Gomorrah

One of the infamous Cities of the Plain destroyed by God through fire and brimstone alongside Sodom as judgment for grievous wickedness. Gomorrah became a perpetual symbol of divine judgment and the consequences of moral corruption.

Gomorrah was located in the fertile Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, part of a confederation of five cities including Sodom, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. These cities enjoyed prosperity in what Genesis describes as well-watered land “like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt” (Genesis 13:10)—which Lot chose when separating from Abraham. However, the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah “were wicked, great sinners against the LORD” (Genesis 13:13).

When Abraham interceded for Sodom, asking if God would spare the city for the sake of righteous inhabitants, the LORD agreed to spare it if even ten righteous people could be found (Genesis 18:23-32). But when two angels visited Lot in Sodom, the men of the city surrounded his house demanding to sexually assault the visitors—revealing depravity so complete that not even ten righteous people existed. The angels struck the mob blind and urged Lot to flee with his family before judgment fell.

At dawn, “the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley” (Genesis 19:24-25). Lot’s wife, disobeying the command not to look back, became a pillar of salt. Throughout Scripture, Sodom and Gomorrah exemplify ultimate divine judgment—prophets invoke them to warn Israel (Deuteronomy 29:23, Isaiah 13:19, Jeremiah 50:40), and Jesus declared that “it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town” which rejects the gospel (Matthew 10:15).