Γόμορρα

Gomorrah

Definition

Γόμορρα (Gomorrah) refers to one of the five 'cities of the plain' (Genesis 10:19) destroyed by God with fire and brimstone due to their extreme wickedness and sexual immorality (Genesis 19:24-25). In the New Testament, it is almost exclusively invoked as a proverbial example of divine judgment and utter destruction, serving as a dire warning. Jesus uses it to illustrate the severe fate awaiting towns that reject his disciples (Matthew 10:15), and Peter cites it as an example of God turning cities to ashes to condemn ungodliness (2 Peter 2:6). Jude uniquely highlights its role as a warning against sexual immorality and perversion (Jude 1:7).

Biblical Usage

The word is used five times in the New Testament, always paired with its sister city Sodom (except in Romans 9:29, which quotes Isaiah 1:9). This pairing solidifies its role as a byword for catastrophic divine judgment. It appears in the Gospels in Jesus's missionary instructions (Matthew 10:15, Mark 6:11), in Paul's quotation of the prophets (Romans 9:29), and in the epistles as a historical case study for moral exhortation (2 Peter 2:6, Jude 1:7). The usage pattern is exclusively illustrative, pointing back to the Genesis narrative.

Etymology

Γόμορρα is a direct Greek transliteration of the Hebrew עֲמֹרָה (ʿĂmōrâ), meaning 'submersion' or 'ruin.' The name entered Greek through the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), retaining its original reference to the infamous city. No further Greek root analysis applies, as it is a proper noun borrowed from Hebrew.

Semantic Range

Gomorrah is theologically significant as a paramount biblical symbol of God's holy wrath against persistent, corporate sin and rebellion. Its destruction establishes a pattern of judgment that informs New Testament teachings on eschatology, justice, and the seriousness of rejecting God's revelation. Understanding this Greek term connects the reader directly to this potent Old Testament motif, enriching passages about final judgment (2 Peter 3:7) and highlighting the mercy of God's patience, as referenced in Romans 9:29.

For first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman audiences familiar with the Septuagint, 'Gomorrah' would immediately evoke the Genesis 19 narrative of supernatural destruction. It represented the archetype of a city so wicked it was erased from the earth by God, a concept used in rhetoric to warn of ultimate consequences. This cultural shorthand is leveraged by Jesus and the apostles without need for explanation.

Σόδομα (sodoma, G4670) — The sister city of Gomorrah, always paired with it as a dual symbol of judgment. Βαβυλών (babylōn, G897) — Another city symbolizing rebellion and corruption, but more associated with imperial power and exile rather than sudden fiery destruction.

Word Details

Scripture References