New Living Translation
Genesis 19:22
22But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)
Genesis 19:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
- New International Version (NIV)But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.)
- English Standard Version (ESV)Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
Context of Genesis 19:22
20See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.” 21“All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”) 23Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. 24Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Read all of Genesis 19Genesis 19:22 word by word
מַהֵר֙ הִמָּלֵ֣ט שָׁ֔מָּה כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אוּכַל֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת דָּבָ֔ר עַד־בֹּאֲךָ֖ שָׁ֑מָּה עַל־כֵּ֛ן קָרָ֥א שֵׁם־הָעִ֖יר צֽוֹעַר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Hasteמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
- thee, escapeמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
- thither; for I cannotיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- any thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- till thou be comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- thither. Therefore the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- was calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- Zoarצֹ֫עַרtsô‛ar · ZoarH6820
Cross-references for Genesis 19:22
- Genesis 32:25When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket.
- Exodus 32:10Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.”
- Deuteronomy 9:14Leave me alone so I may destroy them and erase their name from under heaven. Then I will make a mighty nation of your descendants, a nation larger and more powerful than they are.’
- Psalms 91:1Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
- Isaiah 65:8“But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there.
- Mark 6:5And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
- 2 Timothy 2:13If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.
- Genesis 13:10Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the Lord or the beautiful land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
- Genesis 14:2fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).
- Isaiah 15:5My heart weeps for Moab. Its people flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. Weeping, they climb the road to Luhith. Their cries of distress can be heard all along the road to Horonaim.
- Jeremiah 48:34“Instead, their awful cries of terror can be heard from Heshbon clear across to Elealeh and Jahaz; from Zoar all the way to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah. Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up now.
- Genesis 19:20See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”
Commentaries on Genesis 19:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither - So these heavenly messengers had the strictest commission to take care of Lot and his family; and even the purposes of Divine justice could not be accomplished on the rebellious, till this righteous man and his family had escaped from the place. A proof of Abraham's assertion, The Judge of all the earth will do right. The name of the city was called Zoar - צוער Tsoar, Little, its former name being Bela.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-38Verses 1-38 - The Destruction of Sodom and Amorah 9. גשׁ־ gesh -hāl'âh “approach to a distant point,” stand back. 11. סנורים sanevērı̂ym “blindness,” affecting the mental more than the ocular vision. 37. מואב mô'āb Moab; מאב mē'āb “from a father.” בן־עמי ben -‛amı̂y Ben-ammi, “son of my people.” עמון ‛amôn Ammon, “of the people.” This chapter is the continuation and conclusion of the former. It records a part of God‘s strange work - strange…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18-22Lot asked the angels for permission to live in the small town of Zoar (which means "little place") even after they saved him.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. Haste ... for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither--The ruin of Sodom was suspended till he was secure. What care God does take of His people (Re 7:3)! What a proof of the love which God bore to a good though weak man!Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 19:22
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 19
- 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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries