1Lot entertaineth two angels. 4The vicious Sodomites beset the house, and are stricken with blindness. 12Lot is directed to flee with his family to the mountain, but obtaineth leave to retire into Zoar. 24Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. 26Lot's wife is made a pillar of salt. 27Abraham seeth the dreadful overthrow. 30Lot retireth from Zoar to a cave in the mountain. 31The incestuous origin of Moab and Ammon.
1AND there came 1two angels to Sodom at even; and 2Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
1 Of whom mention was made in Gen. 18:22, where they are called men, as below, verse 5, etc. The Hebrew word signifies ambassadors or messengers, as also does the word angels, taken from the Greek language.
2 Compare Gen. 18:1, 2.
2And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into 3your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and washa your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide 4in the street all night.
3 That is, into my house.
a Gen. 18:4.
4 Understanding well, unless Lot persuaded them with strong persistence to stay overnight with him; as came to pass. Compare Luke 24:28, 29.
3And heb pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake 5unleavened bread, and 6they did eat.
b Heb. 13:2.
5 Which could soon be made ready, that they might betake themselves so much the sooner to their rest. Compare Gen. 18:6.
6 See Gen. 18 on verse 2.
4¶But before they 7lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, 8both old and young, all the people 9from every quarter:
7 Hebr. before they laid down, or, were laid down, namely, for to sleep. Also Gen. 28:13; Lev. 14:47; 26:6, etc.
8 A most shameless and abominable insolence, wherein they all conspired, young and old, from all parts of the city, and that by night too.
9 Namely, of the city. Understand, from the one and the other end of the city.
5And they 10called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, 11that we may know them.
10 They were not ashamed to proclaim their sin and abomination in public, and so have it known by all men. God reproaches this boasting of sodomy in evil to the Israelites, Isa. 3:9, where He says, and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not.
11 What kind of abomination they mean by this expression is plain enough by Lot’s answer. See Lev. 18:22; 20:13; Rom. 1:26, 27; 1 Cor. 6:10; Jude verse 7.
6And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7And said, I pray you, 12brethren, do not so wickedly.
12 Thus courteously Lot spoke to these wretched men, calling them brethren, in regard of the common brotherhood of nature. Compare Gen. 9:5; 29:4; Lev. 19:17.
8Behold now, I have two daughters 13which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and 14do ye to them as is 15good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for 16therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
13 See of this phrase below, Gen. 24:16; Num. 31:18; Judges 11:39; Luke 1:34.
14 Lot, endeavoring to hinder an abominable sin, gives way here through human fearfulness and desperation, unto another sin, contrary to his fatherly duty and the rule, Rom. 3:8.
15 That is, even what you will yourselves at your pleasure, see of this phrase below, Gen. 20:15; 41:37; Num. 24:1, etc.
16 Namely, to be free and safe from all harm and violence. To come under one’s shadow is to betake oneself under his protection and safeguard. Compare Judges 9:15; Psalm 36:7; Jer. 48:45.
9And they said, 17Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and 18he will needs be a judge:c now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sored upon the man, evene Lot, and came near to break the door.
17 As if threatening him, if they could but get him into their hands.
18 Hebr. would he judge judging? or, he would judge judging. See the annotation at Gen. 2 on verse 16. Compare 2 Peter 2:8.
c Exod. 2:14; Acts 7:27.
d very great or severe; extremely*
e 2 Peter 2:7, 8.
10But the 19men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
19 The two angels, Lot’s guests.
11And they smote the men that were at the door of the house 20with blindness, both small and great: so 21that they wearied themselves to find the door.
20 Namely, not only corporal, but spiritual also. This miraculous punishment was such upon the sight of their eyes, not that they could not see at all, but that they were blinded chiefly in the judgment and apprehension of their understanding, and disabled thereby to discern and distinguish what they saw in some measure. See the like 2 Kings 6:18.
21 Seeking the door with much labor, and not able to find it, they were so tired that they had to detain, and to depart.
12¶And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and 22whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
22 Other, What thou hast, etc.
13For we will destroy this place, because the 23cry of them is waxen 24great 25before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
23 Understand, the shouting of the inhabitants of Sodom.
24 See Gen. 4 on verse 10 and Gen. 18:20.
25 Thus made known unto Him, that, according to His justice, He was now about to avenge it. For, The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth, Psalm 34:16.
14And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which 26married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed 27as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
26 Namely, to marry them. Also Gen. 6:2; 24:3; 28:6; 34:9; Deut. 7:3.
27 A lively image of reckless and carnal men in time of approaching judgments. See Mat. 24:38; Luke 17:28, 29; 1 Thes. 5:3.
15¶And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, 28which are here; lest thou be consumed 29in the iniquity of the city.
28 Hebr. which are found. Hence some conjecture that Lot had more daughters which remained and perished with their husbands in Sodom.
29 Or, in the punishment of the unrighteousness. See Gen. 4 on verse 13.
16And while he 30lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being 31merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
30 Doubtless being troubled and distracted with manifold carnal thoughts and cares.
31 Which Lot acknowledges, verse 19.
17¶And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that 32he said, 33Escape for 34thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
32 He, namely, the Lord, Who had remained with Abraham, Gen. 18:22, and was gone from him, Gen. 18:33. Though some hold that this was one of the angels that appeared unto Lot.
33 Other, save. Or, escape, and so in the sequel.
34 Hebr. soul; also Gen. 37:21; Deut. 22:16; Joshua 2:13; 1 Kings 19:3; 2 Kings 7:7; Mat. 2:20. The meaning is that he should forget the care of his goods, and look only to the saving of his life.
18And Lot said 35unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
35 Namely, to the angels, addressing his words nevertheless in the sequel to the Lord, Who, it seems, was present now with the two angels as in the previous chapter with Abraham.
19Behold now, thy servant hath found 36grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the 37mountain, lest 38some evil take me, and I die:
36 See Gen. 6 on verse 8.
37 Lot is afraid that the mountain would be too far for him, and that he might be surprised on the way with that destruction.
38 By the evil, understand here that of punishment, as this word is frequently used. See Deut. 31:17; 1 Kings 9:9; 14:10; Isa. 45:7; Jer. 6:19; Amos 3:6.
20Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and 39it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, 40(is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
39 Other, it is but a small thing, and so in the sequel.
40 Other, is that not a small matter?
21And he said unto him, See, 41I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
41 That is, I shall be favorable to thee, and in mercy grant thee this request also. See this phrase Gen. 32:20 and compare the annotation.
22Haste thee, escape thither; 42for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called 43Zoar.
42 Since it is in My Divine decree, I shall graciously excuse thee.
43 That is, little, previously called Bela, Gen. 14:2. See also Gen. 13 on verse 10.
23¶The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24Then 44the LORD rainedf upon 45Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstoneg46and fire 47from the LORD out of heaven;
44 Namely, the Son of God, Who is of one and the same Essence, power and glory with the Father, and before, both in this and the preceding chapter, often called JEHOVAH, or the LORD; to Whom the Father has surrendered all judgment, John 5:22.
f Deut. 29:23; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 20:16; 50:40; Lam. 4:6; Ezek. 16:50; Hosea 11:8; Amos 4:11; Zeph. 2:9; Luke 17:29; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude verse 7.
45 To which add Adama and Zeboïm, from Deut. 29:23; Hosea 11:8. For all these four cities were burnt together.
g sulphur*
46 God has previously executed a general judgment by water; here He makes use of a terrible and particular judgment by fire, thereby to consume the hot, lust-burning Sodomites. An example of the everlasting punishment, Rev. 19:20. This has happened (as some do calculate) in the year 2048 after the creation.
47 That is, according to the judgment of many excellent interpreters, from the Father, Who worketh by the Son, John 5:19.
25And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26¶But hish wife looked 48back from 49behind him, and she became 50a pillar of salt.
h Luke 17:32.
48 Contrary to the express command, verse 17, in which transgression, unbelief and disobedience were mixed with covetousness and unthankfulness.
49 That is, from behind Lot, as the leader and foreman, hastening toward the place where he might be saved.
50 Understand her body, which was turned into a salty matter, very hard to last long and to remain standing. See Luke 17:32. Josephus records that the same pillar of salt stood yet in his time, Antiquities, lib. 1, cap. 12. This district of this country was afterwards called the Salt Sea. See Gen. 14:3.
27¶And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place 51where he stood before the LORD:
51 See Gen. 18:22.
28And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
29¶And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God 52remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities 53in the which Lot dwelt.
52 Partly to Abraham’s intercession; see Gen. 18:23, 24; and partly to His promises; see Gen. 12:3.
53 That is, in one of which. See the like phrase, Gen. 18:9; 19:12; Jonah 1:5; Mat. 27:44.
30¶And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; 54for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
54 Notwithstanding that before he had thought it the safest place of retreat, see verse 20, but now he fears God would likewise destroy that city, or else, that the inhabitants might do him some mischief and violence.
31And the firstborn said unto the 55younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man 56in the earth 57to come in unto us 58after the manner of all the earth:
55 Hebr. the little (one), and so in the following verses, 34, 35, 38; that is, the youngest.
56 They knew well enough that there were men at Zoar, but they were afraid that these would perish like the rest.
57 See of this phrase, Gen. 6:4; 16:2, 4. Likewise Deut. 25:5.
58 Hebr. the way of. See Gen. 18 on verse 11.
32Come, let us make our father drink 59wine, and we will lie 60with him, that we may preserve 61seed of our father.
59 Which doubtless they had brought along with them from Sodom, or Zoar, for provision.
60 An abominable enterprise and grievous fall in Lot’s family.
61 A son, or, child, also verse 34. See Gen. 4 on verse 25.
33And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternighti with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
i last night
35And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of 62the Moabites unto this day.
62 Hebr. Moab. A people sufficiently known in Holy Scripture, having lived on the eastside of Jordan, and the Dead Sea, between the river of Arnon and Jabbok.
38And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father 63of the children of Ammon unto this day.
63 That is, of the Ammonites. A people likewise well known in Holy Scripture, having likewise dwelt eastward of Palestine, though northward of the Moabites.