Genesis 19:12-29 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

The men have learnt all they need to know of Sodom's character, and tell Lot of its impending fate that he may be rescued with his household. His prospective sons-in-law (mg.) do not heed his warning, so, as the morning is drawing on, the angels urge him to escape with his wife and daughters. As he lingers, they hurry them out of the city and bid them escape to the mountain, not looking behind or loitering. Lot fears to do this, and is permitted to find refuge in Zoar, spared for this purpose since it was but tiny. Nothing could be done till he was safe, though his wife disobeyed the prohibition to look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. The sun had risen when Lot reached his refuge, and then fire and brimstone were rained on Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities and all the Plain with its inhabitants were overturned, apparently by earthquake. Abraham, remembering what his guests had said, goes out in the morning to the place where he had talked with God in sight of Sodom, and where the cities had been he sees only dense volumes of smoke. In Genesis 19:29 we have P's reference to the catastrophe, the stress being laid on the deliverance of Lot for Abraham's sake. In J's narrative he seems to be saved for his own.

Genesis 19:12. Read probably thy sons-in-law and thy daughters.

Genesis 19:17. look not behind thee: the reason is not clear, whether with hankering for what he is leaving, or because of the delay involved, or because man must not see God at work (Genesis 2:21).

Genesis 19:20-22. An explanation why the district of Zoar (at the S. end of the Dead Sea, cf. Genesis 13:10) was not involved in the catastrophe, and why the city bore its name (= little); it was so insignificant that an exception might be made in its favour.

Genesis 19:25. overthrew: the verb and the cognate noun are regularly used to describe this catastrophe.

Genesis 19:26. An explanation of the origin of a salt column in the district. Josephus says that he had seen the pillar, and there is one in the district now, forty feet high, though whether that seen by Josephus is uncertain.

Genesis 19:28. A vapour often hangs over the Dead Sea.

Related Commentaries of Genesis 19:12

Genesis 19:12-29

12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

13 For 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.

14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here;a lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

16 And while he 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.

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

18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:

19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:

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 little one?) and my soul shall live.

21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted theeb concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.

22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.c

23 The sun was risend upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

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

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

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.

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.