Genesis 19:4

4 But before they could go to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house -young and old, everyone from every neighborhood of S'dom.

Genesis 19:4 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 19:4

But before they lay down
Upon their beds to sleep; it was between supper time and bedtime that the following affair happened, while the angels were talking to Lot about the men of Sodom, and inquiring what sort of men they were, as the Jewish writers F12 suggest:

the men of the city, [even] the men of Sodom, compassed the house round
about;
the house of Lot, where the angels were:

both old and young:
the males of the city of every age; some that were past committing the sin they were so infamous for, as well as those that burned with that unnatural lust; some that could not be actors were willing to be spectators; and all were curious to see the lovely persons, that it was reported all over the city were seen to go into Lot's house:

all the people from every quarter;
all from one end of the city to the other, and from every corner in it: which shows the general corruption and depravity of the city, that it was so far from having ten righteous persons in it, that of the proper inhabitants of it, there was not, as Jarchi notes, one righteous person, no, not one.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 Bereshit Rabba, ut supra. (sect. 50. fol. 44. 4.)

Genesis 19:4 In-Context

2 He said, "Here now, my lords, please come over to your servant's house. Spend the night, wash your feet, get up early, and go on your way.""No," they answered, "we'll stay in the square."
3 But he kept pressing them; so they went home with him; and he made them a meal, baking matzah for their supper, which they ate.
4 But before they could go to bed, the men of the city surrounded the house -young and old, everyone from every neighborhood of S'dom.
5 They called Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to stay with you tonight? Bring them out to us! We want to have sex with them!"
6 Lot went out to them and stood in the doorway, closing the door behind him,
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.