Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Likewise as it came to pass, in the days of Lot: they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.

and in like manner as took place in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

in like manner also, as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building;

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

The same was true in the time of Lot: they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building;

In the same way, in the days of Lot; they were feasting and trading, they were planting and building;

It shall be similar to what happened in the days of Lot. They were eating and drinking; they were buying and selling; they were planting and building.

So, too, in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building;

They did eat - They were busy in the affairs of this life, as if nothing were about to happen.
The same day - See Genesis 19:23-25. "It rained." The word here used "might" have been rendered "he" rained. In Genesis it is said that the "Lord" did it.
Fire and brimstone - God destroyed Sodom on account of its great wickedness. He took vengeance on it for its sins; and the example of Sodom is set before people to deter them from committing great transgressions, and as a "full proof" that God will punish the guilty. See Jde 1:7; also Isaiah 1:10; Jeremiah 23:14. Yet, in overthrowing it, he used natural means. He is not to be supposed to have "created" fire and brimstone for the occasion, but to have "directed" the natural means at his disposal for their overthrow; as he did not "create" the waters to drown the world, but merely broke up the fountains of the great deep and opened the windows of heaven. Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim Deuteronomy 29:23, were four great cities, on a plain where is now the Dead Sea, at the southeast of Palestine, and into which the river Jordan flows. They were built on ground which abounded, doubtless, as all that region now does, in "bitumen or naphtha," which is easily kindled, and which burns with great intensity. The phrase "fire and brimstone" is a Hebrew form of expression, denoting sulphurous fire, or fire having the smell of sulphur; and may denote a volcanic eruption, or any burning like that of naphtha. There is no improbability in supposing either that this destruction was accomplished by lightning, which ignited the naphtha, or that it was a volcanic eruption, which, by direction of God, overthrew the wicked cities.
From heaven - By command of God, or from the sky. To the people of Sodom it had "the appearance" of coming from heaven, as all volcanic eruptions would have. Hundreds of towns have been overthrown in this way, and all by the agency of God. He rules the elements, and makes them his instruments, at his pleasure, in accomplishing the destruction of the wicked.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot,.... When he lived in Sodom, and before, and at the time of the destruction of that city with other neighbouring ones:
they did eat, they drank; See Gill on Luke 17:27, and Ezekiel 16:49. This is to be understood of the inhabitants of Sodom, and the other cities that perished with it:
they bought, they sold: they traded among themselves, and with their neighbours; and, as it appears from the text referred to, they had no regard to the poor and needy; they made no conscience of defrauding and oppressing them:
they planted; vineyards, and fruit trees; living in a very fruitful soil, like the garden of God, Genesis 13:10
they builded; houses for themselves and posterity; and thus, as a Jewish writer (h) observes of them, in agreement with our Lord's design in all this, being filled with the increase of the earth, they lived in security, peace, and tranquillity.
(h) Pirke Eliezer, c. 25.