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Γόμοῤῥα

Gómorrha

G1116 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A city name: Gomorrha; a locale notable as one of the ancient cities situated near the Dead Sea. The primary use is as a toponym, referring specifically to one of the paired cities (with Sodom) described in ancient Israelite traditions. In Greek literature, particularly in Jewish and Christian sources, the term carries connotations of destruction due to divine judgment. In non-biblical contexts, the term refers neutrally to a city, but is almost exclusively attested in religious or scriptural references related to judgment and ruin.

Semantic Range

the city of Gomorrha near the Dead Sea, symbol of destruction or judgment, paired with Sodom, religious toponym

Root / Etymology

Transliteration of the Hebrew עֲמֹרָה (‘Amorah), with adaptation into Greek morphology. No independent Greek etymology; direct borrowing from Hebrew as a proper noun for a geographic place name.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Γόμοῤῥα is preserved in Greek as the standard form for the city known in Hebrew as עֲמֹרָה (‘Amorah). It occurs in the Septuagint (LXX) as well as in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 10:15, Romans 9:29, 2 Peter 2:6, Jude 7), almost always paired with Σόδομα (Sodom). The term functions strictly as a proper name and is not used generically. Classical Greek writers only reference Γόμοῤῥα when alluding to Hebrew/Israelite narratives, and it does not have an independent significance outside those contexts. In translation tradition, 'Gomorrah' has become standard in English Bibles, yet this reflects the transliteration of the place name and not a broader semantic meaning. The notoriety of Gomorrha as a symbol of catastrophic destruction due to divine judgment entered later Jewish, Christian, and broader Greco-Roman literary discourse; however, in ancient sources, its reference is always geo-historical or illustrative (e.g., typologically, as an example of judgment). The name's use does not provide insight into cultural practices or social identity apart from the cultural memory associated with its destruction.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (עֲמֹרָה); Gomorrha (i.e. Amorah), a place near the Dead Sea:--Gomorrha.

Root Family

Γόμορρα (Gómorrha) — place name, city

Root Γομορρ- place name, city

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1116-01 Γόμορρα gomorra N NOM F SG Gomorrah Gomorrha Gomorrha 2
G1116-02 Γομόρρας gomorras N GEN F SG Gomorrah of Gomorrha Gomorrha 1
G1116-03 Γομόρρων gomorron N GEN N PL Gomorrah of Gomorrha Gomorrha 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1116-03 Matthew 10:15 Γομόρρων gomorron N GEN N PL Gomorrah of Gomorrha Gomorrha
G1116-01 Romans 9:29 Γόμορρα gomorra N NOM F SG Gomorrah Gomorrha Gomorrha
G1116-02 2 Peter 2:6 Γομόρρας gomorras N GEN F SG Gomorrah of Gomorrha Gomorrha
G1116-01 Jude 1:7 Γόμορρα gomorra N NOM F SG Gomorrah Gomorrha Gomorrha
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