Genesis 18:26 · Bible study
Genesis 18:26 Commentary: Spared for the Righteous
Hebrew · 4 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God promises to spare Sodom if fifty righteous dwell there.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises to spare the entire city of Sodom if fifty righteous people are found within it, showing the protecting power of a righteous remnant.
- Key words:Nasa (forgive/spare/lift); Tsaddiq (righteous); Makom (place, the whole region, not just Sodom).
- Main debate: Whether the righteous actively save others by their presence or whether this is a pedagogical dialogue teaching Abraham about God's character.
- Theological theme: Divine mercy works through, and is responsive to, intercessory prayer; God does not delight in punishing the innocent with the guilty.
- Best use: A model for praying over cities, trusting that God is willing to show mercy when His people stand in the gap.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Jehovah saith, `If I find in Sodom fifty righteous in the midst of the city, then have I borne with all the place for their sake.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Jehovah said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sakes.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Entonces respondió Jehová: Si hallare en Sodoma cincuenta justos dentro de la ciudad, perdonaré á todo este lugar por amor de ellos.
Então respondeu o SENHOR: Se achar em Sodoma cinquenta justos dentro da cidade, perdoarei a todo este lugar por causa deles.
Et l’ Éternel dit: Si je trouve dans Sodome cinquante justes au milieu de la ville, je pardonnerai à toute la ville, à cause d’ eux.
Der HERR sprach: Finde ich fünfzig Gerechte zu Sodom in der Stadt, so will ich um ihrer willen dem ganzen Ort vergeben.
Toen zeide de HEERE: Zo Ik te Sodom binnen de stad vijftig rechtvaardigen zal vinden, zo zal Ik de ganse plaats sparen om hunnentwil.
E l’Eterno disse: “Se trovo nella città di Sodoma cinquanta giusti, perdonerò a tutto il luogo per amor d’essi”.
Tedy rzekł Pan: Jeźli znajdę w Sodomie pięćdziesiąt sprawiedliwych w samem mieście, odpuszczę wszystkiemu miejscu dla nich.
Господь сказал: если Я найду в городе Содоме пятьдесят праведников, то Я ради них пощажу [весь город и] все место сие.
耶和華 說：「我若 在所多瑪 城 裡 見 有五十 個義人，我就為他們的緣故 饒恕 那地方 的眾人。」
And the Lord said, If there are fifty upright men in the town, I will have mercy on it because of them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 18:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse reveals God's willingness to show mercy to the wicked for the sake of the righteous. Gill notes that Sodom is named as the chief city, representing all five cities of the plain, and the Lord accepts without hesitation the number Abraham proposes. Matthew Henry draws attention to Abraham's bold intercession and God's patient response, showing that 'the Judge of all the earth' always does right. Lange's commentary treats the exchange as a lesson in the preserving power of a righteous remnant. The verb translated 'spare' in most English versions is the Hebrew nasa, which literally means 'to lift, bear, or forgive', the same verb used for forgiveness elsewhere in the Old Testament. This makes the promise more than a judicial arrangement: God is saying He will 'carry' the city's guilt for the sake of the righteous within it. The consensus is clear: God does not delight in punishing the innocent with the guilty, and He invites human partnership through prayer.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God promises to spare the entire city of Sodom for the sake of fifty righteous people within it, showing that He does not desire to punish the innocent alongside the guilty and that the presence of a righteous remnant can preserve a community from judgment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate righteousness and the remnant | The righteous few benefit the whole community; God spares the wicked for their sake. | Some see this as a principle of God's covenantal dealings (Reformed tradition), while others treat it as a unique historical situation not meant to be generalized. |
| Does God change His mind? | God genuinely responds to Abraham's intercession and enters into dialogue. | Open theists see a real change in God's plan; classical theologians hold that God ordains the means as well as the end, so His decree is unchanged yet He truly responds. |
| The efficacy of intercessory prayer | Prayer matters and God invites it; Abraham's intercession is honored. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions extend this principle to the intercession of saints as a continuation of the prayer of the righteous; Protestant traditions emphasize direct prayer by believers as their priestly role. |
| Why stop at ten? | Abraham stops at ten, not from lack of faith but from modesty and a charitable estimate that there must be at least ten righteous. | Some see ten as a minimum quorum (later Jewish tradition), others as a practical limit set by Abraham's own sense of reverence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits in the middle of one of Scripture's most intense prayer dialogues. Abraham has just hosted three visitors, one of whom is Yahweh Himself. As the other two head toward Sodom, Abraham stands before Yahweh and presses his case (Genesis 18:22, 23). The ancient world understood justice largely in corporate terms, a city could be blessed or cursed because of its collective behavior. But Abraham presses a deeper principle: 'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?' (v. 25). He asks that the righteous be treated differently from the wicked.
