Exposition of Jude, Exegesis of Jude · Verse 7 · Part 1
EXPLICATION.
Four things may be by way of Explication inquired into.
1. What places theſe cities of Sodom and Gomorrha were.
2. What were theſe Cities about them.
3. Why Sodom and Gomorrha are rather named, then thoſe Cities about them.
4. Why theſe places are rather named, then the perſons and inhabitants thereof.
1. For the firſt, concerning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, (to reſerve the ſpeaking of their ſin and punniſhment unto the two following parts of the text.) Wee read Gen. 13.10. upon occaſion of Lots choice of the plain of Jordan for the place of his habitation, that all that plain was well watred every where, before the Lord deſtroyed Sodom and Gomorrha, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, *Hoc cave cum Lyrano referas ad proxime dictum, de Egypto, quaſi Aegyptum ve…it eſſe feracem maxime, qua ex ea venitur ad Segor; Id non vult, ſed cum remotiori jungendum; Erat inquam illa Jordanis planicies irrigua qua itur in Segorem Mercerus in locum. Hanc Lectionem amplectuntur. Muſculus, Mercerus, Pererius, Willetus.as thou comeſt unto Zoar. The River Jordan taking beginning from the mountain Libanus, and ariſing (ſay ſome) out of two fountaines call'd Dan and Jor (which joyned together make the name Jordan) after it hath run (ſaith Pererius) about fifteen miles, falleth into the lake Samechonitis (the ſame that is call'd the waters of Merome, Joſh. 11.7.) then it paſſing along by Chorazin and Capernaum, falleth into the lake Geneſareth, and ſo it having continued a current of an hundred miles in length, till it falleth into the lake Aſphaltites, or the dead ſea, with it's moſt pleaſant ſtreams inriches and adorns the plain through which it paſſeth (wherein theſe cities of Sodom and Gomorrha were conteined) with ſuch great fertility and pleaſantneſſe, that its compared to the Garden of God; which expreſſion of the Garden of God (as ſome think) is given to theſe places after the manner of Scripture, wherin things which are eminently great and goodly, are attributed to God; all excellencie, Omne ſpacium curſus Jordanis a Libano uſque ad Aſphaltit…n centum circiter paſſuum millibus definitur, & in toto eo decurſu utrinque latis amoenis & fertilibus campis, qui utrinque montibus ſibi invicem ſuccedentibus a tque cohaerentihus circundati ſunt, undique cingitur. Perer. in Gen. 13. pag. 489. Scriptura res quas commendare vult ſolet Domino tribuere, ut montes Dei, &c. Sic hic putant illam Jordanis planiciem dici hortum Domini, quod ſi in terris habitare vellet Deus, hic eſſet ſuum hortum & manſionem habiturus. Mercer. in loc. Sed revera intelligit de certo terrarum loco. Id. Ib. Cogito ego hunc ipſum locum fuiſſe Paradiſum. Luth. in loc.both being from, and for him; and that of theſe places being ſo great, that it might ſeem, if God himſelf-would dwel upon earth; after the manner of men, he would make choice of them for his manſionplace, or garden. Luther rejecting this interpretation as Judaicall, thinks (though according to my obſervation without company) that this place of Sodom and Gomorrha, was Paradiſe it ſelf, or the Garden of Eden. I rather conceive with Auguſtine of old, Calvin, Mercer, Rivet, and others of late, that the place wherein Sodom and Gomorrha ſtood, for its wonderfull delightfulneſſe, is compared to that garden of God, properly call'd Paradiſe; Quod terra Sodomaeorum comparatur paradiſo Dei, ſatis oſtendit quomodo intelligi debeat ille Paradiſus quem plantavit Deus, & ubi conſtituit Adam. Aug. 27. q. in Gen. foreign. 