Deuteronomy 29:23). Theological Significance of Their Wickedness 1. Abuse of God-given sexuality: substituting creation design (male-female, Genesis 2:24) with coercive, same-sex violence (Genesis 19:5; Jude 7). 2. Denial of human dignity: threats of brutal assault against strangers (Genesis 19:9) oppose the imago Dei ethic (Genesis 9:6). 3. Systemic injustice: prosperous indifference to needy neighbors (Ezekiel 16:49) offends Yahweh’s protective heart for the poor (Deuteronomy 10:18). 4. Organized rebellion: collective, unanimous evil (“from the youngest to the oldest,” Genesis 19:4) echoes pre-Flood depravity (Genesis 6:5), demanding decisive divine judgment. Ethical and Apologetic Implications • Human societies may reach a moral tipping point where sin becomes structural; Genesis presents Sodom as case study. • The categorical nature of the language (“wicked … sinning greatly”) defies reinterpretations that reduce their guilt to mere inhospitality; the combined biblical testimony centers on sexual deviance, violence, pride, and social cruelty. • New Testament writers treat Sodom as a historical warning of final judgment (Luke 17:28-30; 2 Peter 2:6), validating the event’s factuality and moral lesson. Practical Application Believers are to “rescue the perishing” (Jude 23) by confronting cultures that normalize sin, while maintaining Lot-like vexation without capitulation (2 Peter 2:7-8). God’s mercy delays judgment (Genesis 18:32), yet persistent, collective rebellion invites catastrophic consequence. Conclusion The men of Sodom are called “wicked” because their sustained, flagrant violation of God’s moral order—manifest in sexual perversion, violence, arrogance, and social injustice—had reached such depth that Yahweh’s holiness necessitated immediate, exemplary judgment. Their record stands as both historical fact and theological warning. |
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