Genesis 19:29-38

Origin of Moab and Ammon

29 When God destroyed the cities in the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot away from the disaster that overtook the cities in which Lot had lived.

30 Since Lot had become fearful of living in Zoar, he and his two daughters headed up from Zoar and settled in the mountains where he and his two daughters lived in a cave.

31 The older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there are no men in the land to sleep with us as is the custom everywhere.

32 Come on, let's give our father wine to drink, lie down with him, and we'll have children from our father."

33 That night they served their father wine, and the older daughter went in and lay down with her father, without him noticing when she lay down or got up.

34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Since I lay down with our father last night, let's serve him wine tonight too, and you go in and lie down with him so that we will both have children from our father."

35 They served their father wine that night also, and the younger daughter lay down with him, without him knowing when she lay down or got up.

36 Both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.

37 The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the ancestor of today's Moabites.

38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-ammi. He is the ancestor of today's Ammonites.

Genesis 19:29-38 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or son of my people