Genesis 18:21

Genesis 18:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
• New International Version (NIV)that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know."
• New King James Version (NKJV)I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

Context of Genesis 18:21

19I have chosen him so that he will teach my message to his children and their families. He will teach them to do what is right and what is fair. Then I, the Lord, will do for Abraham everything that I have promised to him.’ 20So the Lord said to Abraham, ‘I have heard how bad the people in Sodom and Gomorrah are. Everybody says that their sins are very bad. So I must go down there to see if it is really true. I will see if those people are as bad as everybody says they are. Then I will know what is true.’ 22The other two men then turned away and they went towards Sodom. But Abraham stayed there to talk with the Lord. 23Then Abraham went near to the Lord and he asked, ‘Will you destroy the good people as well as the bad people?

Genesis 18:21 word by word

אֵֽרֲדָה־נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָ֛הּ הַבָּ֥אָה אֵלַ֖י עָשׂ֣וּ׀ כָּלָ֑ה וְאִם־לֹ֖א אֵדָֽעָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I will go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• now, and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• whether they have doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• altogetherכָּלָהkâlâh · consumptionH3617
• according to the cryצְעָקָהtsa‛ăqâh · cryH6818
• of it, which is comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto me; and if not, I will knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045

Cross-references for Genesis 18:21

• Genesis 11:5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower. He saw that the people had started to build them.
• Exodus 3:8So now I have come down to save them from the power of the Egyptians. I will bring them out from Egypt to go to another land. That will be a good land and a big land. The land will give them plenty of good food and drink, enough for everyone. These are the nations who live there now: the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.
• Exodus 33:5The Lord had said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites, “You are proud people who refuse to obey me. If I go with you, even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now remove your jewels. Then I will decide what I should do with you.” ’
• Micah 1:3Look! The Lord is leaving his place and he is coming down to the earth. He will come to the high places (where you worship false gods). He will destroy those places when he comes.
• John 6:38I have not come down from heaven to do what I myself choose to do. No, my Father has sent me. I have come to do what he wants me to do.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16On that day, the Lord himself will come down from heaven. He will shout with authority. People will hear the voice of the leader of God's angels. They will hear the sound of God's trumpet. Then those people who have died as Christians will become alive again. They will be the first people to rise up.
• Job 34:22People who do wicked things cannot hide themselves. There is no place dark enough for them to hide from God.
• Psalms 90:8All our sins are there for you to see. You even see the sins that we have tried to hide.
• Jeremiah 17:1‘The people of Judah love to do bad things. Their sins are deep inside them. It is like they are written on their hearts and on the horns of their altars. They are written with an iron pen. Nobody can remove the list of their sins.
• Zephaniah 1:12‘At that time, I will look in all Jerusalem's dark corners. I will take lights with me. I will find the drunks and I will punish them. These people say in their minds, “The Lord will do neither good things nor bad things to us.”
• Hebrews 4:13There is nothing in the whole world that can hide from God. He sees everything clearly and he knows everything. We will have to explain to him everything that we have done during our lives.
• Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way across the desert. He took care of you for 40 years. He caused many troubles to come and to test you. He did that to see if you would trust him. He wanted to know whether you would continue to obey his commands.
• Deuteronomy 13:3but do not listen to that prophet's message. The Lord your God is using this person to test your thoughts. He wants to know if you really love him in everything that you think and everything that you do.
• Joshua 22:22They said, ‘God, the Lord, is the great God! God, the Lord knows what is true! So all Israel must also know! Punish us today if we have turned against the Lord. We have not refused to obey him.
• Psalms 139:1Lord, you look deep inside me, and you know all about me.
• Luke 16:15Jesus replied, ‘You are happy when people like you. You want them to think that you are good people. But God sees inside you. He knows what you are thinking. The things that many people think are valuable are not valuable to God. He hates those things.’

Commentaries on Genesis 18:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21I will go down now, etc. - A lesson to magistrates, teaching them not to judge according to report, but accurately to inquire into the facts themselves - Jarchi.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-33Verses 1-33 - The Visit of the Lord to Abraham 2. השׂתחיה vayı̂śtachû “bow,” or bend the body in token of respect to God or man. The attitude varies from a slight inclination of the body to entire prostration with the forehead touching the ground. 6. סאה se'ah a “seah,” about an English peck, the third part of an ephah. The ephah contained ten omers. The omer held about five pints. This chapter describes Abraham‘s fellowship with God. On the gracious…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 The two who are supposed to have been created angels went toward Sodom. The one who is called Jehovah throughout the chapter, continued with Abraham, and would not hide from him the thing he intended to do. Though God long forbears with sinners, from which they fancy that the Lord does not see, and does not regard; yet when the day of his wrath comes, he will look toward them. The Lord will give Abraham an opportunity to intercede with him…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21God, who knows everything, was cautious in his judgment. He knew the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. This careful examination showed God's justice in a way humans could understand. He would not destroy the people unless he was certain they were wicked.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. I will go down ... and see--language used after the manner of men. These cities were to be made examples to all future ages of God's severity; and therefore ample proof given that the judgment was neither rash nor excessive (Eze 18:23; Jr 18:7).Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 18:21

• Anthropomorphisms
• Communion
• Condescension of God
• God
• God Continued...
• Sodom

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Ashes
• Certainly
• Comfort
• Command
• Communion
• Cry
• Grievous
• Hard
• Judge

Commentaries on Genesis 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings