Discovery BoxGenesis 18:22--19:29
Context18:22 The two men turned 1 and headed 2 toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 3 18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 18:24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare 4 the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 18:25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge 5 of the whole earth do what is right?” 6
18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord 7 (although I am but dust and ashes), 8 18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy 9 the whole city because five are lacking?” 10 He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
18:29 Abraham 11 spoke to him again, 12 “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
18:30 Then Abraham 13 said, “May the Lord not be angry 14 so that I may speak! 15 What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
18:31 Abraham 16 said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
18:32 Finally Abraham 17 said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
18:33 The Lord went on his way 18 when he had finished speaking 19 to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. 20
19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while 21 Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. 22 When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.
19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 23 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 24 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 25
19:3 But he urged 26 them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, 27 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 28 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 29 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 30 with them!”
19:6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 19:7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly! 31 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 32 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 33 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 34 of my roof.” 35
19:9 “Out of our way!” 36 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 37 and now he dares to judge us! 38 We’ll do more harm 39 to you than to them!” They kept 40 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 41 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 42 reached out 43 and pulled Lot back into the house 44 as they shut the door. 19:11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, 45 with blindness. The men outside 46 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 47 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 48 Do you have 49 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 50 Get them out of this 51 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 52 it. The outcry against this place 53 is so great before the Lord that he 54 has sent us to destroy it.”
19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. 55 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 56 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 57
19:15 At dawn 58 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 59 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 60 19:16 When Lot 61 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 62 They led them away and placed them 63 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 64 said, “Run 65 for your lives! Don’t look 66 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 67 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 68 19:19 Your 69 servant has found favor with you, 70 and you have shown me great 71 kindness 72 by sparing 73 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 74 this disaster will overtake 75 me and I’ll die. 76 19:20 Look, this town 77 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 78 Let me go there. 79 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 80 Then I’ll survive.” 81
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 82 “I will grant this request too 83 and will not overthrow 84 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 85 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 86
19:23 The sun had just risen 87 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 88 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 89 sulfur and fire 90 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 91 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 92 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 93 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 94 wife looked back longingly 95 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 96 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 97 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 98 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 99
19:29 So when God destroyed 100 the cities of the region, 101 God honored 102 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 103 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 104 the cities Lot had lived in.
[18:22] 1 tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the
[18:22] 3 tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the
[18:24] 4 tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).
[18:25] 6 sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.
[18:27] 7 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[18:27] 8 tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the
[18:28] 9 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.
[18:28] 10 tn Heb “because of five.”
[18:29] 11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:29] 12 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”
[18:30] 13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:30] 14 tn Heb “let it not be hot to the
[18:30] 15 tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.
[18:31] 16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:32] 17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:33] 18 tn Heb “And the
[18:33] 19 tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
[18:33] 20 tn Heb “to his place.”
[19:1] 21 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
[19:1] 22 tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.
[19:2] 23 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
[19:2] 24 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
[19:2] 25 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
[19:3] 26 tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.
[19:4] 27 tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.
[19:4] 28 tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.
[19:5] 29 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:5] 30 tn The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yada’, “to know”) is used here in the sense of “to lie with” or “to have sex with” (as in Gen 4:1). That this is indeed the meaning is clear from Lot’s warning that they not do so wickedly, and his willingness to give them his daughters instead.
[19:7] 31 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
[19:8] 32 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[19:8] 33 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
[19:8] 35 sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.
[19:9] 36 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
[19:9] 37 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
[19:9] 38 tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”
[19:9] 39 tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.
[19:9] 40 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
[19:9] 41 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
[19:10] 42 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:10] 43 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:10] 44 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
[19:11] 45 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
[19:11] 46 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 47 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 48 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
[19:12] 49 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:12] 50 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
[19:12] 51 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
[19:13] 52 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
[19:13] 53 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:13] 54 tn Heb “the
[19:14] 55 sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.
[19:14] 56 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
[19:14] 57 tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.
[19:15] 58 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 59 tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.
[19:15] 60 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 61 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 62 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 63 tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).
[19:17] 64 tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.
[19:17] 66 tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.
[19:17] 67 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 68 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 69 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ’adonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
[19:19] 70 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 71 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 72 sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
[19:19] 73 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 75 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
[19:19] 76 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 77 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (’ir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
[19:20] 78 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 79 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 80 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 81 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 82 tn Heb “And he said, ‘Look, I will grant.’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the
[19:21] 83 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 84 tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
[19:22] 85 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
[19:22] 86 tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tso’ar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mits’ar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).
[19:23] 87 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
[19:23] 88 tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.
[19:24] 89 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
[19:24] 90 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
[19:24] 91 tn Heb “from the
[19:25] 92 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:25] 93 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
[19:26] 94 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:26] 95 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
[19:27] 96 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:28] 97 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[19:28] 98 tn Or “all the land of the plain”; Heb “and all the face of the land of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:28] 99 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
[19:29] 100 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
[19:29] 101 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:29] 102 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
[19:29] 103 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
