Genesis 19

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 19

1¶ And there came two 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;

2And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

3And 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 did eat.

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

5And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where [are] the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

6And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

7And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

8Behold now, I have two 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; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

9And they said, Stand back. And they said [again], This one [fellow] came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, [even] Lot, and came near to break the door.

10But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.

11And they smote the men that [were] at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

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:

13For 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.

14And 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; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

16And 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.

17And 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.

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

19Behold 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:

20Behold 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.

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

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

23The sun was risen 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;

25And 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:

28And 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.

29And 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.

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.

31And 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:

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

33And 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.

34And 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.

35And 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.

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

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

38And 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Two angels arrive in Sodom and are hosted by Lot, but the city's wicked men demand access to them. The angels rescue Lot, his wife, and two daughters before God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone, though Lot's wife disobeys and turns into a pillar of salt. Afterward, Lot and his daughters dwell in a cave, where, fearing isolation, the daughters intoxicate their father and conceive sons, Moab and Benammi, perpetuating their lineage.

Medium Summary

Genesis 19 details the divine judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, beginning with two angels visiting Lot, who offers them hospitality. The men of Sodom surround Lot's house, demanding the angels for perverse acts, prompting Lot to offer his daughters in their stead, which is rejected. The angels then blind the mob and reveal their mission to destroy the cities due to their great wickedness. They urge Lot, his wife, and two daughters to flee without looking back, but his sons-in-law mock the warning. As Lot lingers, the angels mercifully lead his family out, and Lot's plea to escape to the small city of Zoar is granted. The LORD then rains fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, utterly destroying them, while Lot's wife disobeys and turns into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters eventually move to a cave, where, fearing the lack of men, they conspire to intoxicate their father and conceive children with him, becoming the mothers of Moab and Benammi.

Long Summary

The chapter opens with two angels arriving in Sodom at evening, where Lot, sitting at the city gate, invites them into his home for hospitality. Despite their initial refusal, Lot's persistence leads them to accept his invitation, and he prepares a feast for them. Before they retire, the men of Sodom, both old and young, surround Lot's house, demanding that he bring out his guests "that we may know them." Lot goes out to them, pleading against their wickedness and even offering his two virgin daughters to protect his guests. The mob rejects his offer, accusing Lot of judging them, and attempts to break down his door. The angels pull Lot back inside, shut the door, and strike the men outside with blindness, causing them to weary themselves trying to find the door. The angels then reveal their purpose, stating that the cry against Sodom has become great before the LORD, and they have been sent to destroy the city. They instruct Lot to gather any family members and bring them out, but his sons-in-law dismiss his warning as a jest. As morning breaks, the angels hasten Lot, his wife, and two daughters, physically leading them out of the city due to the LORD's mercy. They are commanded to escape to the mountain without looking back or lingering in the plain. Lot pleads to be allowed to flee to the nearby small city of Zoar, fearing he would die if he went to the mountain, and his request is granted. Upon Lot's entry into Zoar, the LORD rains brimstone and fire from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, overthrowing the cities, the plain, and all their inhabitants and vegetation. Tragically, Lot's wife looks back from behind him and is turned into a pillar of salt. Abraham observes the devastation from a distance, and the text notes that God remembered Abraham, saving Lot from the destruction. Later, Lot and his daughters leave Zoar and dwell in a cave in the mountain, fearing to remain in Zoar. The elder daughter proposes to the younger that they intoxicate their father to preserve their lineage, as there are no other men. Both daughters lie with their father on successive nights, conceiving sons named Moab and Benammi, who become the progenitors of the Moabites and Ammonites, respectively.

Core Concepts

  • Divine JudgmentThe LORD's direct intervention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone serves as a severe consequence for the cities' profound wickedness. This act demonstrates God's righteous judgment against sin.
  • Hospitality and ProtectionLot's initial actions of welcoming the angels and his subsequent fierce defense of them against the Sodomites highlight the ancient value of hospitality and the host's duty to protect guests.
  • Disobedience and ConsequenceLot's wife's transformation into a pillar of salt exemplifies the immediate and severe consequence of disobeying a direct divine command not to look back during the escape from judgment.
  • Preservation of LineageThe desperate actions of Lot's daughters to preserve their family line through incestuous relations with their father reflect a strong cultural imperative to continue the family name and ensure descendants.
  • Mercy Amidst JudgmentDespite the widespread destruction, the narrative emphasizes the LORD's mercy towards Lot and his family, as the angels physically lead them out and grant Lot's plea to escape to Zoar, ensuring their survival.
  • Moral Decay of SodomThe demand by the men of Sodom to "know" the angels, encompassing both old and young, reveals a pervasive and extreme level of moral depravity and sexual perversion throughout the city, presented as the reason for divine destruction.
  • Origins of NationsThe births of Moab and Benammi from Lot and his daughters establish the genealogical origins of the Moabites and Ammonites, two nations that would later have significant interactions with Israel.