^19:20Look, this town⁵⁷ over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one.⁵⁸ Let me go there.⁵⁹ It’s just a little place, isn’t it?⁶⁰ Then I’ll survive.”⁶¹

^19:21“Very well,” he replied,⁶² “I will grant this request too⁶³ and will not overthrow⁶⁴ the town you mentioned. ^19:22Run there quickly,⁶⁵ for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.)⁶⁶

^19:23The sun had just risen⁶⁷ over the land as Lot reached Zoar.⁶⁸^19:24Then the Lord rained down⁶⁹ sulfur and fire⁷⁰ on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord.⁷¹

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Footnotes

57 The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
58 Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
59 Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
60 Heb “Is it not little?”
61 Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
62 Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’ ” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so ; note the singular references in vv. 18–19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the Lord here. Most English translations leave the referent of the pronoun unspecified and maintain the ambiguity.
63 Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
64 The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
65 Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
66 Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).
67 The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
68 The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.
69 The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
70 Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
71 Heb “from the Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The text explicitly states that the sulfur and fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah was sent down from the sky by the Lord. What exactly this was, and how it happened, can only be left to intelligent speculation, but see J. P. Harland, “The Destruction of the Cities of the Plain,” 6 (1943): 41–54.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.)

By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Look, this town is close enough for me to flee to. It is a small place. Please let me run to it—it’s only a small place, isn’t it?—so that I can survive.”

And he said to him, “All right, I’ll grant your request about this matter too and will not demolish the town you mentioned. Hurry up! Run to it, for I cannot do anything until you get there.” Therefore the name of the city is Zoar.

The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar. Then out of the sky the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah burning sulfur from the Lord.

NLTNew Living Translation

See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”

“All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon. Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Behold, this city is near enough to flee there, and it is a little one. Please, let me flee there. Is it not a little one? Then my life shall be saved.” And he said to him, “Behold, I will grant this favor as well; that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I cannot do this thing until you get there.” Therefore, the name of the city was called Zoar.

After the sun had risen upon the earth and Lot had entered Zoar, Yahweh rained down from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Yahweh.

KJV 1900King James Version

Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;

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