Discovery BoxGenesis 19:4-38
Context19:4 Before they could lie down to sleep, 1 all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. 2 19:5 They shouted to Lot, 3 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex 4 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! 5 19:8 Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with 6 a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. 7 Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection 8 of my roof.” 9
19:9 “Out of our way!” 10 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 11 and now he dares to judge us! 12 We’ll do more harm 13 to you than to them!” They kept 14 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 15 to break down the door.
19:10 So the men inside 16 reached out 17 and pulled Lot back into the house 18 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, 19 with blindness. The men outside 20 wore themselves out trying to find the door. 19:12 Then the two visitors 21 said to Lot, “Who else do you have here? 22 Do you have 23 any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city? 24 Get them out of this 25 place 19:13 because we are about to destroy 26 it. The outcry against this place 27 is so great before the Lord that he 28 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. 29 He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy 30 the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. 31
19:15 At dawn 32 the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, 33 or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!” 34 19:16 When Lot 35 hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them. 36 They led them away and placed them 37 outside the city. 19:17 When they had brought them outside, they 38 said, “Run 39 for your lives! Don’t look 40 behind you or stop anywhere in the valley! 41 Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
19:18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord! 42 19:19 Your 43 servant has found favor with you, 44 and you have shown me great 45 kindness 46 by sparing 47 my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because 48 this disaster will overtake 49 me and I’ll die. 50 19:20 Look, this town 51 over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one. 52 Let me go there. 53 It’s just a little place, isn’t it? 54 Then I’ll survive.” 55
19:21 “Very well,” he replied, 56 “I will grant this request too 57 and will not overthrow 58 the town you mentioned. 19:22 Run there quickly, 59 for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.) 60
19:23 The sun had just risen 61 over the land as Lot reached Zoar. 62 19:24 Then the Lord rained down 63 sulfur and fire 64 on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord. 65 19:25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region, 66 including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew 67 from the ground. 19:26 But Lot’s 68 wife looked back longingly 69 and was turned into a pillar of salt.
19:27 Abraham got up early in the morning and went 70 to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 19:28 He looked out toward 71 Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. 72 As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace. 73
19:29 So when God destroyed 74 the cities of the region, 75 God honored 76 Abraham’s request. He removed Lot 77 from the midst of the destruction when he destroyed 78 the cities Lot had lived in.
19:30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. 19:31 Later the older daughter said 79 to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby 80 to have sexual relations with us, 81 according to the way of all the world. 19:32 Come, let’s make our father drunk with wine 82 so we can have sexual relations 83 with him and preserve 84 our family line through our father.” 85
19:33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, 86 and the older daughter 87 came and had sexual relations with her father. 88 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 89 19:34 So in the morning the older daughter 90 said to the younger, “Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, let’s make him drunk again tonight. 91 Then you go and have sexual relations with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 92 19:35 So they made their father drunk 93 that night as well, and the younger one came and had sexual relations with him. 94 But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 95
19:36 In this way both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 19:37 The older daughter 96 gave birth to a son and named him Moab. 97 He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. 19:38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. 98 He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today.
[19:4] 1 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] 2 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] 3 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:5] 4 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] 5 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
[19:8] 6 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
[19:8] 7 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
[19:8] 9 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] 10 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
[19:9] 11 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
[19:9] 12 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] 13 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] 14 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
[19:9] 15 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
[19:10] 16 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] 17 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[19:10] 18 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
[19:11] 19 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
[19:11] 20 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:12] 21 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] 22 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
[19:12] 23 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:12] 24 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
[19:12] 25 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
[19:13] 26 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
[19:13] 27 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “about this place” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:13] 28 tn Heb “the
[19:14] 29 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] 30 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
[19:14] 31 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] 32 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
[19:15] 33 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] 34 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
[19:16] 35 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:16] 36 tn Heb “in the compassion of the
[19:16] 37 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] 38 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] 40 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] 41 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:18] 42 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
[19:19] 43 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] 44 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
[19:19] 45 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
[19:19] 46 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] 47 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
[19:19] 49 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] 50 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
[19:20] 51 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] 52 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
[19:20] 53 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
[19:20] 54 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
[19:20] 55 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
[19:21] 56 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] 57 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
[19:21] 58 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] 59 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
[19:22] 60 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] 61 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
[19:23] 62 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] 63 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
[19:24] 64 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
[19:24] 65 tn Heb “from the
[19:25] 66 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:25] 67 tn Heb “and the vegetation of the ground.”
[19:26] 68 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[19:26] 69 tn The Hebrew verb means “to look intently; to gaze” (see 15:5).
[19:27] 70 tn The words “and went” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[19:28] 71 tn Heb “upon the face of.”
[19:28] 72 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] 73 tn Heb “And he saw, and look, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace.”
[19:29] 74 tn The construction is a temporal clause comprised of the temporal indicator, an infinitive construct with a preposition, and the subjective genitive.
[19:29] 75 tn Or “of the plain”; Heb “of the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
[19:29] 76 tn Heb “remembered,” but this means more than mental recollection here. Abraham’s request (Gen 18:23-32) was that the
[19:29] 77 sn God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.
[19:29] 78 tn Heb “the overthrow when [he] overthrew.”
[19:31] 79 tn Heb “and the firstborn said.”
[19:31] 80 tn Or perhaps “on earth,” in which case the statement would be hyperbolic; presumably there had been some men living in the town of Zoar to which Lot and his daughters had initially fled.
[19:31] 81 tn Heb “to enter upon us.” This is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:32] 82 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:32] 83 tn Heb “and we will lie down.” The cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive is subordinated to the preceding cohortative and indicates purpose/result.
[19:32] 84 tn Or “that we may preserve.” Here the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates their ultimate goal.
[19:32] 85 tn Heb “and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:33] 86 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:33] 87 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:33] 88 tn Heb “and the firstborn came and lied down with her father.” The expression “lied down with” here and in the following verses is a euphemism for sexual relations.
[19:33] 89 tn Heb “and he did not know when she lay down and when she arose.”
[19:34] 90 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:34] 91 tn Heb “Look, I lied down with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight.”
[19:34] 92 tn Heb “And go, lie down with him and we will keep alive from our father descendants.”
[19:35] 93 tn Heb “drink wine.”
[19:35] 94 tn Heb “lied down with him.”
[19:35] 95 tn Heb “And he did not know when she lied down and when she arose.”
[19:37] 96 tn Heb “the firstborn.”
[19:37] 97 sn The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” (מֵאָבִינוּ, me’avinu) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.
[19:38] 98 sn The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.
