I recently wrote an article titled “Homosexualilty and the Christian Worldview” where I addressed the topic of homosexuality from a Biblical perspective. Within that post I excluded the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a reference for God’s antipathy towards homosexuality. However, being full aware of how many Christians use this Scripture for that purpose, and how, in some ways, they do so without a full understanding of what the Bible says in regards to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, I felt compelled to write this post so that a better, more complete understanding of what led to their destruction may be obtained.

The Wickedness of the Cities of the Plain

Throughout the Bible the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are never spoken of in a positive light. From Genesis to Revelation their names are used to remind the reader of their unparalleled wickedness, and, as punishment for such, their destruction. Both the Old and New Testament writers were familiar with this judgement coming of God and used this story to admonish their listeners to return to Him and refrain from sin.

With this in mind, however, out of the 48 mentions of the term “Sodom” in the Bible, nowhere is it used exclusively to warn against homosexual practices. And only once is it mentioned directly in connection with sexual immorality and unnatural desires (Jude 1:7). 

But if Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed exclusively for their homosexual practices, as supposed by some, why then, when called to remembrance by the Bible’s authors, is it never in regards to homosexuality in particular? In other words, one would think that whenever a Biblical author recalled the story of Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of admonishment, they would do so in regards to the primary sin that led to its destruction (that is, supposedly homosexuality). But this is not the case.

This is not to say homosexuality was excluded from the authors intent, but that he was not calling into mind homosexuality exclusively, but all the sins that led to the destruction of these cities. This is also not to say that homosexuality wasn’t a factor, a primary one even, in God destroying these cities, but that it wasn’t the only one.

With this being the case, we should now turn our attention to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah as recorded for us in the Bible, and non-Biblical literature so as to ascertain the true causes of their overthrow.

What Were the Sins of Sodom and Gomorrah

While researching the topic of Sodom and Gomorrahs sins and subsequent overthrow, I stumbled upon a website called reformationproject.org which has to its account an article titled “Sodom and Gomorrah addresses gang rape, not a loving relationship”. 

As you can imagine from the title of that post, it completely downplays any role that homosexuality had in the destruction of these cities. They deny that “God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah at least in part due to the fact that the men of the city wanted to engage in same-sex behavior” and instead claim that “The Bible never teaches that same-sex behavior was even part of Sodom’s sin.”

While it is true that the Bible never directly states that homosexuality was a part of Sodom and Gomorrahs sins, it doesn’t have to. There are numerous other passages of Scripture that condemn homosexuality and forbid its practice. Because of this, and the fact that the men of Sodom attempted to force themselves upon the angels disguised as men, we know that they were given over to homosexuality and therefore fell under God’s condemnation.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.”

Genesis 19:4-5

Leviticus 18:22 says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” And from Deuteronomy 22:23-29 we learn that rape was an offense worthy of the death penalty, at least in some instances. We know that these cities were guilty of both of these sins which contributed to their moral bankruptcy and ultimate destruction.

Furthermore Jude 1:7 tells us that “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities…indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desires…”, in addition to 2 Peter 2:7 which speaks of how Lot was “greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked”, that is, the inhabitants of the city of Sodom in which he lived. In regards to sexual immorality and homosexuality (which is included under the category of “unnatural desires” as demonstrated by Romans 1:26-27) we know that those who practice such will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

But aside from sexual immorality, homosexuality, unnatural desires, and (attempted) gang rape, (as if those were not enough) we do know that Sodom and Gomorrah were guilty of other sins as well. In Ezekiel 16:49-50 we read: “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.”

From the passages just covered it’s clear that Sodom and Gomorrah were exceedingly wicked in God’s eyes. But if this weren’t enough, they were apparently proud of that fact, which likely contributed to their demise. While pronouncing judgement upon Jerusalem and Judah, Isaiah said, “they proclaim their sins like Sodom; they do not hide it. Wot to them! For they have brought evil on themselves” (Isaiah 3:8-9).

Clearly the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were as numerous as their inhabitants. And while the Bible doesn’t give a lot of specific details in regards to the sins being committed, we do know that all of the inhabitants thereof were given to unrighteousness.

So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place…Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?”

And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”

Genesis 18:26,32

Other Sins Recorded in Non-Biblical Literature

Aside from the Bible, there is other documentation in regards to the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. One, for instance, is the Book of Jasher (here’s a link to the copy I have). This book is mentioned twice in the Old Testament, and could have been a source from where Paul learned the names of the magicians who withstood Moses during his exchanges with Pharaoh (cf. Exodus 7:10-12).

Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth.

