ὡς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα καὶ αἱ περὶ αὐτὰς πόλεις τὸν ὅμοιον τρόπον τούτοις ἐκπορνεύσασαι καὶ ἀπελθοῦσαι ὀπίσω σαρκὸς ἑτέρας, πρόκεινται δεῖγμα πυρὸς αἰωνίου δίκην ὑπέχουσαι. (Jude 1:7).
Translation: Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, which in the same manner indulged in immoral deeds and went after unnatural flesh, are set before us as proof in undergoing punishment of eternal fire.
Notes: The use of Sodom and Gomorrah would certainly be familiar to the readers in Judea. They are the paradigms of wickedness not only in Genesis but in other extra-biblical sources (Bauckham, 53). The additional cities surrounding these two would include Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar (the latter was spared from judgment (Bauckham, 54).
The translation of “strange flesh” (σαρκὸς ἑτέρας) has caused some headache among commentators. If the intention is to address Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin as the central sexual desires of the men towards the angelic beings, then Jude would have been more specific. Here there is a clear case that strange flesh speaks of broader sins found in these two cities. The idea that this refers to desires to have sex with angels since they possess a different kind of flesh than humans does not seem tenable. In other words, the analogy does not hold true as a comparison to the Jewish Zealots. It seems more likely that “unnatural flesh” refers to various forms of unethical/immoral deeds. There is no doubt that the crux of the Sodom and Gomorrah paradigm is an act of egregious sexual abuse, but Jude seems to have other things in mind as well. For Jude, “unnatural” may have the sense of “things that are not common under divine order.” The point here is to highlight the depths of evil that these Zealots partook of, which compares to the sin of the most (in)famous cause of abuse in Israel’s history.
These examples are exhibits of judgment; such are to be avoided by the Judean Christians who need to take heed to not follow their example, but use such examples as demonstrations of what happens when we follow the deeds of the flesh. The judgment of “eternal fire” to which Jude alludes has to refer to the classic view of hell embraced by Protestant theology. Hell is a place of torment, both physically and spiritually. The use of “eternal” qualifies the fire and therefore cannot refer to any form of temporary judgment. If the text wanted to refer merely to death it would have used “destruction” as it does in verse 11 when speaking of Korah’s rebellion. But here the distinction is made clear between death and eternal fire. One leads to the other, but one is not the end in and of itself.
One final note is in the use of the language of “indulgence.” The example, as Jude makes clear elsewhere, does not speak of a group of people who partook of an act once and changed or repented thereafter. The language indicates (see verse 11) that there is a certain path taken that draws men to engage the path of destruction before an act of utter rebellion occurs. Jude warns against a way of life. The men of S&G did not simply wish to rape the two men because they felt the urge for the first time. The idea is that acts of immorality were quite common and the classic example in Genesis 19 is the culmination.
