Genesis 19:22
New International Version
But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.)

New Living Translation
But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

English Standard Version
Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Berean Standard Bible
Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.” That is why the town was called Zoar.

King James Bible
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

New King James Version
Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

New American Standard Bible
Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the town was named Zoar.

NASB 1995
“Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

NASB 1977
“Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

Legacy Standard Bible
Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Amplified Bible
Hurry and take refuge there, for I cannot do anything [to punish Sodom] until you arrive there.” For this reason the town was named Zoar (few, small).

Christian Standard Bible
Hurry up! Run to it, for I cannot do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Hurry up! Run there, for I cannot do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.

American Standard Version
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Contemporary English Version
Hurry! Run! I can't do anything until you are safely there." The town was later called Zoar because Lot had said it was small.

English Revised Version
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Run there quickly, because I can't do anything until you get there." (The city is named Zoar [Small].)

Good News Translation
Hurry! Run! I can't do anything until you get there." Because Lot called it small, the town was named Zoar.

International Standard Version
Hurry up and flee there, because I cannot do anything until you get to that town." Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

Majority Standard Bible
Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.? That is why the town was called Zoar.

NET Bible
Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.)

New Heart English Bible
Hurry, escape there, for I can't do anything until you get there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Webster's Bible Translation
Haste thee, escape thither: for I cannot do any thing till thou hast come thither: therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

World English Bible
Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
hurry, escape there, for I am not able to do anything until your entering there”; therefore he calls the name of the city Zoar.

Young's Literal Translation
haste, escape thither, for I am not able to do anything till thine entering thither;' therefore hath he calleth the name of the city Zoar.

Smith's Literal Translation
Hasten, to escape there, for I shall not be able to do the word till thy coming there: for this the name of the city was called Zoar.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Make haste and be saved there, because I cannot do any thing till thou go in thither. Therefore the name of that city was called Segor.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Hurry and be saved there. For I cannot do anything until you enter there.” For this reason, the name of that city is called Zoar.

New American Bible
Hurry, escape there! I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” That is why the town is called Zoar.

New Revised Standard Version
Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” Therefore the city was called Zoar.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Make haste and escape there; for I cannot do anything till you enter into it. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Escape there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you enter there”; because of this, he called the name of the city, Tsaar.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Hasten thou, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither.'--Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Hasten therefore to escape thither, for I shall not be able to do anything until thou art come thither; therefore he called the name of that city, Segor.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Lot Flees to Zoar
21“Very well,” he answered, “I will grant this request as well, and will not demolish the town you indicate. 22Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.” That is why the town was called Zoar. 23And by the time the sun had risen over the land, Lot had reached Zoar.…

Cross References
Genesis 18:32
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 6:8
Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Exodus 32:14
So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.

Numbers 16:45-48
“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown. / Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” / So Aaron took the censer as Moses had ordered and ran into the midst of the assembly. And seeing that the plague had begun among the people, he offered the incense and made atonement for the people. ...

Isaiah 55:6-7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. / Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Jeremiah 5:1
“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.

Ezekiel 22:30
I searched for a man among them to repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I should not destroy it. But I found no one.

Amos 7:3
So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said.

Jonah 3:10
When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.

Matthew 24:22
If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

Luke 17:28-30
It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. / But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. / It will be just like that on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

Luke 18:7-8
Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them? / I tell you, He will promptly carry out justice on their behalf. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

John 17:15
I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

Acts 27:24
and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

Romans 9:29
It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”


Treasury of Scripture

Haste you, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till you be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

for.

Genesis 32:25-28
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him…

Exodus 32:10
Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Deuteronomy 9:14
Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.

called.

Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.

Genesis 14:2
That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

Isaiah 15:5
My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, an heifer of three years old: for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go it up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.

Zoar.

Genesis 19:20
Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

Jump to Previous
Able Arrive City Escape Flee Haste Hasten Hurry Quickly Reach Reason Thither Zoar Zo'ar
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Able Arrive City Escape Flee Haste Hasten Hurry Quickly Reach Reason Thither Zoar Zo'ar
Genesis 19
1. Lot entertains two angels.
4. The vicious Sodomites are smitten with blindness.
12. Lot is warned, and in vain warns his sons-in-law.
15. He is directed to flee to the mountains, but obtains leave to go into Zoar.
24. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed.
26. Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt.
29. Lot dwells in a cave.
31. The incestuous origin of Moab and Ammon.














