Rained on Sodom and the LORD With His Court

Another interpretation: like a married woman who committed adultery and is ashamed, who, so that her unborn child not be seen, casts it out before it has seen the sun. This is the meaning of what is written, "The sun was risen upon the earth" and so on (Genesis 19:23). "And the LORD rained upon Sodom" (Genesis 19:24). This is like two provinces that rebelled against the king. The king said: Let one be burned with fire of its own, and let one be burned from the royal treasury. So it was later, concerning Edom, "and her streams shall be turned into pitch and her dust into brimstone" (Isaiah 34:9), but here, "and the LORD rained upon Sodom." Rabbi Avin said: This is like a maidservant who was raking bread from the oven. Her son came and she raked out coals and gave them to him; the son of her mistress came and she raked out bread and gave it to him. Coals and bread came out of the same oven. So it was later, "And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread for you from heaven" (Exodus 16:4), but here, "and the LORD rained upon Sodom." "And the LORD rained upon Sodom" (Genesis 19:24): this is Gabriel. "From the LORD": this is the Holy One, blessed be He. Everywhere it says "and the LORD," it means He and His court. The Holy One, blessed be He, mentions His name twice, as is written in hint thirty-nine.