Definition: Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for [lack of] five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it].

Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from Genesis 18:28. It’s a really interesting and symbolic passage about God's plan for the world. Here’s a simplified explanation: The Basic Idea: This verse describes a situation where God is worried about a potential problem – a lack of righteousness in humanity. He anticipates that if there are fewer than 50 righteous people, he might need to destroy a city. Let's unpack it piece by piece: “Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous…” This is the key part. "Peradventure" means "perhaps" or “it may be.” This phrase suggests that God might happen this way, but it’s not a guaranteed outcome. He's looking at possibilities. “…wil thee destroy all the city for five?” – Now we get to the heart of the problem. God is asking if he should actively destroy a city, all of it, because there aren't enough righteous people. “And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it].” - This is where the story gets symbolic. God says, “If I find 40 and 5, then I won’t destroy it.” This is a clever way of saying that if he finds enough righteous people, he'll let them live. What does this verse mean on a deeper level? God's Concern for Righteousness: It shows that God cares deeply about moral goodness and justice. He’s not just focused on the number of people; it’s about their character. The Importance of Faith & Hope: The verse speaks to the idea of faith and hope. It suggests that even though there might be a difficult situation, God is willing to wait and see if things will turn out for good. A Test of Faith: Some interpret this as a test of faith – God is testing humanity’s ability to be righteous and to trust in him. In short, it's a story about God’s worry and anticipation that he might need to take action based on the number of people who are truly good. --- Do you want me to: Explain another part of this verse? Relate it to a specific theme in the Bible (like judgment, or the beginning of humanity)?