70. Joe. 2.3.or that garden of Eden, call'd the garden of God, becauſe planted by God himſelfe, wherein Adam was firſt placed, and whence afterward he was expell'd for ſin; the rather, becauſe, as in the deſcription of the pleaſantneſſe of the garden of Eden, its expreſly ſaid, that it was watred with a river; ſo in this place the watering of this plain with Jordan is particularly mention'd, as that which made it ſo fruitfull and delightfull; and thus we are in other places to underſtand this Adagy of the garden of God, as Iſai. 51.3. He will make her wilderneſſe like Eden, and her deſert like the garden of the Lord. So Ezek. 28.13. its ſaid of the King of Tyre, that he had been in Eden, the garden of God. And that theſe places where formerly Sodom and Gomorrha ſtood, are compared to that ſame ancient Eden in which Adam was placed, I am yet the more inclinable to beleeve, becauſe Egypt, mentioned in the next branch of the compariſon, is a place properly ſo call'd; this plain, wherein dwelt the Sodomites, being alſo ſaid to be like the land of Egypt; Horreum caeterarum regionum Riv. in Gen. Dicuntur Aegyptii ſaepius in anno ſerere, imò ſingulis pene menſibus. Id. Ib.a country whoſe fruitfulneſſe, by reaſon of the overflowing of Nilus, was ſo great, that it was commonly call'd the Granary of other nations, the Egyptians themſelves ſowing almoſt every month; in regard whereof, when other countries were afflicted with famine, the Egyptians had not only corn ſufficient for their owne uſe, but alſo for the relief of their neighbours; Nor was Sodom unlike to Egypt in reſpect of this plenty of bread, the fulneſſe whereof is, Ezek. 16.49. expreſly ſaid to be the iniquity of Sodom. And in reſpect of the plenty, pleaſantneſſe and pride of the cities of the plaine, poſſibly it came to paſſe that Chedorlaomer made them by force ſubject to himſelf, as alſo that they afterward rebelled againſt him; Gen. 14.whereupon enſued that war between him (aſsiſted with three other Kings) and them, wherein Chedorlaomer and his confederates getting the victory, they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrha.
2. It may be enquired what theſe cities about Sodom and Gomorrha were, which (Jude ſaith) were deſtroyed. In Scripture we read but of two, that (beſides Sodom and Gomorrha) were overthrown, viz. Admah and Zeboim: of theſe we have frequent mention in Scripture, as, Deut. 29.23. where we read only of the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha, Admah and Zeboim; as alſo Hoſ. 11.8. Lyra, Theodoret, and Suidas think, that Zoar was alſo involved in that calamity after Lots departure from it, mentioned Gen. 19.30. but it ſeems rather that Zoar was totally ſpared at the interceſſion of Lot, Gen. 19.21. I will not overthrow this city for which thou haſt ſpoken, and long after the conſuming of Sodom and Gomorrha, Zoar is mentioned in Scripture, as Deut. 34.3. Iſai. 15.5. and *Zoara ſola de quinque Sodomorum urbibus praeſervata. Imminet mari mortuo praeſidium in ea poſitum eſt militum Romanorum, apud eam gignitur balſamum, &c. Hier. de loc. Heb. Sap. 10.6.Hierom ſaith, that of all the five cities, only Zoar was ſpared, and that in his time it ſtood between the dead ſea and the mount of Engedy. Nor muſt the Authour of the book of Wiſdome, when he ſpeaks of the fire that fell down upon the five cities, neceſſarily be underſtood to ſpeak of the five cities ſeverally: But the word Pentapolis, may be taken joyntly for the region wherein the five cities ſtood, and of them ſo call'd. Strabo mentions the overthrow of thirteen cities by fire, of which, he ſaith, that Sodom was the Metropolis. Others ſpeak of a greater number, and theſe poſsibly do the more boldly mention ſo conſiderable a number, in regard of the largeneſſe of the ſulphureous lake, or the dead ſea, which covereth that region where the cities ſtood. Plin. l. 5. c. 16. Joſ. l. 5. de bel. Jud. c. 5.Pliny ſaith, that this ſea is above an hundred miles in length, and twenty five miles in breadth; But Joſephus, who better knew, giveth it but five hundred and eighty furlongs in length; that is, ſeventy two miles and ſomewhat more; and an hundred and fifty furlongs in bredth; that is, nineteen miles or there abouts.