The city of Sodom was the chief settlement of a region that included Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Bela. Gill, following the Jewish commentator Jarchi, notes that Sodom stands for the whole area; sparing 'all the place' meant the entire region. At this point Lot, Abraham's nephew, dwells inside Sodom (Genesis 13:12, 19:1). Abraham likely had Lot in mind as he prayed. The number fifty is Abraham's starting point, not a census number but a test of God's mercy. God's immediate and unconditional agreement shows that the premise is sound in the divine justice system. Poole observes that God speaks here 'after the manner of men,' providing instruction for judges and for all who intercede. Ellicott notes that Abraham, as the one through whom all nations would be blessed (v. 18), is being raised to the rank of a prophet who shares in the divine counsels.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the major English translations (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) agree in their rendering of the key terms. The verb nasa appears as ve.nasati ('and I will forgive/spare') in the Masoretic Text, uniformly attested.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as Augustine used Genesis 18:26 as an example of God's mercy that does not destroy the righteous with the wicked. In medieval exegesis, it was cited in discussions about the necessity of a holy remnant for the preservation of society. The Reformation brought a focus on Abraham's faith and boldness in prayer, Luther and Calvin both commented on God's condescension in allowing Abraham to bargain. In modern evangelical and Catholic contexts, this passage is frequently used to encourage intercessory prayer for cities and nations, and as a foreshadowing of Christ the Righteous One who stands in the gap for all.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The premise that moves God: God agrees to spare the whole city if fifty righteous are found. Righteousness has preserving power, the presence of faithful people is a gift to the community around them.
- The prayer that presses God: Abraham does not accept judgment passively. He intercedes boldly, and God dialogues with him. Intercessory prayer is not a formality; it is participation in God's own heart for mercy.
- The principle that holds: The righteous do not earn salvation for the wicked, but their presence can hold back judgment, as Jesus later implies in the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13). This points forward to the ultimate Righteous One who spares the whole world.
Five-point outline
- God reveals His intention to judge Sodom.
- Abraham steps into the gap, appealing to God's character as Judge.
- God immediately accepts the premise: fifty righteous save the city.
- Abraham pushes further, from fifty down to ten, learning of God's mercy at each step.
- The dialogue ends unresolved, the ten are not found, yet the prayer itself transformed Abraham.
Illustration hooks
- A courtroom scene where the judge announces he will acquit an entire town if even one innocent person can be found, showing that mercy can override strict retribution.
- A small prayer group in a city known for its challenges, whose faithful presence quietly changes the spiritual climate around them.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God already knew there were not fifty righteous in Sodom, why did He let Abraham bargain?
- Does this passage mean I can 'negotiate' with God through prayer? Where does boldness cross into presumption?
- What does it look like to be a righteous remnant in my own city or workplace today?
Leading a Discussion
Genesis 18:26 is a window into God's heart and the power of a faithful few. In this passage we see a God who is not eager to punish but willing to listen, and a man who dares to speak for others. As you discuss, consider both the boldness of Abraham and the mercy of God.
Discussion questions
- What does this verse tell us about God's character? Why does He agree to spare the whole city for the sake of fifty righteous people?
- Abraham starts his intercession by asking whether the righteous should be destroyed with the wicked. How does that question set up his prayer?
- The Hebrew verb nasa can mean 'forgive' or 'bear.' How does that translation choice deepen your understanding of what God promises?
- Why do you think Abraham kept lowering the number? What was he learning about God through this process?
- In Jeremiah 5:1, God says He will pardon Jerusalem if even one person does justice. How does that relate to the principle in this verse?
- What does this passage teach us about praying for people who are not living righteously, including entire communities we may feel distant from?
- How can you and your group become a 'righteous remnant' in your own context this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 6:13 | If there is a tenth left in it, that also will in turn be consumed, as a terebinth, and as an oak whose stump remains when they are cut down, so the holy seed is its stump.” |
| Isaiah 10:22 | For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. |
| Isaiah 19:24 | In that day, Israel will be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing within the earth; |
| Isaiah 65:8 | Yahweh says, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for a blessing is in it:’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all. |
| Jeremiah 5:1 | “Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its wide places, if you can find a man, if there is anyone who does justly, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her. |
| Ezekiel 22:30 | “I sought for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. |
| Matthew 24:22 | Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible highlights God’s willingness to show mercy to an entire city if a sufficient number of righteous people are found within it. This response to Abraham emphasizes that divine judgment is not automatic but can be stayed by the presence of moral integrity among the inhabitants. It underscores the value placed on individual righteousness as a protective factor for the wider community.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that when Abraham pleads for Sodom, the city stands for all five cities in the region. Fifty righteous would have saved not just Sodom but the whole area. God immediately agrees to Abraham's request, showing His readiness to show mercy.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the three visitors to Abraham do not represent the Trinity; the germ of that doctrine lies instead in the duality between Jehovah's heavenly nature and his visible form among the two angels. He also highlights Abraham's intercession as bold yet self-limiting, ceasing at ten righteous because prayer must respect moral boundaries.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that Abraham’s bold intercession grows directly out of God’s prior revelation of His purposes for Sodom. For Henry this exchange illustrates the pattern of all true communion: God first speaks through His word, then we respond in prayer, each act sustaining the other.