rained down
The Hebrew verb used here is "matar," which means to rain or pour down. This imagery of rain, typically associated with life-giving water, is here inverted to depict destruction. It signifies the thoroughness and inescapability of divine judgment. The use of "rained down" suggests a deluge, a comprehensive and overwhelming act of divine intervention, reminiscent of the flood in Noah's time, but with fire instead of water.

sulfur and fire
The combination of "sulfur and fire" (Hebrew: "gophrith va'esh") is a powerful symbol of divine wrath and purification. Sulfur, often associated with brimstone, is a substance that burns with intense heat and was historically used in purification processes. Fire, a frequent biblical symbol of God's presence and judgment, represents both destruction and purification. Together, they illustrate the totality of God's judgment on sin and the purging of wickedness from the earth.

on Sodom and Gomorrah
These cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, have become synonymous with sin and moral corruption. Archaeological evidence suggests that these cities were located near the Dead Sea, an area known for its bitumen pits, which could naturally produce sulfurous fires. Historically, these cities were known for their prosperity and subsequent moral decay, serving as a warning against the dangers of turning away from God's commandments.

from the LORD
This repetition of "from the LORD" emphasizes the divine origin of the judgment. It is not a natural disaster or a random act of nature but a deliberate act of God. This phrase reinforces the idea that God is actively involved in the affairs of humanity, executing justice and upholding righteousness.

out of the heavens
The phrase "out of the heavens" indicates the source of the judgment as being from above, from the divine realm. In biblical cosmology, the heavens are the dwelling place of God, and actions originating from there carry the weight of divine authority. This imagery serves to remind the reader of God's omnipotence and His ability to intervene in the world in powerful and miraculous ways.

Brimstone and fire.--Though God used natural agencies in the destruction of the Ciccar cities, yet what was in itself a catastrophe of nature became miraculous by the circumstances which surrounded it. It was thus made the means not merely of executing the Divine justice, of strengthening Abraham's faith, and of warning Lot, but also of giving moral and religious instruction throughout all time. Seen by its light, events of history, for which sufficient secondary causes may be discovered, are nevertheless shown to be direct manifestations of the Divine justice, and to have moral causes as their real basis. We lose the benefit of the teaching of the Bible if we suppose that the events recorded there were different in kind from those which take place now. A certain limited number of events were so; but of most it is simply the curtain that is drawn back, and we see God's presence no longer veiled, as with us, but openly revealed. As for the catastrophe itself, it was not a mere thunderstorm which set the earth, saturated with naphtha, on fire; but, in a region where earthquakes are still common, there was apparently an outburst of volcanic violence, casting forth blazing bitumen and brimstone. This falling down upon the houses, and upon the soil charged with combustible matter, caused a conflagration so sudden and widespread that few or none could escape. Sulphur and nitre are still found as natural products on the shores of the Dead Sea.