Genesis 18:21
New International Version
that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

New Living Translation
I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”

English Standard Version
I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

Berean Standard Bible
I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”

King James Bible
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

New King James Version
I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

New American Standard Bible
I will go down now and see whether they have done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know.”

NASB 1995
“I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

NASB 1977
“I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

Legacy Standard Bible
I will go down now and see whether they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

Amplified Bible
I will go down now, and see whether they have acted [as vilely and wickedly] as the outcry which has come to Me [indicates]; and if not, I will know.”

Christian Standard Bible
I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me. If not, I will find out.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to Me. If not, I will find out.”

American Standard Version
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I shall descend; I shall see if they have done and they have fulfilled according to the bellowing that has come to me, otherwise I shall know.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I will therefore go down and see, if they completely correspond with the cry which comes to me, and if not, that I may know.

Contemporary English Version
Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I would like to know."

Douay-Rheims Bible
I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me: or whether it be not so, that I may know.

English Revised Version
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I must go down and see whether these complaints are true. If not, I will know it."

Good News Translation
I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true."

International Standard Version
I'm going down to see whether they've acted according to the protests that have reached me. If not, I wish to know."

JPS Tanakh 1917
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.'

Literal Standard Version
I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming to Me they have done completely—and if not—I know”;

Majority Standard Bible
I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”

New American Bible
that I must go down to see whether or not their actions are as bad as the cry against them that comes to me. I mean to find out.

NET Bible
that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know."

New Revised Standard Version
I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.”

New Heart English Bible
I will go down now, and see whether they have done entirely according to the outcry which has come to me. And if not, I will know."

Webster's Bible Translation
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know.

World English Bible
I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”

Young's Literal Translation
I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming unto Me they have done completely -- and if not -- I know;'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Abraham Begs for Sodom
20Then the LORD said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous, 21I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.” 22And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.…

Cross References
Genesis 11:5
Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building.

Genesis 18:17
And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?

Exodus 3:8
I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Psalm 14:2
The LORD looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.


Treasury of Scripture

I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know.

I will go down.

Genesis 11:5,7
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded…

Exodus 3:8
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Exodus 33:5
For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

see.

Job 34:22
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

Psalm 90:8
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

Jeremiah 17:1,10
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; …

I will know.

Exodus 33:5
For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.

Deuteronomy 8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

Deuteronomy 13:3
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

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Genesis 18
1. The Lord appears to Abraham, who entertains angels.
9. Sarah is reproved for laughing at the promise of a son.
16. The destruction of Sodom is revealed to Abraham.
23. Abraham makes intercession for its inhabitants.














(21) I will go down.--God examines before He punishes (see Note on Genesis 11:5) with the same care and personal inspection as the most conscientious earthly judge.

Altogether.--Some take this word, not as an adverb, but as a noun (comp. Isaiah 10:23), and translate "I will see whether they have done according to the cry of it: (in which case there shall be for them) utter destruction." But the ellipse is harsh; and inquiry, the knowing and not the punishing, is the prominent thought in the words of Jehovah. Hence too the last clause, "I will know." The two angels go to Sodom to give the people a final trial. If they meet with upright treatment, then God will know that there are limits to the wickedness of its inhabitants, and it will be spared.

Verse 21. - I will go down now (cf. Genesis 11:5), and see (judicial investigation ever precedes judicial infliction at the Divine tribunal) whether they have done altogether - literally, whether they have made cow, piousness, i.e. carried their iniquity to perfection, to the highest pitch of wickedness (Calvin, Delitzsch, Keil); or consummated their wickedness, by carrying it to that pitch of fullness which works death (Ainsworth, Kalisch, Rosenmüller). The received rendering, which regards כלה as an adverb, has the authority of Luther and Gesenius - according to the cry of it, which has come unto me; and if not, I will know. The LXX. render ἵνα γνῶ, meaning, "should it not be so, I will still go down, that I may ascertain the exact truth;" the Chaldee paraphrases, "and if they repent, I will not exact punishment." The entire verse is anthropomorphic, and designed to express the Divine solicitude that the strictest justice should characterize all his dealings both with men and nations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I will go down
אֵֽרֲדָה־ (’ê·ră·ḏāh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to see
וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה (wə·’er·’eh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular
Strong's 7200: To see

if their actions
עָשׂ֣וּ ׀ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

fully
כָּלָ֑ה (kā·lāh)
Adverb
Strong's 3617: Completion, complete destruction, consumption, annihilation

justify the outcry
הַכְּצַעֲקָתָ֛הּ (hak·kə·ṣa·‘ă·qā·ṯāh)
Article, Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6818: A cry, outcry

that has reached
הַבָּ֥אָה (hab·bā·’āh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

Me.
אֵלַ֖י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

If
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

not,
לֹ֖א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

I will find out.”
אֵדָֽעָה׃ (’ê·ḏā·‘āh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know


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OT Law: Genesis 18:21 I will go down now and see (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 18:20
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