Genesis 18:24

24 What if there are fifty innocent people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not save the place for the sake of the fifty innocent people in it?

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 away and walked toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the LORD.

23 Abraham approached and said, "Will you really sweep away the innocent with the guilty?

24 What if there are fifty innocent people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not save the place for the sake of the fifty innocent people in it?

25 It's not like you to do this, killing the innocent with the guilty as if there were no difference. It's not like you! Will the judge of all the earth not act justly?"

26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will save it because of them."