Bible Commentaries
Genesis 19

Verses 1-38

The Calling of the Patriarchs of Israel We can find two major divisions within the book of Genesis that reveal God’s foreknowledge in designing a plan of redemption to establish a righteous people upon earth. Paul reveals this four-fold plan in Romans 8:29-30: predestination, calling, justification, and glorification.

Romans 8:29-30, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

The book of Genesis will reflect the first two phase of redemption, which are predestination and calling. We find in the first division in Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:3 emphasizing predestination. The Creation Story gives us God’s predestined plan for mankind, which is to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth with righteous offspring. The second major division is found in Genesis 2:4 to Genesis 50:25, which gives us ten genealogies, in which God calls men of righteousness to play a role in His divine plan of redemption.

The foundational theme of Genesis 2:4 to Genesis 11:26 is the divine calling for mankind to be fruitful and multiply, which commission was given to Adam prior to the Flood (Genesis 1:28-29), and to Noah after the Flood (Genesis 9:1). The establishment of the seventy nations prepares us for the calling out of Abraham and his sons, which story fills the rest of the book of Genesis. Thus, God’s calling through His divine foreknowledge (Genesis 11:27 to Genesis 50:26) will focus the calling of Abraham and his descendants to establish the nation of Israel. God will call the patriarchs to fulfill the original purpose and intent of creation, which is to multiply into a righteous nation, for which mankind was originally predestined to fulfill.

The generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob take up a large portion of the book of Genesis. These genealogies have a common structure in that they all begin with God revealing Himself to a patriarch and giving him a divine commission, and they close with God fulfilling His promise to each of them because of their faith in His promise. God promised Abraham a son through Sarah his wife that would multiply into a nation, and Abraham demonstrated his faith in this promise on Mount Moriah. God promised Isaac two sons, with the younger receiving the first-born blessing, and this was fulfilled when Jacob deceived his father and received the blessing above his brother Esau. Jacob’s son Joseph received two dreams of ruling over his brothers, and Jacob testified to his faith in this promise by following Joseph into the land of Egypt. Thus, these three genealogies emphasize God’s call and commission to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their response of faith in seeing God fulfill His word to each of them.

1. The Generations of Terah (& Abraham) Genesis 11:27 to Genesis 25:11

2. The Generations Ishmael Genesis 25:12-18

3. The Generations of Isaac Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29

4. The Generations of Esau Genesis 36:1-43

5. The Generations of Jacob Genesis 37:1 to Genesis 50:26

The Origin of the Nation of Israel After Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 9:29 takes us through the origin of the heavens and the earth as we know them today, and Genesis 10:1 to Genesis 11:26 explains the origin of the seventy nations (Genesis 10:1 to Genesis 11:26), we see that the rest of the book of Genesis focuses upon the origin of the nation of Israel (Genesis 11:27 to Genesis 50:26). Thus, each of these major divisions serves as a foundation upon which the next division is built.

Paul the apostle reveals the four phases of God the Father’s plan of redemption for mankind through His divine foreknowledge of all things in Romans 8:29-30, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Predestination - Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 11:26 emphasizes the theme of God the Father’s predestined purpose of the earth, which was to serve mankind, and of mankind, which was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with righteousness. Calling - Genesis 11:27 to Genesis 50:26 will place emphasis upon the second phase of God’s plan of redemption for mankind, which is His divine calling to fulfill His purpose of multiplying and filling the earth with righteousness. (The additional two phases of Justification and Glorification will unfold within the rest of the books of the Pentateuch.) This second section of Genesis can be divided into five genealogies. The three genealogies of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob begin with a divine calling to a patriarch. The two shorter genealogies of Ishmael and Esau are given simply because they inherit a measure of divine blessings as descendants of Abraham, but they will not play a central role in God’s redemptive plan for mankind. God will implement phase two of His divine plan of redemption by calling one man named Abraham to depart unto the Promised Land (Genesis 12:1-3), and this calling was fulfilled by the patriarch. Isaac’s calling can also be found at the beginning of his genealogy, where God commands him to dwell in the Promised Land (Genesis 26:1-6), and this calling was fulfilled by the patriarch Isaac. Jacob’s calling was fulfilled as he bore twelve sons and took them into Egypt where they multiplied into a nation. The opening passage of Jacob’s genealogy reveals that his destiny would be fulfilled through the dream of his son Joseph (Genesis 37:1-11), which took place in the land of Egypt. Perhaps Jacob did not receive such a clear calling as Abraham and Isaac because his early life was one of deceit, rather than of righteousness obedience to God; so the Lord had to reveal His plan for Jacob through his righteous son Joseph. In a similar way, God spoke to righteous kings of Israel, and was silent to those who did not serve Him. Thus, the three patriarchs of Israel received a divine calling, which they fulfilled in order for the nation of Israel to become established in the land of Egypt. Perhaps the reason the Lord sent the Jacob and the seventy souls into Egypt to multiply rather than leaving them in the Promised Land is that the Israelites would have intermarried the cultic nations around them and failed to produce a nation of righteousness. God’s ways are always perfect.

1. The Generations of Terah (& Abraham) Genesis 11:27 to Genesis 25:11

2. The Generations Ishmael Genesis 25:12-18

3. The Generations of Isaac Genesis 25:19 to Genesis 35:29

4. The Generations of Esau Genesis 36:1-43

5. The Generations of Jacob Genesis 37:1 to Genesis 50:26

Divine Miracles It is important to note that up until now the Scriptures record no miracles in the lives of men. Thus, we will observe that divine miracles begin with Abraham and the children of Israel. Testimonies reveal today that the Jews are still recipients of God’s miracles as He divinely intervenes in this nation to fulfill His purpose and plan for His people. Yes, God is working miracles through His New Testament Church, but miracles had their beginning with the nation of Israel.

Verses 18-22

God Spares Zoar - In Genesis 19:18-22 we see how the city of Zoar was spared from God’s wrath in order to give Lot a place to dwell. Why would God allow one of the five cities of this region to escape the judgment of God? We know that Lot requested the deliverance of Zoar so that he could dwell there. But perhaps there was more to the history of this city than we have read.

Genesis 19:22 Word Study on “Zoar” Gesenius says the Hebrew name “Zoar” ( צֹעַר ) (H6820) means, “smallness.” Strong says it means “little.” PTW says it means, “small.”

Genesis 19:24 Comments - The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is likened to the second coming of Jesus in Luke 17:28-33.

Genesis 19:25 Comments - Genesis 19:25 provides an illustration of Psalms 107:33-34.

Psalms 107:33-34, “He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein .”

Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19:26 Comments - Lot’s Wife Looking Back - Why would Lot’s wife look back. In the New Testament references to this passage of Scripture, Lot’s wife’s turning back is compared to a person seeking to save his life (Luke 9:62; Luke 17:32, John 12:25):

Luke 9:62, “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 17:32, “Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”

John 12:25, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

We see Jeremiah prophesying about how the Egyptian army will flee from the Babylonians. He notes that they will flee with such fear that they will not consider “looking back,” which means that will not even consider returning to take part in the battle.

Jeremiah 46:5, “Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back : for fear was round about, saith the LORD.”

Thus, we can better understand that Lot’s wife looked back because she had considered returning. This may have been because she had to leave behind some of her beloved children and perhaps grandchildren in the city.

Genesis 19:26 Comments - Lot’s Wife Turned to Salt - Why was Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt? There are several suggestions by evaluating the figurative meaning of salt in the Scriptures.

(1) The Righteous are the Salt of the Earth - Perhaps the answer is found in Matthew 5:13, which states that the child of God is the salt of the earth. Lot and his wife had served as the salt of that wicked city. Thus, Lot’s wife served as an example of how the righteous are the salt of the earth.

Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

(2) Salt Symbolizes Cleansing, or Judgment - More likely, the answer in found in Mark 9:49, which states that a person will be “salted with fire.” Salt represents fire, and fire represents judgment (Deuteronomy 29:23, Judges 9:45, Jeremiah 17:6, Ezekiel 47:11).

Mark 9:49, “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.”

Deuteronomy 29:23, “And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning , that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:”

Judges 9:45, “And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt .”

Jeremiah 17:6, “For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited .”

Ezekiel 47:11, “But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt .”

Genesis 19:27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:

Genesis 19:27 Comments - Genesis 18:22 could be a reference to the same place where Abraham often stood before the Lord in prayer.

Genesis 18:22, “And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.”

Genesis 19:28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Genesis 19:29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Genesis 19:29 Comments - Genesis 19:29 shows us an example of intercession, where God remembered Lot because of the prayers of Abraham.

Genesis 19:29 Comments - In Rick Joyner's book The Call the author meets Lot in a heavenly vision. Lot then explains that many perished in Sodom and Gomorrah because of Lot's silence. Lot goes on to explain that he thought that he would be able to just live a godly life in front of these people, thus being enough of a warning of God's judgment. It is the power of the spoken word that the Holy Spirit uses to convict man of sin. It is not enough just to live different in the midst of an ungodly world. [209]

[209] Rick Joyner, The Call (Charlotte, North Carolina: Morning Star Publications, 1999), 42-3.

In contrast to Lot, Jonah did lift up his voice and witness to the people of Nineveh. They repented at the preaching of Jonah and God spared their city.

Did not our Lord Jesus Christ say that He would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if they had heard the preaching of the judgment of God?

Matthew 11:23-24, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”

Genesis 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

Genesis 19:31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

Genesis 19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

Genesis 19:33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

Genesis 19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.

Genesis 19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

Genesis 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

Genesis 19:37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

Genesis 19:37 Word Study on “Moab” Strong says the Hebrew name “Moab” ( מוֹאָב ) (H4124) is a compound word of the Hebrew preposition (or prefix) ( מ ), meaning, “from,” and the Hebrew word ( אָב ) (H1) meaning, “father,” so that the name “Moab” literally means, “from father,” or “from [her mother’s] father.” This child was fathered from his mother’s father.

Comments - Both names Moab and Ben-Ammi derive their meaning from the idea of being fathered through incest.

Genesis 19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

Genesis 19:38 Word Study on “Ben-Ammi” Strong says the Hebrew name “Ben-Ammi” ( בֶּן־עַמִּי ) (H1151) means, “son of my people.”

Comments - Both names Moab and Ben-Ammi derive their meaning from the idea of being fathered through incest.