Genesis 19:24 - Exposition

Then the Lord rained —literally, and Jehovah caused it to rain ; καὶ κύριος ἔβρεξε ( LXX .), which latter term is adopted by Luke in describing this event ( Genesis 17:1-27 :29)— upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah —and also upon Admah and Zeboim ( Deuteronomy 29:23 ; Hosea 11:8 ), Bela, or Zoar, of the five cities of the Jordan circle ( Genesis 14:2 , Genesis 14:8 ) being exempted— brimstone and fire — גָּפְרִית ; properly pitch, though the name was afterwards transferred to other inflammable materials (Gesenius); וָאֵשׁ , and fire, which, though sometimes used of lightning, as in 1 Kings 18:38 ; 2 Kings 1:10 , 2 Kings 1:12 , 2 Kings 1:14 ; Job 1:16 , may here describe a different sort of igneous agency. Whether this Divinely-sent rain was "burning pitch" (Keil), of lightning which ignited the bituminous soil (Clericus), or a volcanic eruption which overwhelmed all the region (Lynch, Kitto), it was clearly miraculous in its nature, and designed as a solemn punitive infliction on the cities of the plain— from the Lord — i.e. Jehovah (the Son) rained down from Jehovah (the Father), as if suggesting a distinction of persons in the Godhead; otherwise the phrase is regarded as "an elegancy of speech" (Aben Ezra), "an emphatic repetition" (Calvin), a more exact characterization of the storm (Clericus, Rosenmüller) as being out of heaven.