Places of the Bible

Zoar

Plain of the Jordan (near the Dead Sea) · Old Testament · 20 verses

Zoar was a small city of the plain to which Lot fled when Sodom was destroyed. It was earlier called Bela. The name appears in Genesis, Numbers, Deuteronomy and 3 more in the King James text.

About Zoar

Zoar was a small city of the plain to which Lot fled when Sodom was destroyed. It was earlier called Bela.

Its place in the story

Lot asked to escape to Zoar, and it was spared while the other cities of the plain were overthrown. It became the refuge where Lot and his daughters took shelter after the destruction.

Zoar in Scripture (KJV)

“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.”
“That these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.”
“And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim;”
“Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.”
“The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.”
“And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.”
“And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.”
“And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.”

Zoar is named 20 times in Scripture; 8 shown above.

Where it leads

Zoar as a place of refuge in the midst of judgment reflects the biblical theme of God providing a way of escape, a theme that finds its fullness in Christ.

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People also ask

Where is Zoar in the Bible?

Zoar was a small city of the plain to which Lot fled when Sodom was destroyed. It was earlier called Bela. The name appears in Genesis, Numbers, Deuteronomy and 3 more in the King James text.

What happened at Zoar?

Lot asked to escape to Zoar, and it was spared while the other cities of the plain were overthrown. It became the refuge where Lot and his daughters took shelter after the destruction.

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Scripture verbatim KJV. Place facts curated; any coordinates via Wikidata (CC0).

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