Luke 17:29
in Luke 17But on the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all:
KJV
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
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This verse in Luke 17
Commentary
16 notes on this verseHaving used the example of the deluge, that no one might expect a future deluge by water, our Lord cites, secondly, the example of Lot, to show the manner of the destruction of the wicked, namely, that the wrath of God would descend upon them by fire from heaven.
This site's exposition
in the days of Noah
on Luke 17:26-30
Jesus draws two pictures from Genesis, Noah and Lot, and both lists name ordinary business: eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. The day the Son of Man is revealed will find the world absorbed in its daily work.
This site's exposition
fire and sulfur rained down from heaven
The fire fell the same day Lot left, and Genesis 19:24 names the LORD as the one who rained it. Adam Clarke draws on that verse for the subject of rained. Eusebius notes that the second picture was added so that no one would expect another flood of water.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
To show that he will appear unexpectedly and with no one knowing it, the Lord says that the end of the world will come and be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. He says, "They were eating and drinking, and were taking wives and being made the wives of men. They were selling and buying and building," but the coming of the waters destroyed the one, while the others were the prey and food of fire and brimstone. What does this signify? It signifies that he requires us to be always watchful and ready to make our defense before the tribunal of God.
The Medieval Church4 voices
Now mystically, Lot, which is interpreted 'turning aside,' is the people of the elect, who, while in Sodom, i. e. among the wicked, live as strangers, to the utmost of their power turning aside from all their wicked ways. But when Lot went out, Sodom is destroyed, for at the end of the world, the angels shall go forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them into a furnace of fire. (Matt. 13:49.) The fire and brimstone, however, which He relates to have rained from heaven, does not signify the flame itself of everlasting punishment, but the sudden coming of that day.
For when Antichrist has come, then shall men become wanton, given up to abominable vices, as the Apostle says, Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (2 Tim. 3:4.) For if Antichrist is the dwelling-place of every sin, what else will he then implant in the miserable race of men, but what belongs to himself. And this our Lord implies by the instances of the deluge and the people of Sodom.
Passing by the unutterable wickedness of the Sodomites, He mentions only those which may be thought trifling offences, or none at all; that you may understand how fearfully unlawful pleasures are punished, when lawful pleasures taken to excess receive for their reward fire and brimstone.
But on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from heaven and destroyed them all. Hitherto Lot in Sodom, that is, the chosen people among the reprobate, dwells as a stranger, both just in sight and hearing, and according …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
And here the Lord points to the suddenness and unexpectedness of His coming. For just as in the days of Noah the flood came suddenly and destroyed everyone, so also will His coming be. By these examples, that is, the example of the people before …
As to the second, regarding punishment, he adds: But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, through the equity of divine justice that delivers: Genesis 19: "The Angels seized the hand of Lot and the hand of his wife and the hand of …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? 10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. That the giving of offences is a great sin, and that which we should every one of us avoid and carefully watch against,
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:30w-of-67
But the same day Lot went out of Sodom,.... Being plucked and brought from thence by the angels early in the morning; and a fine morning it was; the sun was risen, and shone out upon the earth, as Lot got into Zoar, Gen 19:
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
It rained fire and brimstone - Instead of it rained, Gen 19:24 justifies the insertion of the pronoun he, as implied in the verb εβρεξε; for it is there said that Jehovah rained fire and brimstone from Jehovah out of heaven.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Though the antediluvian world and the cities of the plain were awfully wicked, it is not their wickedness, but their worldliness, their unbelief and indifference to the future, their unpreparedness, that is here held up as a warning. Note.--These recorded events of Old Testament history--denied or explained away nowadays by not a few--are referred to here as facts.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The subject of these verses is one of particular solemnity. It is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That great event, and the things immediately connected with it — are here described by our Lord's own lips. We should observe, for one thing, in these verses — what a fearful picture our Lord gives of the state of the professing Church at His second coming. We are told that as it was in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot — so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The subject of these verses is one of particular solemnity. It is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That great event, and the things immediately connected with it — are here described by our Lord's own lips. We should observe, for one thing, in these verses — what a fearful picture our Lord gives of the state of the professing Church at His second coming. We are told that as it was in the days of Noah, and in the days of Lot — so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. We are not left to conjecture the character of those days. We are told distinctly, that men were entirely taken up with eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, building — and would attend to nothing else. The flood came at last in Noah's day, and drowned all except those who were in the ark! The fire fell from Heaven at last in Lot's day — and destroyed all except Lot, his wife, and his daughters. And our Lord declares most plainly, that similar things will happen when He comes again at the end of the world. "When they shall say, Peace and safety — then sudden destruction comes upon them!" (1 Thessalonians 5:3.) It is hard to imagine a passage of Scripture which more completely overthrows the common notions that prevail among men about Christ's return. The world will not be converted when Jesus comes again. The earth will not be full of the knowledge of the Lord. The reign of peace will not have been established. The millennium will not have begun. These glorious things will come to pass after the second coming, but not before. If words have any meaning, the verses before us show that the earth will be full of wickedness and worldliness in the day of Christ's appearing. The unbelievers and the unconverted will be found to be very many. The believers and the godly, as in the days of Noah and Lot, will be found to be very few.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ᾗ | he | in that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἡμέρᾳ | hemera | day | G2250 → | 389 times |
| ἐξῆλθεν | exelthen | went out | G1831 → | 216 times |
| Λὼτ | lot | Lot | G3091 → | 4 times |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| Σοδόμων, | sodomon | Sodom, | G4670 → | |
| ἔβρεξεν | ebrexen | it rained | G1026 → | 7 times |
| πῦρ | pur | fire | G4442 → | 70 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| θεῖον | theion | brimstone | G2303 → | |
| ἀπ᾽ | ap᾽ | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| οὐρανοῦ | ouranou | heaven | G3772 → | 272 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀπώλεσεν | apolesen | destroyed | G622 → | 90 times |
| πάντας· | pantas | all; | G3956 → | 1235 times |
ᾗin that
heG3739 →1405 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ἡμέρᾳday
hemeraG2250 →389 times
ἐξῆλθενwent out
exelthenG1831 →216 times
ΛὼτLot
lotG3091 →4 times
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
Σοδόμων,Sodom,
sodomonG4670 →
ἔβρεξενit rained
ebrexenG1026 →7 times
πῦρfire
purG4442 →70 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
θεῖονbrimstone
theionG2303 →
ἀπ᾽from
ap᾽G575 →640 times
οὐρανοῦheaven
ouranouG3772 →272 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀπώλεσενdestroyed
apolesenG622 →90 times
πάντας·all;
pantasG3956 →1235 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jude 1:7In 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…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 29:23
All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown and unproductive, with no plant growing on it, just like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 2 Peter 2:6
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;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 1:26–27
For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
- Genesis 19:24–26
Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.
- Genesis 18:20
Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous,
- Deuteronomy 29:23
Through
2 Peter 2:6if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;
it leads to
- 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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 19:24–25
Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 17:28–30
It was the same in the days of Lot: People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.
- Jude 1:7
Where this verse is studied
About Luke

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 17; Cyril of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 117; Eusebius of Caesarea, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Luke.
