בראשית, פרק י״ט, פסוק כ״ג

Moments before the absolute destruction of Sodom, a precise timeline marks the end of all preparations for the coming disaster. Morning breaks, the weather is clear, and the survivors finally reach safety. The primary approach among commentators is that this moment serves as a critical prelude to the devastation. The angel acting on God's behalf could only unleash the destruction upon Sodom once the sun had fully risen and Lot had safely entered the city of Zoar [רד״ק, שד״ל, העמק דבר, ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The narrow window of time between the first light of dawn and the actual sunrise highlights the geographical closeness of Zoar to Sodom [אברבנאל], while also revealing that Lot had to travel at an unusually rapid pace to reach his destination in time [מלבי״ם].

The clear morning sun serves to highlight the supernatural nature of the event. The skies were entirely clear, and the sun shone brightly without any dark clouds, natural storms, or volcanic eruptions from the earth. By having the fire and brimstone fall directly from the sky in broad daylight, it became unmistakably clear that this was a miraculous intervention from God [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

Commentators offer several deeper reasons why the exact moment of sunrise was chosen to carry out the judgment. From a legal standpoint, Sodom was judged as a condemned city, and capital punishments are strictly carried out during daylight hours, between sunrise and sunset [צפנת פענח]. Furthermore, sunrise is considered a moment of divine anger, as it is the exact time when idolaters bow down to worship the sun. Lot, who had served as a judge in Sodom, was at risk of being punished during this hour of wrath because he had failed to fulfill the commandment to rebuke the townspeople for their evil actions. Therefore, it was essential that he escape to Zoar before the sun appeared [תיבת גמא, פרדס יוסף].

Finally, because these events took place in the middle of the lunar month, both the sun and the moon were visible in the sky at the same time. God specifically waited for both celestial bodies to appear before striking the wicked. This ensured that the people of Sodom could not falsely claim that if their chosen deity—whether the sun or the moon—had been present in the sky, it would have protected them from the disaster [צאינה וראינה].