And there came two angels to Sodom at even
Or "the two angels" F8, the two men who were angels in the
likeness of men, that had been with Abraham in the heat of the
day at Hebron, on the evening of the same day came to Sodom:
and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom:
not as a civil magistrate to try causes there, being appointed a
judge over them, as Jarchi relates; yea, the Jews say F9: that
that day five judges were appointed by the men of Sodom, and Lot
was the chief of them; but this is not likely, and seems to be
contradicted, ( Genesis 19:9
) ; but he sat there to observe strangers that might pass by, and
invite them into his house, and that they might not fall into the
hands of the wicked Sodomites, who might abuse them; this being a
time when not only travellers would be glad to put up and take
refreshment, but his wicked neighbours lay in wait for them to
satisfy their lusts on them: he had learnt this hospitality from
Abraham;
and Lot seeing [them], rose up to meet them:
he arose from his seat and went forward to meet them, which
showed his readiness and heartiness to receive them:
and he bowed himself with his face toward the
ground;
not in a religious way, as paying worship to angels, for as yet
he did not know them to be such, and if he had, would not have
given them divine adoration; but in a civil way, as was the
custom of the eastern countries to bow very low in their civil
respects to men, especially to great personages; and such Lot
took these to be by their goodly looks and by their dress, as
appears by his salutation of them in ( Genesis 19:2
) .