Genesis 19:14-24

14 Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, "Up, ¹get out of this place, for the LORD will destroy the city." ²But he appeared * to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city."

16 But he hesitated. So the men ³seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for ⁴the compassion of the LORD was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside * the city.

17 When they had brought them outside, one said, "⁵Escape for your life! ⁶Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the ⁷valley; escape to ⁸the mountains, or you will be swept away."

18 But Lot said to them, "Oh no, my lords!

19 "Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot * escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die;

20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved."

21 He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken.

22 "Hurry, escape there, for I cannot * do anything until you arrive there." Therefore * the name of the town was called ⁹Zoar.

23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

24 Then the LORD ¹⁰rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven,

Genesis 19:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 19

The contents of this chapter are Lot's entertainment of two angels that came to Sodom, Ge 19:1-3; the rude behaviour of the men of Sodom towards them, who for it were smote with blindness, Ge 19:4-11; the deliverance of Lot, his wife and two daughters, by means of the angels he entertained, Ge 19:12-17; the sparing of the city of Zoar at the entreaty of Lot, to which he was allowed to flee, Ge 19:18-22; the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, Ge 19:23-25; Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt for looking back, Ge 19:26; Abraham's view of the conflagration of the cities, Ge 19:28,29; Lot's betaking himself to a mountain, and dwelling in a cave with his two daughters, by whom he had two sons, the one called Moab, and the other Benammi, Ge 19:30-38.

Cross References

• 1. Numbers 16:21, 45; Revelation 18:4
• 2. Jeremiah 43:1, 2
• 3. Deuteronomy 5:15; Deuteronomy 6:21; Deuteronomy 7:8; 2 Peter 2:7
• 4. Exodus 34:7; Psalms 32:10; Psalms 33:18, 19
• 5. Jeremiah 48:6
• 6. Genesis 19:26
• 7. Genesis 13:10
• 8. Genesis 14:10
• 9. Genesis 13:10; Genesis 14:2
• 10. Deuteronomy 29:23; Psalms 11:6; Isaiah 13:19; Ezekiel 16:49, 50; Luke 17:29; Jude 7

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "had married;" lit "were taking"
• [b]. Lit "like one who was jesting"
• [c]. Or "iniquity"
• [d]. Lit "hand"
• [e]. Lit "he"
• [f]. Lit "in all the circle"
• [g]. Lit "mountain"
• [h]. Lit "mountain"
• [i]. Lit "and my soul will live"
• [j]. Lit "thing"
• [k]. I.e. small