עֲמֹרָה (a.mo.rah)

The noun amora refers to Gomorrah, a city paired with Sodom as a symbol of extreme wickedness in the Hebrew Bible. Its name is traditionally understood to mean "submersion," an image that aligns with its fate. According to the Genesis account, both cities were destroyed by fire and sulfur from heaven because of their grave sins.

While Genesis introduces the city, later prophets use it as a shorthand for divine judgment on arrogance and injustice. Isaiah and Jeremiah cite Gomorrah alongside Sodom to warn Judah and neighboring nations that God opposes oppression. The repeated pairing in these texts emphasizes that collective moral failure invites severe consequences.

The name appears eighteen times across Scripture, primarily in Genesis and the prophetic books. This frequency highlights its role not just as a historical location but as a theological warning. The consistent association with Sodom reinforces the idea that such cities were destroyed together for similar reasons of deep-seated corruption.