19:1 the two angels Three men had appeared to Abraham. It turned out that one was Yahweh, while the other two were angels (see 18:1 and note; 18:2 and note). The two angels here are the same angels who appeared to Abraham earlier (18:2).

Angels in the Bible Table

the gateway of Sodom The gate of a city in the ancient Near East consisted of a towered entrance and a large open area where people gathered. It was similar to a civic or community center, and the citizens often did business there (see Ruth 4:1 and note).

stood up to meet them. And he bowed down A gesture of hospitality in the ancient Near East.

19:2 the house of your servant Previously, Lot lived in tents outside the wicked city of Sodom (Gen 13:12). Now he has moved into the city (see v. 9). Abraham likely knew this, and it probably contributed to his intercession for Sodom (see note on 18:23).

wash your feet A custom of welcome upon entering a home in the ancient Near East.

19:3 he urged them strongly Lot’s urgency shows that he anticipates the threat against the two men (vv. 4–9). This phrase is used later to describe attempts by the men of Sodom to force their way into Lot’s house (v. 9).

baked unleavened bread A meal that could be prepared on short notice since the bread would not have to rise. See note on Exod 12:8.

19:4 all the people to the last man Not every last person in a literal sense; rather, this rhetorical statement shows that the men of Sodom were living up to their ungodly reputation (Gen 13:13; 18:20).

19:5 we may know them The men of Sodom seek to humiliate Lot’s guests by raping them.

19:8 do to them as it seems good in your eyes Hospitality toward strangers was generally considered a moral imperative in the ancient Near East. This honor code meant that Lot could not turn the strangers over to the men of Sodom. In a patriarchal culture, daughters would have been viewed in lesser terms than Lot’s male guests.

19:9 This fellow came to dwell as a foreigner Lot is an outsider whom the native inhabitants do not consider of equal legal or ethnic status. He cannot appeal to them on the basis of kinship.

he acts as a judge The men of Sodom show their contempt for Lot’s plea. As an outsider, Lot cannot tell them how to behave.

19:11 blindness This word occurs only one other place (2 Kgs 6:18): when God, at the prayer of Elisha, strikes the Syrian army blind.

19:13 are about to destroy this place Until now, Lot had no idea that his guests were anything but normal men. Their power in striking the men of Sodom with a blinding light was sufficient for Lot to accept their declaration at face value. Lot now knows they are not mortals (see Gen 19:15).

has become great before Yahweh This verse and its context indicate that this expression means something like “God has seen enough” (see 18:20).

19:14 it seemed like a joke in the eyes of his sons-in-law Lot’s sons-in-law cannot take him seriously. Until now, Lot’s behavior hasn’t reflected a life centered on God’s will, so their skepticism comes as no surprise.

19:16 But when he lingered Despite the warning of v. 14 and the urging of the angels (v. 15), Lot resists leaving Sodom. The delay shows either extraordinary stupidity or, more likely, deplorable spiritual character.

on account of the mercy of Yahweh upon him It is up to the angels to act, and they do so rather than leave Lot and his family to their fate. They (and so, God) would have been justified in leaving them, but they show mercy. Verse 29 indicates that Lot was spared by God in deference to Abraham and his plea.

19:18 No, please, my lords Most translations use the plural “my lords” because the conversation is with the two angels. However, this is the same address used earlier, when Abraham addressed the embodied Yahweh (see 18:3 and note).

19:21 I will not overthrow the city Earlier Abraham had appealed to God to spare Sodom for the sake of 10 righteous people (18:32). Here God is willing to spare the smaller city of Zoar for the sake of Lot and his family alone.

19:24 brimstone and fire “Sulfur” was rendered “brimstone” in antiquated English (see the kjv)—hence the expression “fire and brimstone.” The fiery judgment here is a literal one, but the two elements also occur in metaphorical usage (Deut 32:22; Isa 65:5).

19:26 a pillar of salt Lot’s wife disobeyed the command of the angels (Gen 19:17). The result of her hesitancy was inclusion in the judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah.

19:29 remembered There were not 10 righteous people found in Sodom (see 18:32), but Yahweh extends His mercy beyond what Abraham asked by saving Lot.

19:30 he was afraid to stay in Zoar No explanation is given as to why Lot was afraid to live in this city. Perhaps he was worried it would suffer the same fate as Sodom.

19:31 there is no man in the land This is either a distressed hyperbole on the part of Lot’s oldest daughter, or she believes that the destruction she witnessed was total and widespread.

19:32 we may secure descendants through our father While it is possible (Gen 19:31) that the women believed there were no more men left in their region after the cataclysm, the emphasis on Lot’s lineage suggests that they believed there were no more relatives left to continue the family line. The absence of a blood heir was akin to being erased from history in an ancient Near Eastern culture. While this does not in any way excuse the incestuous behavior, it helps explain their desperation.

19:33 lay with The Hebrew term used here, shakhav, is often used as a euphemism for sexual activity (30:15; 39:12; 2 Sam 13:11).

19:37 Moab The Hebrew word used here sounds like the Hebrew phrase for “from father.”

Moab This people group was eventually neighbors of Israel. They lived east of the Dead Sea. See note on Ruth 1:1.

19:38 Ben-Ammi The Hebrew word used here means “son of my people.”

the Ammonites This people group lived east of the Jordan River, north of the Moabites. They were eventually neighbors of Israel. See note on 1 Chr 19:1.