just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text doesn't just say Sodom was immoral; it emphasizes their "unreserved surrender" to lust and their "departure from the law of nature" by going after "strange flesh." This points to a profound distortion of God's design, not merely a lapse in judgment, making their destruction a stark, visible warning.
just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jude is using the example of Sodom and Gomorrah to warn his readers about immoral teachers who are secretly among them. He had just reminded them of God's judgment on the disbelieving Israelites and fallen angels, and now he points to these cities as a stark illustration of unrepentant sin leading to severe, lasting punishment. Their "unnatural desire" and "fornication" serve as a public display of divine justice, a terrifying preview of the eternal fire awaiting those who abandon God.
Jude points to Sodom and Gomorrah as a stark warning. What kind of sin earned them such a devastating judgment?
A Radical Departure
Jude describes the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as 'giving themselves over to fornication' and 'going after strange flesh.' This isn't just about moral failure; it's about a deliberate, all-consuming pursuit of desires that twisted and defied the natural order God established.
The original language emphasizes this complete surrender. 'Giving themselves over' suggests an utter abandonment of restraint, while 'going after strange flesh' speaks of a departure from what is natural and proper, pursuing forbidden desires.
This wasn't a momentary lapse but a deep-seated corruption that permeated the entire culture of these cities. They became synonymous with a sin that was not just against God's law, but against His very design for humanity.
Sodom's destruction wasn't just a historical event; Jude presents it as a lasting testament to God's justice. What makes their fate such a potent example?
Judgment as a Signpost
The cities of the plain 'serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.' This phrase is powerful and has been understood in a few ways, but the core message is clear: their destruction is a permanent, visible signpost of God's judgment.
Two Aspects of the Example:
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In essence, Sodom's fate is presented as undeniable proof that God takes sin seriously and that His judgment, when it comes, is absolute and eternal in its implications.
Understand the original words
porneusasai · Greek Verb
Acts of sexual activity outside the marriage covenant as defined by God; a pervasive term in the New Testament for sexual deviancy and infidelity against God’s moral law.
sarkos heteras · Greek Adjective/Noun phrase
Going against the natural order established by God in creation, specifically regarding sexual relations.
Jude's vivid reference to Sodom and Gomorrah draws on a well-known, ancient catastrophe etched into the very landscape. The stark, desolate region around the Dead Sea served as a perpetual, visible warning of God's judgment against sexual immorality and unnatural desires, reminding people of the severe consequences of such sin.
c. 2000 BC— this verse
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God destroys the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, along with nearby towns like Admah and Zeboim, by raining down fire and sulfur from the sky. The land becomes a desolate, salt-encrusted wasteland, now known as the Dead Sea.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites wander in the wilderness
After being delivered from slavery in Egypt, a generation of Israelites perishes in the wilderness due to their disobedience and unbelief, serving as an example of God's judgment on those who ignore His commands.
c. 750 BC
Prophecy of Isaiah
Isaiah prophesies against various nations, including a vivid description of the desolation of the land around the Dead Sea, echoing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
c. 6th century BC
Ezekiel's prophecy
Ezekiel references the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, describing it as a judgment for pride and complacency, and linking it to the future judgment of Jerusalem.
c. 1st century AD
The Dead Sea region
The area around the Dead Sea remains a stark reminder of divine judgment. The unnatural landscape and the absence of normal life serve as a constant visual testament to the cities' fate.
This is the foundational account of God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, directly illustrating the 'eternal fire' and destruction Jude refers to.
2 Peter 2:6Peter also uses Sodom and Gomorrah as an example of divine judgment for ungodliness and immorality, reinforcing Jude's point about their fate serving as a warning.
Romans 1:26-27Paul describes the unnatural sexual desires and resulting degradation of those who rejected God, mirroring the 'strange flesh' and indulged immorality that characterized Sodom's sin.
Ezekiel 16:49-50Ezekiel prophesied against Jerusalem using Sodom as a comparison, highlighting pride, excess, and lack of compassion as sins that led to similar divine judgment.
Matthew 25:41Jesus speaks of 'eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,' providing the theological backdrop for the concept of 'eternal fire' that Jude applies to the fate of Sodom.
clarkeJude 1:7: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha - What their sin and punishment were may be seen in Genesis 19 , and the notes there. This is the third example to illustrate what is laid down Jde 1:4. Are set forth for an example - Both of what God will do to such transgressors, and of the positi…
pulpitJude 1:7: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
Verse 7. - The third example is taken from the history of the cities of the Plain. This example is closely connected with the immediately preceding by the even as with which the verse opens; which phrase expresses a likeness between the two cases, to wit, between the reservat…
The text doesn't just say Sodom was immoral; it emphasizes their "unreserved surrender" to lust and their "departure from the law of nature" by going after "strange flesh." This points to a profound distortion of God's design, not merely a lapse in judgment, making their destruction a stark, visible warning.
Jude is using the example of Sodom and Gomorrah to warn his readers about immoral teachers who are secretly among them. He had just reminded them of God's judgment on the disbelieving Israelites and fallen angels, and now he points to these cities as a stark illustration of unrepentant sin leading to severe, lasting punishment. Their "unnatural desire" and "fornication" serve as a public display of divine justice, a terrifying preview of the eternal fire awaiting those who abandon God.
Jude is using the example of Sodom and Gomorrah to warn his readers about immoral teachers who are secretly among them. He had just reminded them of God's judgment on the disbelieving Israelites and fallen angels, and now he points to these cities as a stark illustration of unrepentant sin leading to severe, lasting punishment. Their "unnatural desire" and "fornication" serve as a public display of divine justice, a terrifying preview of the eternal fire awaiting those who abandon God.
"just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire." — The text doesn't just say Sodom was immoral; it emphasizes their "unreserved surrender" to lust and their "departure from the law of nature" by going after "strange flesh." This points to a profound…
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Last reviewed October 2026