Genesis 19 Commentary
Please choose a passage:
Genesis 19:1-3
Two angels appear to Lot in Sodom. Lot urges them to spend the night in his house and he prepares a feast for them.
Genesis 19:4-7
The men of Sodom surrounded Lot’s house and demanded the two men be handed over to them to be sexually assaulted. Lot went outside to plead with the men not to behave so wickedly.
Genesis 19:8-10
Lot reminded the lustful hoard the two visitors were under his protection and offered his two virgin daughters to the men to appease them, and protect his guests. The crowd pressed Lot against the door trying to break inside. But the two visitors quickly grabbed Lot and shut the door.
Genesis 19:11-14
The two angels caused the crowd of men to become blind, but they still try to find Lot’s doorway. Then the angels told Lot to gather his family and leave Sodom because it was going to be destroyed. Lot tried to convince his soon to be sons-in-law to leave, but they did not believe him.
Genesis 19:15-17
The next morning, the two angels seized the hand of a halting Lot and insisted they flee Sodom. Lot escaped with his wife and two daughters. They were instructed to escape to the mountains and to not look back at the city.
Genesis 19:18-21
Lot replies that the mountains are too far to escape and requests to flee to a small town where he will be safe.
Genesis 19:22-26
The small town where Lot escaped was named Zoar. God destroyed the cities and the inhabitants, but Lot’s wife turned and looked back to see. She became a pillar of salt for her disobedience.
Genesis 19:27-29
Abraham awoke and saw the destruction in the valley. God had remembered Abraham and saved Lot from the devastation.
Genesis 19:30-33
Lot and his two daughters fled to a cave in the mountains. The oldest daughter devised a plan and gave Lot too much wine to drink. Then, she had sexual relations with him to preserve the family line. Lot did not know she was with him.
Genesis 19:34-38
The next day, the older sister convinced the younger sister to do what she had done the night before. Again, Lot was given too much wine and the younger daughter had sexual relations with him. Lot was unaware of this event also. The two daughters became pregnant. The oldest daughter named her son Moab and he became the father of the Moabites. The younger daughter’s son became the father of the Ammonites.
Additional Resources
Genesis is a book about many beginnings. The beginnings of the world, the human race, sin and redemption, and the nation of Israel to name a few. In fact, the word Genesis from the Greek means “origin,” and in Hebrew it means “beginning.” The book of Genesis contains the events of the flood, tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the lives of the Patriarchs.
In the beginning, God created everything by simply speaking, “God said…and it was so” (Genesis 1:6-7, 9, 11, 14-15). This is not a scientific technical account of creation, but it shows a loving God creating a universe and mankind to rule it and fellowship with God. Man was formed especially from the ground and given the breath of life from God. The woman was made from the man’s rib (Genesis 2:7).
After man fell into sin, things began to spin out of control quickly. Cain murdered his brother Abel and the human race became so violent that God decided to destroy them all with a flood. God saved one righteous man (Noah) and his family in an ark filled with animals to deliver the human race from extinction. God chose Abraham and blessed a special group of people named “Israel.” God began to unfold a plan of salvation from a coming famine by sending Joseph to rule in Egypt. The failure of man in every circumstance is met by the salvation of God. We fail, but the good news is God saves us.
Chapter 19 tells us of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham’s intercession for the cities, and Lot’s narrow escape. God sends two angels to see whether the city is as wicked as reported. Men of the city insist on sexually assaulting the two angels, definitively answering the question of the wickedness of the city.
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