18:20 outcry. All cries of wrongdoing come to the attention of the “Judge of all the earth” (v. 25; cf. 4:10). Despite the mercy shown to Sodom through Abraham (ch. 14), Sodom had not repented of its sin.

their sin. The sinfulness of Sodom was both proverbial and extensive (13:13; Jer. 23:14). It involved extreme displays of sexual depravity (particularly homosexuality, 19:5; Jude 7), arrogance and abuse of the poor (Ezek. 16:49, 50), and a failure to show hospitality (19:8).