Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 18:23 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 23. 23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Abraham draws near and asks whether the righteous will truly be swept away together with the wicked. His first question challenges indiscriminate destruction before he proposes any number.
Chosen to teach justice, then asked to watch it
This verse is one part of that explanation in Genesis 18:16–33. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Genesis 18:16–33
Read verses 23–26. Verse 23 states the distinction problem; verses 24–25 ask whether the whole place can be spared and appeal to the Judge's justice; verse 26 gives the answer.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Abraham draws near and states the governing question: whether righteous and wicked will be swept away together.
Read Genesis 18:23–26 together
Why these verses belong together: The first plea establishes distinction, citywide preservation, the Judge's justice, and the LORD's agreement.
Verse 23. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Verse 24. 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
Verse 25. 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Verse 26. 26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
Follow the Context
- The men rise, look toward Sodom, and leave with Abraham accompanying them (18:16).
- The LORD deliberates about disclosing the plan because Abraham will become a great nation, bless the nations, and teach his household righteousness and justice (18:17–19).
- The LORD names Sodom and Gomorrah's great outcry and grave sin and resolves to go down, see, and know whether the accusation is confirmed (18:20–21).
- The men go toward Sodom while Abraham remains before the LORD, draws near, and asks whether righteous and wicked will be swept away together (18:22–23).
- Abraham first asks whether fifty righteous people can preserve the whole place and appeals to the justice of the Judge of all the earth; the LORD agrees (18:24–26).
- Calling himself dust and ashes, Abraham continues through forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, and ten; the LORD agrees each time, then ends the conversation and Abraham returns home (18:27–33).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“drew near”
In plain language: Abraham approaches to speak.
He moves from standing presence into bold petition.
Why it matters: Intercession is deliberate and relational, not detached commentary.
How certain? very strong“sweep away the righteous with the wicked”
In plain language: Destroy both groups together without distinction.
This is the governing justice question for the dialogue.
Why it matters: The plea begins with non-indiscriminate judgment.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The question does not declare every Sodom resident righteous.
The verse does not say Abraham named Lot or knew how many righteous people lived there.
Intercession does not deny the outcry or call grave sin harmless.
What Remains True
Justice must distinguish responsible from innocent or righteous people rather than treating proximity as guilt.
How It Can Shape Life
- Resist collective blame: assess people and evidence rather than punishing a family, ethnicity, congregation, neighborhood, or workforce for another person's conduct.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 18:23's contribution to Genesis 18:16–33. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
Your explanation stays in this browser. It is not sent or saved.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Genesis 18:16–33 — Abraham Pleads for Righteous JudgmentSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, unit movement, vocation, outcry, investigation, intercession, numbers, and canonical links.
Exact location: Genesis 18:16–33 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 13:10–13; 14:1–24; 19:1–29; 20:7; Exodus 32:7–14; Jeremiah 15:1
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Yada, purpose clauses, righteousness and justice, outcry, cohortative investigation sequence, standing, sweep away, spare, far-be-it, Judge, dust and ashes, conditional proposals, and closure.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 18:16–33
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Know/choose, syntax, outcry, investigation wording, spare, rhetorical force, and translation alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 18:16–33 and translator notes, especially verses 17, 19, 20–25, 27, and 32
Open NET Genesis 18 ↗open access masters thesis literary Hebrew and comparative study
Characterization in the Triangle of Intercession: A Literary and Theological Study of Genesis 18:16–33
Peter Tin Yan Chu
Tyndale Seminary, 2008
Supports: Translation and syntax, literary form, yada, outcry, investigation, verse 22 tradition, six dialogue rounds, justice, intercession, and the unexplained stopping point at ten.
Exact location: Characterization in the Triangle of Intercession, especially pp. 69–78, 127–166, 203–212, and conclusion
Open source ↗peer reviewed specialist exegetical study
Listening to Abraham—Listening to YHWH: Divine Justice and Mercy in Genesis 18:16–33
Nathan MacDonald
Catholic Biblical Quarterly 66.1, 2004
Supports: Modern peer-reviewed framing of divine justice and mercy; no unseen page-specific conclusion treated as verified.
Exact location: Catholic Biblical Quarterly 66.1, pp. 25–43; official St Andrews metadata and abstract-level record
Open source ↗