Bible Commentaries
Genesis 19

Verse 1

19:1 And there came two {a} angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing [them] rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

(a) In which we see God’s provident care in preserving his: even though he does not reveal himself to all alike: for Lot had but two angels, and Abraham three.

Verse 3

19:3 And {b} he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they {c} did eat.

(b) That is, he begged them so insistently.

(c) Not because they had need, but because the time was not yet come for them to reveal themselves.

Verse 4

19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, [even] the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, {d} all the people from every quarter:

(d) Nothing is more dangerous than to live where sin reigns: for it corrupts all.

Verse 8

19:8 Behold now, I have two {e} daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as [is] good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; {f} for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

(e) He deserves praise for defending his guests, but he is to be blamed for seeking unlawful means.

(f) That I should preserve them from all injury.

Verse 13

19:13 For {g} we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

(g) This proves that the angels are ministers, both to execute God’s wrath and to declare his favour.

Verse 16

19:16 And while he {h} lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.

(h) The mercy of God strives to overcome man’s slowness in following God’s calling.

Verse 17

19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; {i} look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

(i) He willed him to flee God’s judgments and not to be sorry to leave that rich country, full of vain pleasures.

Verse 20

19:20 Behold now, this city [is] near to flee unto, and it [is] a little one: Oh, let me escape thither,

([is] it not a {k} little one?) and my soul shall live.

(k) Though it is little, yet it is great enough to save my life: in which he errs by choosing another place than the angel had appointed him.

Verse 22

19:22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I {l} cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called {m} Zoar.

(l) Because God’s commandment was to destroy the city and to save Lot.

(m) Which before was called Belah, in Genesis 14:2.

Verse 26

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

(n) Concerning the body only: this was a notable monument of God’s vengeance to all who passed that way.

Verse 30

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

(o) Having felt God’s mercy, he did not dare provoke him again by continuing among the wicked.

Verse 31

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

(p) Meaning in the country which the Lord had now destroyed.

Verse 32

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

(q) For unless he had been drunk, he would never have done that abominable act.

Verse 36

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

(r) Thus God permitted him to fall most horribly in the solitary mountains, whom the wickedness of Sodom could not overcome.

Verse 37

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

(s) Who as they were born in most horrible incest, so were they and their posterity vile and wicked.

Verse 38

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

(t) That is, son of my people: signifying that they rejoiced in their sin, rather than repenting of it.