Genesis 19:4
New International Version
Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.

New Living Translation
But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house.

English Standard Version
But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house.

Berean Standard Bible
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.

King James Bible
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

New King James Version
Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.

New American Standard Bible
Before they lay down, the men of the city—the men of Sodom—surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;

NASB 1995
Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;

NASB 1977
Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;

Legacy Standard Bible
Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from young to old, all the people from every quarter;

Amplified Bible
But before they lay down [to sleep], the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house, all the men from every quarter;

Christian Standard Bible
Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, the whole population, surrounded the house.

American Standard Version
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;

Contemporary English Version
Before Lot and his guests could go to bed, every man in Sodom, young and old, came and stood outside his house

English Revised Version
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Before they had gone to bed, all the young and old male citizens of Sodom surrounded the house.

Good News Translation
Before the guests went to bed, the men of Sodom surrounded the house. All the men of the city, both young and old, were there.

International Standard Version
Before they could lie down, all the men of Sodom and its outskirts, both young and old, surrounded the house.

Majority Standard Bible
Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house.

NET Bible
Before they could lie down to sleep, all the men--both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom--surrounded the house.

New Heart English Bible
But before they could lie down to sleep, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.

Webster's Bible Translation
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

World English Bible
But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Before they lie down, the men of the city—men of Sodom—have surrounded the house, from young even to aged, all the people from the extremity;

Young's Literal Translation
Before they lie down, the men of the city -- men of Sodom -- have come round about against the house, from young even unto aged, all the people from the extremity;

Smith's Literal Translation
Before the men of the city shall lie down, the men of Sodom surrounded the house about, from youth, even to old age, all the people from the end.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But before they went to bed, the men of the city beset the house both young and old, all the people together.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But before they went to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house, from boys to old men, all the people together.

New American Bible
Before they went to bed, the townsmen of Sodom, both young and old—all the people to the last man—surrounded the house.

New Revised Standard Version
But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But before they lay down, the men of the city, that is, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people of the town;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And yet they did not sleep, and the men of the city, the men of Sadom, surrounded the house, the young men to the old men, and all the people from its limits.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But before they went to sleep, the men of the city, the Sodomites, compassed the house, both young and old, all the people together.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Lot Welcomes the Angels
3But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4Before they had gone to bed, all the men of the city of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded the house. 5They called out to Lot, saying, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Send them out to us so we can have relations with them!”…

Cross References
Judges 19:22
While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”

Leviticus 18:22
You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. / Likewise, the men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

2 Peter 2:6-8
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; / and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless / (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

Jude 1:7
In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

Ezekiel 16:49-50
Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy. / Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.

Isaiah 3:9
The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

Deuteronomy 23:17
No daughter or son of Israel is to be a shrine prostitute.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:9-10
We realize that law is not enacted for the righteous, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for killers of father or mother, for murderers, / for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching

Matthew 11:23-24
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. / But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

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.

Hosea 9:9
They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their guilt; He will punish their sins.

Jeremiah 23:14
And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”


Treasury of Scripture

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

But.

Proverbs 4:16
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Proverbs 6:18
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Micah 7:3
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.

all.

Genesis 13:13
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Genesis 18:20
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

Exodus 16:2
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

Jump to Previous
Bed City Compassed House Lay Oldest Quarter Round Sodom Surrounded Young Youngest
Jump to Next
Bed City Compassed House Lay Oldest Quarter Round Sodom Surrounded Young Youngest
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.














Before they had gone to bed
This phrase sets the scene for the urgency and immediacy of the events that are about to unfold. The Hebrew word for "bed" here is "mishkav," which can refer to a place of rest or sleep. The timing indicates that the events occur under the cover of night, a time often associated with evil deeds in biblical literature. This highlights the moral darkness of Sodom, contrasting with the hospitality and righteousness of Lot, who has welcomed the visitors into his home.

all the men from every part of the city of Sodom
The phrase underscores the pervasive wickedness of Sodom. The Hebrew word for "men" is "enosh," which can refer to humanity in general, but here it emphasizes the collective moral failure of the city's male population. The mention of "every part of the city" suggests that the sinfulness was not isolated but widespread, affecting the entire community. This reflects the biblical theme of collective responsibility and the consequences of communal sin.

both young and old
This phrase indicates the complete moral corruption across generations in Sodom. The Hebrew words "na'ar" (young) and "zaqen" (old) show that the depravity was not limited to a specific age group but was a societal norm. This generational sinfulness highlights the failure of the community to pass down righteousness and the importance of godly instruction across generations, as emphasized in Deuteronomy 6:6-7.

surrounded the house
The act of surrounding the house is both literal and symbolic. The Hebrew word "naqaph" means to encircle or encompass, suggesting an aggressive and threatening posture. This encirclement represents the pressure and hostility faced by the righteous in a sinful world. It also foreshadows the divine judgment that will soon encircle Sodom itself. The house, a place of refuge and safety, becomes a focal point of conflict between righteousness and wickedness, illustrating the spiritual battle that believers face in a fallen world.

(4) From every quarter.--Heb., from the end. This may mean, either, "to the last man." or "from the very end of the town." In either case it shows that there were not in Sodom the ten righteous men who would have availed to save it (Genesis 18:32).

Verse 4. - But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. i.e. of the town, as in Jeremiah 51:31 (Lange); from the extremity, or extremities, of the town (Kalisch); from the extremities, i.e. all the population contained within the extremities (Rosenmüller); all the citizens to the last man (Keil). The text probably conveys the writer's idea.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Before
טֶרֶם֮ (ṭe·rem)
Adverb
Strong's 2962: Non-occurrence, not yet, before

they had gone to bed,
יִשְׁכָּבוּ֒ (yiš·kā·ḇū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7901: To lie down

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the men
וְאַנְשֵׁ֨י (wə·’an·šê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

of the city
הָעִ֜יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

of Sodom,
סְדֹם֙ (sə·ḏōm)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5467: Sodom -- a Canaanite city near the Dead Sea

both young
מִנַּ֖עַר (min·na·‘ar)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

and
וְעַד־ (wə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

old,
זָקֵ֑ן (zā·qên)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2205: Old

surrounded
נָסַ֣בּוּ (nā·sab·bū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5437: To turn about, go around, surround

the house.
הַבַּ֔יִת (hab·ba·yiṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004: A house


Links
Genesis 19:4 NIV
Genesis 19:4 NLT
Genesis 19:4 ESV
Genesis 19:4 NASB
Genesis 19:4 KJV

Genesis 19:4 BibleApps.com
Genesis 19:4 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 19:4 Chinese Bible
Genesis 19:4 French Bible
Genesis 19:4 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 19:4 But before they lay down the men (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 19:3
Top of Page
Top of Page