Genesis 18:24

24 What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are therein?

Genesis 18:24 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 18:24

Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city
Within the Pentapolis, which consisted of five cities; and so ten righteous persons are supposed to be in each, as Jarchi observes, agreeably to the Targum of Jonathan;

``perhaps there may be fifty righteous persons in the city who pray before thee, ten for every city, answerable to the five cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar:''

wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty
righteous that [are] therein?
here Abraham becomes an advocate and intercessor for all the inhabitants of the place, even the wicked, that they might not be destroyed, but spared and be delivered from impending ruin, for the sake of the fifty righteous among them; before he seemed only concerned for the righteous, lest they should perish with the rest, and that some method might be found out and taken to distinguish them from them; but here he expresses himself in favour of the wicked also, that they might be spared, provided such a number of righteous ones was found among them.

Genesis 18:24 In-Context

22 The men turned from there, and went toward Sedom, but Avraham stood yet before the LORD.

23 Avraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

24 What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are therein?

25 Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn't the Judge of all the eretz do right?"

26 The LORD said, "If I find in Sedom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake."