Genesis 19:22

22 Hurry up! Run there, for I cannot do anything until you get there." Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.[a] [b]

Genesis 19:22 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 19:22

Haste thee, escape thither
Seeing he had granted him his request, he is urgent upon him to be gone, and not to delay upon any account, or make other excuses:

for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither;
that is, consistent with the decree of God, that Lot and his family should be delivered and preserved, and with his promise made to him, that he would not overthrow that city; and therefore the catastrophe which would befall all the cities at once could not begin until he was safely arrived there:

therefore the name of the city was called Zoar;
in later times, and probably first by Lot, from his use of the word "little", which was his request, which Zoar signifies; it before was called Bela, see ( Genesis 14:2 ) .

Genesis 19:22 In-Context

20 Look, this town is close enough for me to run to. It is a small place. Please let me go there-it's only a small place, isn't it?-so that I can survive."
21 And he said to him, "All right, I'll grant your request about this matter too, and will not overthrow the town you mentioned.
22 Hurry up! Run there, for I cannot do anything until you get there." Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.
23 The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of the sky.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Zoar is related to the word for small place in v. 20; its original name was Bela (Gn 14:2).
  • [b]. Gn 14:2
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