And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

GENESIS 19:25KJV
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Genesis 19:25 (KJV)

What does Genesis 19:25 mean?

Genesis 19:25 describes how God completely destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with the entire surrounding plain, all the people living there, and even the plants growing on the ground. The verse emphasizes the totality of the destruction—nothing in the area was left untouched.

This verse comes in the middle of the story where God judges Sodom and Gomorrah for their great wickedness. The action is described as swift and all-encompassing, showing that not only the cities themselves but also the land and all its life were overturned. The language underlines how thorough the judgment was, leaving no survivors or remnants in the affected region.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 19:25

  • "overthrew" (הָפַךְ, haphakh): This word means to turn over, overturn, or destroy. In this context, it paints a vivid picture of the cities and land being completely upended, not just damaged but fundamentally changed or wiped out.
  • "plain" (כִּכָּר, kikkar): This refers to the flat, fertile area around the cities, often associated with abundance. Its destruction highlights that even the productive, valuable land was not spared.
  • "grew" (צֶמַח, tsemach): This word refers to what sprouts or grows from the ground, such as plants or crops. Including this detail shows that the destruction reached down to the very roots of life in the region.
  • "ground" (אֲדָמָה, adamah): This is the general word for earth or soil. The mention of "adamah" emphasizes that the devastation was not just on the surface but affected the very land itself.

Why Genesis 19:25 matters

  • Genesis 19:25 makes clear that the destruction was not limited to buildings or people but extended to the environment, showing the seriousness of the judgment.
  • The verse connects to the earlier warning given to Lot and his family, highlighting the urgency and necessity of their escape.
  • By naming the plain and the things that grew on the ground, the verse underscores the loss of both human life and natural resources, helping the reader grasp the scale and completeness of what happened.

Where else these words appear

“those” Hebrew H411 · used in 9 verses

  • Genesis 19:8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
  • Genesis 26:4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
  • Deuteronomy 7:22 And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

“grew” Hebrew H6780 · used in 12 verses

  • Psalms 65:10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
  • Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
  • Ezekiel 17:10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

“plain” Hebrew H3603 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
  • 2 Samuel 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
  • 1 Chronicles 29:4 Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:

“overthrew” Hebrew H2015 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • 2 Kings 5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
  • Psalms 114:8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.