Second Peter 2:6 means that God judged the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by reducing them to ashes, and that He made their destruction a warning for anyone who chooses to live in ungodliness. The verse is a historical reminder that God does not overlook wickedness, and it teaches that His judgment serves as an example for later generations. The apostle Peter wrote this letter to Christians facing false teachers, and he used this event to show his readers what happens when God’s justice meets persistent sin.
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way…
2 Peter 2:6 (WEB)
What 2 Peter 2:6 Means
The verse begins with the destruction of two specific cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, which Genesis describes as centers of grave moral corruption. Peter says God turned them into ashes and “condemned them to destruction.” The language is that of a legal verdict: God did not simply let these cities collapse by chance, but judged them deliberately and sentenced them to ruin.
The second half of the verse explains the purpose of that judgment. God made these cities “an example to those who would live in an ungodly way.” The word example can also mean a pattern or a warning, something set before others so they can see the outcome of a certain path. The verse does not promise that every sinner will be destroyed in the same way, and it does not tell us the exact timing of God’s judgment in our own lives. It states a principle that God takes ungodliness seriously and that its consequences are real.
The Context of 2 Peter 2:6
Second Peter is written in the name of the apostle Peter, and it is addressed to believers who were being troubled by false teachers. Those teachers were exploiting people with deceptive words and living immorally, and Peter writes to warn his readers not to be led astray. Most scholars see the letter as composed later in the first century, though it is traditionally attributed to Peter himself.
Verse 6 sits in the middle of a short argument from examples. Just before it, Peter recalls the judgment of the angels and the flood in Noah’s day, and right after it he mentions Lot, whom God rescued from Sodom. The pattern is clear: God judges the wicked, and He also delivers the righteous. Reading verse 6 in that setting shows that its warning about destruction is paired with a promise of rescue for those who remain faithful, which is the very point Peter presses in verse 9.
Key Phrases in 2 Peter 2:6
Genesis 19:24
Then the LORD rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of the sky.
(WEB)
This verse describes the event Peter refers to in 2 Peter 2:6, the rain of burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah. Reading it alongside Peter’s letter gives you the original account behind his brief summary of the judgment.
Romans 12:19
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
(WEB)
Paul’s exhortation leaves vengeance to God, which fits well with Peter’s emphasis that God is the one who judges and sentences the wicked. Reading the two together helps you trust God’s justice rather than taking matters into your own hands.
A Short Prayer From 2 Peter 2:6
Lord, You are holy, and You do not look away from sin or from the suffering it causes. Thank You that Your judgments are just, and that You remember both the wicked and the faithful. Keep me from living carelessly in ungodliness, and give me a heart that takes Your ways seriously. When I am tempted to excuse what I know is wrong, remind me of the path You have set before me. When I grow weary of watching injustice, teach me to trust Your timing and Your power to rescue. Help me walk in righteousness today, and rest in the assurance that You know how to deliver the godly. Amen.
