Genesis 19:9

9 But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door.

Genesis 19:9 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 19:9

And they said, stand back
Turn on one side, get away from the door, that we may come to it: and they said [again]:
to one another: this one [fellow] came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge;
this one man, and he a stranger and sojourner, no freeman or citizen of this city, sets himself against the whole body of the inhabitants, and takes upon him to judge what is right and wrong to be done; and if he is let alone in "judging he will judge" ^F13, as it may be rendered; he will take upon him this office, and continue to exercise it, and determine and decide all matters among us at his pleasure. This confutes the above notion of the Jews, that Lot was appointed a judge by the men of Sodom, yea, the president of the court for that day; (See Gill on Genesis 19:1): now will we deal worse with thee than with them:
the men in his house, both by abusing his body in their unnatural way, and by beating and bruising him, and pulling him in pieces, limb from limb; something of this kind they seem to threaten him with, and attempted to effect, as follows: and they pressed sore upon the man, [even] Lot;
not only with words in a bullying way, with menaces and threats, with oaths, and curses, and imprecations; for it is the same word that is used of Lot, pressing the angels with words and arguments to come into his house, ( Genesis 19:3 ) ; but they rushed in upon him in a body, and pushed him away, and pulled him about, and would in all probability have torn him to pieces, had he not been rescued by the angels: and came near to break the door:
that which was shut, the door of the passage that led to the house.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 (jwpv jpvy) "judicabit judicando", Drusius.

Genesis 19:9 In-Context

7 and said, "I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly.

8 Behold, I have two daughters who have not known man; let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please; only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof."

9 But they said, "Stand back!" And they said, "This fellow came to sojourn, and he would play the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them." Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door.

10 But the men put forth their hands and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.

11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves groping for the door.