¹ tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.

sn I must go down. The descent to “see” Sodom is a bold anthropomorphism, stressing the careful judgment of God. The language is reminiscent of the Lord going down to see the Tower of Babel in Gen 11:1-9.

² tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.

³ sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.

⁴ tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.

⁵ tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “the Lord.” The repetition of the divine name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.