3. For the third; viz. The naming of Sodome and Gomorrha rather then the other cities of the plain; 'Tis not only obſervable in this, Iſai. 1.9. Iſai. 13.19. Jer. 23.14. Jer. 49.18. Jer. 50.40. Amos 4.12. Zeph. 2.9. Mat. 10.15. Mar. 6.11. Rom. 9.29. 2 Pet. 2.6.but in moſt of thoſe places where the ſin and deſtruction of theſe cities are mentioned; See Iſai. 1.9, 10. and 13.19. Jerem. 23.14. and 49.18. &c. And it is not doubted, but that 1. Theſe two were the chief and principall of all thoſe cities which were deſtroyed, the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha are eminently mention'd above the reſt of the five Kings, Gen. 14.10. and though every one of the five cities had a King peculiarly belonging to it, Gen. 14.2, 8. yet Sodom was the Metropolis, or chief city; hence we read ſo frequently, Ezek. 16.46, 48, 49, 53, 55, &c. that the other cities which God overthrew, are call'd the Daughters of Sodom: And it's probable that Gomorrha was next to Sodom in dignity. 2. Theſe two cities were the moſt infamouſly and eminently wicked: Hence it is that great ſinners are call'd the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha, Iſai. 1.10. Jer. 23.14. Mat. 10.15. &c. And Jeruſalem is call'd the Siſter of Sodom, Ezek. 16.46. And a wicked life is compared to the Vine of Sodom and Gomorrha, Deut 32.32. The cry of the ſins of Sodom and Gomorrha is peculiarly mentioned, Gen. 18.20. and when God expreſſed how much he abhord the Prophets of Jeruſalem for ſin, he ſaith, They were to him as Sodom and Gomorrha; and when he ſets forth the impiety of the rulers and people of Jeruſalem, he cals them, The Rulers of Sodom, and people of Gomorrha, Iſai. 1.10. The ſeat of Anti-chriſt is call'd Spirituall Sodom, Rev. 10.8. And it's obſervable that the ſin for which theſe Cities were ſo infamous, receives it's denomination from Sodom, rather then from any of the reſt of the Cities, it being to this day call'd Sodomy. Theſe cities then being more wealthy, were alſo more wicked then the reſt, and from them, as from the head there came a defluxion of ſin upon the reſt. Jon. 1.2. It's ſaid that Nineveh was a great city, and the wickedneſſe thereof came up before the Lord.
4. For the fourth; in the deſcription of this puniſhment, theſe Places and cities are rather named then the Perſons and Inhabitants thereof, to note, that their overthrow was univerſall and totall; they were all, and utterly ruin'd, God hath made them ceaſe from being a people; he not only cutting off ſome branches, but plucking them up by the root; not only executing the rebels, but demoliſhing their fortifications, and at once both firing the Bees and the Hive. The overthrow of Sodom was totall, both in reſpect of the Inhabitants and the Place it ſelf; for the former only one Lot was excepted from this deſtruction, Luk. 17.39. 2 Pet. 2.7. Hence it is the Prophet ſaith, Iſai. 1.9. Except the Lord of Hoſts had left unto us a very ſmall remnant, we ſhould have been as Sodom, and like unto Gomorrha. Had there been ten righteous, all ſhould have been ſpared; but there being but one righteous, there was but one delivered. The puniſhment was as univerſall as the provocation; From the ſole of the ſoot even to the head, there was no ſoundneſſe in them: And in Scripture a general calamity is proverbially expreſt by the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha; Jer. 49.18.50.40.concerning Edom and Babylon, it's ſaid, As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha, no man ſhall abide there, neither ſhall a ſon of man dwell in it. Totall alſo was the deſtruction of theſe Cities in reſpect of their place. To this purpoſe ſpeaks Peter, 2 Pet. 2.7. where he ſaith, that God turning their cities into aſhes, condemned them with an overthrow: Hence we find that the plaine wherein they were ſeated, was overthrown with the Cities, Gen. 19.25 and that the whole land is Brimſtone, Salt, and burning; and it is not ſown, nor beareth, nor any graſſe groweth therein, Deut. 29.23. the ſalt, or dead ſea hath not only overwhelmed the place it ſelfe where the Cities ſtood, but (as ſeems to be gathered from this Deut. 29.33. and 32.32.) the grounds which bordered upon them, Poma oculis tenus contacta cinereſcunt. Tert. Apol. c. 40. Forinſecus matura, intrinſecus ſumea. Aug. de C. D. l. 21. c. 7.are ſpoyl'd, the fruits whereof (if any be) are moſt loathſome and unſavoury; as Joſephus, Solinus, Strabo, and alſo Tertullian and Auguſtine report, who ſay of the apples which grow there, that to ſee to, they are apples, but being touched, they fall into aſhes; and that when they ſeem to be ripe, they are within only ſmoaky; that an outward rine doth keep in the filthy embers: And hence it is, that in Scripture a totall and irrecoverable ſubverſion is compared to that of Sodom and Gomorha: Jer. 20.16. Ezek. 16.53, 55 Zeph. 2.9.The Cities (ſaith Jeremy) which the Lord overthrew and repented not. Moab (ſaith Zephany) ſhall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrha; Even the breeding of Nettles and Saltpits, and a perpetuall deſolation, Zeph. 2.9.