Zoar is a city that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, especially in relation to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here is an overview of the biblical significance of Zoar:
Zoar as a place of refuge
When God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their extreme wickedness, Abraham pleaded with God not to sweep away the righteous with the wicked (Genesis 18:23-33). God agreed that if even ten righteous people were found in the cities, he would spare them. However, only Lot and his family were deemed righteous, so God sent angels to warn them to flee the city before its destruction (Genesis 19:1-13).
The angels told Lot and his family to escape to the mountains, but Lot was afraid and pleaded to be allowed to flee to the small city of Zoar instead, saying “Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” (Genesis 19:20). The angel replied “I will grant this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken” (Genesis 19:21).
So Lot and his daughters safely fled to Zoar before God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, completely destroying them (Genesis 19:23-29). Zoar served as a place of refuge for Lot and his family, spared from the fiery judgment brought against the other cities.
Zoar’s former name
Before it was called Zoar, the city had another name. When Lot looked out at the valley where Zoar was located, the text notes “Lot looked down on the cities of the valley and saw that the land was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)” (Genesis 13:10). At that time, the city was apparently still known by its original name.
It was only after Lot pleaded for the city to be spared judgment that it became known as Zoar. The text explains, “So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.)” (Genesis 19:14-22)
So the city was renamed Zoar, which means “little”, after Lot pleaded for it to be spared from destruction due to its small size.
Zoar’s deliverance
Not only did Zoar serve as a refuge for deliverance, the city itself was also delivered from destruction. As mentioned previously, in response to Lot’s plea, the angel promised “I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken” (Genesis 19:21). After Lot fled there, it is confirmed that “So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, ‘Hurry and get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city!’ But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.’” (Genesis 19:14-15).
So Zoar was spared from the judgment God brought against Sodom and Gomorrah. Not only did it provide deliverance for Lot and his family, the city itself was delivered due to Lot’s plea and the mercy of God.
Zoar’s location
The precise location of Zoar is uncertain, but the biblical texts provide some clues. Genesis 13 indicates it was located in the Valley of Siddim near Sodom: “Lot looked down on the cities of the valley and saw that the land was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar” (Genesis 13:10).
After fleeing Sodom, Lot escaped to the mountains because he was afraid to stay in Zoar. Genesis 19 says: “Then Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters” (Genesis 19:30). This indicates Zoar was located at the base of some mountains near the original locations of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Some scholars believe Zoar was located at the southern end of the Dead Sea, probably near the area of the modern city of Safi. However, the precise location remains uncertain.
Zoar in Moses’ blessing
When Moses gave his blessing to each of the tribes of Israel before his death, he said this of Judah: “He said: “Hear, O LORD, the cry of Judah; bring him to his people. With his own hands he defends his cause. Oh, be his help against his foes!” To his people he said, “Blessed are those who enlarge Gad! Let Gad live in their tents like a lion. He tore off their arm and crushed their skull. He chose the best land for himself, when the leaders of the people assembled. The righteous were allotted their portion there, and the leaders of the people gathered.” (Deuteronomy 33:7-8)
The reference to Zoar here associates it with the territory of Judah. Some speculate this may indicate the city later came under control of the tribe of Judah.
Zoar after the destruction
After Lot fled to Zoar, there are only brief later mentions of the city in the biblical text. After spending time in the mountains because he was afraid to stay in Zoar, Genesis says Lot departed Zoar and went to live in a cave with his daughters (Genesis 19:30). This implies Lot may have only spent a short time actually living within the city after fleeing there initially.
Centuries later, the prophet Isaiah mentioned Zoar when he declared judgments against Moab: “Moab will wallow in his vomit, ridiculed by all. Were they not ridiculed for their vanity? They too will slip away like a drifting wind. Anyone who flees will fall into a trap; anyone who escapes from the trap will be caught in a snare. The foundations of Kir-hareseth’s walls will tremble; the warriors will weaken when they see the battle flags.” This is what the LORD says to me: “Within three years, counting each year like a hireling, the glory of Moab will be contemptible, with all its great multitude; only a feeble few will remain.” (Isaiah 16:6-8,14)
While the context here is judgment against Moab, reference to Kir-hareseth and Zoar indicate these were important cities within Moabite territory, perhaps having been taken over sometime after the destruction of Sodom.
So while Zoar served as a place of refuge early on, later biblical texts suggest it likely came under Moabite control and shared in the prophesied judgment against Moab pronounced by Isaiah.
Lessons from Zoar
The biblical account of Zoar provides some important spiritual lessons:
- God is merciful – He graciously delivered Lot and his family, and the city of Zoar, in response to Lot’s plea for mercy.
- Salvation is found in small, obscure places – The great cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but tiny Zoar was spared.
- God’s deliverance requires decisive action – Lot and his family had to decisively and quickly flee Sodom to reach the place of refuge God provided.
- Leaving sin behind may require separation – Lot ultimately had to separate even from Zoar because he feared remaining too close to Sodom.
- What God spares from judgment today may still face it later – Though spared initially, Zoar appears to have later come under judgment when Isaiah prophesied against Moab.
While Zoar served an important purpose for a time as a refuge from judgment, the Bible indicates righteous people like Lot must remain spiritually separated from the sins of this world. The ultimate heavenly city Abraham sought, not earthly Zoar, represents the eternal home of the righteous.
Zoar and the Abrahamic covenant
Zoar also connects back to God’s covenant promises to Abraham. When Abraham first traveled to Canaan, Genesis 13 indicates he went as far as the site of Zoar (though it was not yet called that). The text notes:
“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him…Then Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. So Lot set out toward the east, and they separated from each other. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the valley and pitched his tents near Sodom. (Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.) After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” (Genesis 13:1-15)
God promised the land of Canaan forever to Abraham and his descendants. Though Abraham soon after had to rescue Lot from captivity when Sodom was attacked (Genesis 14), it is clear the cities of the valley like Zoar became corrupted and subject to God’s judgment. But God’s covenant promises to Abraham endured.
Ultimately, the earthly city of Zoar faded in significance, but Abraham’s descendants through Isaac and Jacob inherited the Promised Land. Zoar’s fleeting deliverance pointed towards the eternal salvation God would provide through Abraham’s greatest descendant, Jesus Christ.
Zoar’s symbolic significance
In addition to its historical role, Zoar may also have symbolic significance in Scripture. Just as Noah and his family entered the ark and were lifted up from the judgment waters, and Lot and his daughters fled to the heights to escape the fire and brimstone, the small city of Zoar provided a means of escape from destruction.
In this sense, Zoar functions as a symbol of refuge and salvation for God’s people in the midst of judgment. The great cities of Sodom and Gomorrah – representing worldly sin and rebellion against God – are condemned, while the humble town of Zoar is spared. Its name, meaning “little”, emphasizes this contrast between the boastful pride of “great” cities and the mercy God shows to the lowly.
Some commentators note the similarities between the account of Lot’s escape to Zoar and Israel’s deliverance under the blood of the Passover lamb in Egypt. Just as God provided salvation in the midst of judgment for those covered by the blood of the lamb, He spares Lot and Zoar from fiery destruction. This foreshadows the greater salvation from sin and death that God would provide through Christ, the ultimate Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
So while Zoar served a literal purpose at the time, its inclusion in Scripture points to spiritual truths about God’s judgment of sin and His mercy toward those who trust in Him for salvation. Zoar provides a picture of the refuge we find through faith in Christ.