2 Timothy 3:8

Nowhere in Scripture are these names recorded, but they are found in the Book of Jasher (Jasher 79:27,36).

Whether or not the copies we have available today are authentic, we do know that the original version, the one mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18, was used to vouch for the accuracy of the statements made by the Biblical authors who referred to its contents.

With this in mind, what I’m about to share with you cannot be confirmed by Scripture, and should only be taken into consideration with what the Bible has to say about the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Sexual Immorality

According to Jasher 18, the people of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities would go out to celebrate four times a year in a valley that was near to them. It was here that “all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah went…with their wives and children and all belonging to them, and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances.”

It was during this time of rejoicing that “they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor’s wives, and some, the virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them, and each man saw his wife and daughter in the hand of his neighbor and did not say a word. And they did so from morning to night, and they afterward returned home each man to his house and each woman to her tent; so they always did four times in the year” (Jasher 18:11-15).

Cruelty to Strangers

The book of Jasher also tells of how cruel the inhabitants of Sodom were towards strangers. Whenever someone new would come into their city with goods to sell, the citizens would assemble and take his goods by force, distributing a little to all involved in the raid. If the victim would retaliate, each assailant would “approach him one by one, and each would show him the little which he took and taunt him, saying, ‘I only took that little which thou didst give me’”. Upon this they would “drive him out of the city with great noise and tumult” (Jasher 18:16-17).

On some occasions when a poor man would come into their city they would give him silver and gold but then conspire among themselves not to sell him anything to eat. And if he should die of hunger, they would then recoup the gold and silver they had given him.

In one instance a daughter of Lot named Palith secretly gave food to such a man. When the inhabitants of Sodom realized she was doing this they “took Palith and brought her before their judges, and they said to them, Thus did she do, and it is she who supplied the poor man with bread, therefore he did not die all this time; now therefore declare to us the punishment due to this woman for having transgressed our law. And the people of Sodom and Gomorrah assembled and kindled a fire in the street of the city, and they took the woman and cast her into the fire and she was burned to ashes” (Jasher 19:34-35).

It’s also recorded that in the city of Admah another such incident occurred, but instead of burning the woman to death, they “anointed her with honey from head to foot, as the judge had decreed, and they placed her before a swarm of bees which were then in the hives, and the bees flew upon her and stung her that her whole body was swelled” (Jasher 19:42).

Corrupt Laws and Judgement

The cruel death sentences imposed upon the women just mentioned came at the hands of the city judges whose job it was to enforce their corrupt laws. But enforcing the law or passing judgement upon matters brought to them was not their only responsibility. From what’s written in Jasher 19:1-6 it appears that at least some of the city’s cruel laws came from their decree.

In Jasher 19:1-6 we read of beds being erected in the streets of the cities for the purpose of torturing strangers. If a man passed by one of these beds they would take him and force him to lie in the bed. They would then measure him and “if the man was less than the bed these six men would stretch him at each end, and when he cried out to them they would not answer him. And if he was longer than the bed they would draw together the two sides of the bed at each end, until the man had reached the gates of death.”

Whether or not any of these stories are true is uncertain as it is unclear if the copies available today are the same ones referenced in the Bible. If they are then we have good reason to trust them, but at this point, there’s simply no way to know for certain. But regardless of the authenticity of these stories, the Bible makes it clear that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were grievous and worthy of God’s judgement.

More Than Just Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

Although the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are infamous for their wickedness and are mentioned frequently throughout the Bible, it should be pointed out that they were not the only two cities destroyed during this time of judgement.

Sodom and Gomorrah were part of five cities that made up the “cities of the plain”, or “cities of the valley” depending on which translation you use (Genesis 19:29). The remaining cities were Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. These five cities were allied with one another as made known in Genesis 14:8-9. 

At the time of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction, two other cities were destroyed along with them: Admah and Zeboiim. This we learn from Deuteronomy 29:23 which states: “…the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger and wrath…”.

The only city that remained was Zoar, which Lot and his daughters fled to in order to escape the destruction (Genesis 19:23).

Final Thoughts

As we’ve come to learn, the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were vast. And while the Bible doesn’t specifically say that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of homosexualilty, we do know they were guilty of this sin. How much this particular sin contributed to their destruction we don’t know.

However, what we do know is that their sins were wicked enough so as to bring down God’s judgement upon themselves.

In writing this post my goal was not to discourage anyone from using the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a means of communicating God’s great displeasure towards homosexuality. Rather, I only wanted those who do to do so with the full understanding that these cities were not destroyed exclusively for this sin. The Bible makes it clear that Sodom and Gomorrah were both guilty of numerous other sins which also played a part in their destruction.