Hurry
The urgency in the word "Hurry" reflects the immediacy of divine intervention and the necessity for prompt obedience. In Hebrew, the root word is "מַהֵר" (maher), which conveys a sense of speed and haste. This urgency underscores the seriousness of the impending judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah and the need for Lot and his family to act without delay. It serves as a reminder of the importance of responding swiftly to God's warnings and instructions in our own lives.

flee
The command to "flee" is a call to escape from danger. The Hebrew word "בָּרַח" (barach) implies a rapid departure from a place of peril. This reflects the broader biblical theme of seeking refuge in God and turning away from sin and its consequences. Lot's flight from Sodom is symbolic of the believer's need to abandon sinful environments and seek safety in God's provision and protection.

there
The word "there" refers to the small town of Zoar, which Lot requested as a place of refuge. This specific destination highlights God's willingness to accommodate Lot's request, demonstrating His mercy and grace. It also signifies a place of safety amidst destruction, symbolizing how God provides a way of escape for His people even in the midst of judgment.

quickly
The repetition of the need for speed with "quickly" emphasizes the critical nature of the situation. The Hebrew word "מְהֵרָה" (meherah) reinforces the urgency and the need for immediate action. This urgency is a call to prioritize God's instructions above all else, recognizing that delay can lead to dire consequences.

because I cannot do anything
This phrase reveals the divine restraint exercised by the angelic messengers. The Hebrew concept here is one of divine forbearance, where God's judgment is withheld until His people are safe. It illustrates God's sovereignty and His protective nature over those who are righteous, ensuring their safety before executing judgment.

until you reach it
The condition "until you reach it" underscores God's personal care and attention to the safety of Lot and his family. It highlights the divine timing and precision in God's plans, ensuring that His people are secure before His judgment is unleashed. This phrase reassures believers of God's meticulous care and His ability to protect and deliver them from harm.

(22) Zoar.--This town is identified by Dr. Tristram (Land of Moab, p. 330) with Zi'ara, at the northern end of the Dead Sea. It is described as lying upon the borders of the Moabite territory, in Isaiah 15:5; Jeremiah 48:34. Eusebius says that a Roman garrison was posted there, but he probably accepted the current tradition which placed the five cities at the southern extremity of the lake.

Verse 22. - Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. I.e. "The Little;" obviously from Lot's remark concerning it (Ver. 20); Σηγώρ (LXX.). The original name of the city was Bela (Genesis 14:2, q.v.). It has been sought for in the Wady Zuweirah, a pass leading down from Hebron to the Dead Sea, on the west side of the lake (De Sancey); in the Ghor-el-Mezraa, i.e. upon the southern peninsula, Which projects a long way into the Dead Sea (Robinson); and in the Ghor-el-Szaphia, at the south-eastern end of the see, at the opening of the Wady-el-Raumer (Keil); but has now been identified with Zi'ara, at the northern extremity of the lake (Tristram, 'Land of Moab,' p. 330; vide infra, Ver. 28, on the site of cities of the plain).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Hurry!
מַהֵר֙ (ma·hêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 4116: To be liquid, flow easily, to hurry, promptly

Run
הִמָּלֵ֣ט (him·mā·lêṭ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 4422: To be smooth, to escape, to release, rescue, to bring forth young, emit sparks

there quickly,
שָׁ֔מָּה (šām·māh)
Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

for
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I cannot
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

do
לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

anything
דָּבָ֔ר (dā·ḇār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

until
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

you reach
בֹּאֲךָ֖ (bō·’ă·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

it.”
שָׁ֑מָּה (šām·māh)
Adverb | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

That is why
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the town
הָעִ֖יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

was called
קָרָ֥א (qā·rā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

Zoar.
צֽוֹעַר׃ (ṣō·w·‘ar)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6820: Zoar -- 'insignificance', a city at the southeastern end of the Dead Sea


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OT Law: Genesis 19:22 Hurry escape there for I can't do (Gen. Ge Gn)
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