CPCC Bible Study: Genesis 19

      The quote for Chapter 19 is:
      "When God destroyed the cities of the valley where Lot lived, he remembered his promise to Abraham and saved Lot from the terrible destruction."
- Contemporary English Version (see link below)

1 - 3
      Commentary. Much has been made of Lot's sitting in the gate of the city. Suffice it to say that, by now Lot was an older man, and was probably considered one of the elders of the city.
      Lot's age is NEVER stated in Genesis. However, he is the son of Abe's brother, who was sixty years older than Abram, so it is possible that Lot is about Abram's own age, and, perhaps, even older.
      Lot extends the same greeting and hospitality to the two angels, inviting them to his house. And, the text specifies "matstah" (unleavened bread), something that has not been seen before, and will not be seen again until Exodus 12, when it is the 'bread of haste', and later the symbol of the Passover.

4 - 7
      Commentary: The Hebrew text emphasizes that all the men of the city, young and old, from every quarter, assembled outside of Lot's house and demanded that the visitors come out so the locals could "yada" ((in context) have sex with) them.
      Lot goes out and tries to talk the crowd out of their intent.

8 - 9
      Continues: This part is hard for us to understand. Lot offers the men of the city his own daughters saying the men were his guests.
      It doesn't go well, the locals call him a 'newcomer', then they threaten Lot, and then start to break down the door.

      While everybody goes into exquisite detail about the homosexuality that has been described in the city, it appears that there is no religious life at all. There is no mention of a patron god of the city, or any priests of anybody or anything, that the town is completely secular. While it is an argument from silence, and is therefore inherently weak, it is interesting.

10 - 11
      And: The newcomers reach out and pull Lot in and bar the door. Then the locals were struck blind, 'from the small to the great'.

      Observation: Besides the occasional instance of an angel killing nearly two hundred thousand soldiers (2 Kings 19 : 35 and elsewhere), or 1 Chronicles 21 where one is sent to wipe out Jerusalem, there are other instances where an angel can exert power over an individual. We see a good example where the Patriarch Jacob wrestles an angel, who then cheats to win, see Genesis 32, and there is another event like this in Luke 1 where John's father doesn't have a lot to say after such a visit, and then when one performs a jail break in Acts 12.

12 - 14
      Summary. The travelers inquire as to who else Lot is responsible for, including the men pledged to marry his daughters. And the guests explain why they are there. Lot goes and tries to get his future sons-in-law to evacuate with them, but they think he's "tsachaq" (laughable (same root word from the naming of Issac)). So they stayed in town.

      The Hebrew term used here and in 18 : 21 that is often translated as 'outcry' is "tseaqah", it includes the idea of a shriek, a wail of distress or anguish, and includes the idea of a cry for help. In 19 : 13 there is a modifier that wasn't used in 18, "gadal" (great / magnified / large / excessive).

15 - 16
      Overview: In the morning the angels (as specified in the text) urge Lot and the others to hurry. Lot "mahah" (delay / hesitation / reluctant / tarry / etc (includes the phenomenon of 'avoidance behavior', that is, doing petty chores when you're supposed to be doing something important)) and the angels take them by the hand and lead them out.
      There is a passage near the middle of verse 16 that is easy to overlook.
      "chemlah" (compassion / the act of mercy (includes: pity - with sorrow)) YHWH "al" (to him).
      Of everybody, and everything, in the five cities of the plain, GOD was showing mercy to Lot and his family.

A Lot Discussion
      When Lot left his Uncle and moved to town in chapter 13, he didn't have a wife that we know of. So, it is likely she was a local. Also, he's been there long enough to have two daughters that were of marrying age, whatever that would be according to local custom, but at least teenagers. And we do not know their names, or their state of belief in GOD as well, which, on the whole, isn't unusual for the female bit players in Genesis.
      There is something of a discrepancy between Lot's bank account between when he left Abram to now. In 13 : 5 it states that Lot had 'flocks and herds and tents'. In fact, between the two of them the land could not sustain them. It is also in 13 : 13 that we learn that the 'men of Sodom were wicked'... and Lot moved there anyway, so there was something there that he liked.
      We do know that when the four kings from chapter 14 sacked the cities that they took everything Lot had that was worth taking, including Lot. Which is why Uncle Abe called up his private army and came to the rescue. However, Abram recovered at least most of the booty, with his nephew and the people. And it evidently amounted to quite a bit, remember his discussion with the new King of Sodom.
      But then Lot drops out of the story until now. There's no mention of his livestock or anything besides his wife and daughters in his house. His circumstances have changed, but we don't know how or why. As we stated, he was 'in the gate' which usually meant he had status and wasn't simply there begging for loose change.
      Which gives us a bit of insight into the man and his relationship with the town, and if his wife was a local, it may explain a bit of her later behavior as well.
      Also, after this chapter, we don't hear any more about Lot until 2 Peter 2 : 7. We have no idea how long he lived, or where he was when he 'slept with his fathers'.
end discussion

17
      Paraphrase: "run for your lives, and don't look back."
      The angels tell them to make a break for it toward the mountains. Which gives some indication of at least where Sodom may have been, which is at least in reasonable walking distance of a 'large hill' for an old man and two young women in one night.

18 - 20
      Commentary: Of course Lot has to argue with them. And he mentions the mercy they've shone, but he still doesn't want to go to the mountains. Instead, he still wants to live in town. He claims he knows a small place where 'his soul shall live'.
      And that is exactly the word in the Hebrew. "nephesh" means "inner self / heart / soul / his 'living being'"

21 - 22
      More: The angel reminds him of who has "nasa / nasah" (carried / 'given him succor' / etc) him, but in spite of all that that the town he mentioned will not be "haphak" (turned over / overthrown (same word is seen in Jonah 3)). Then Lot is told to hurry because He cannot do anything until they are clear. Then the name of the town is given as "Tsoar / Zoar" (little / insignificant).

23
      Lot gets to town about sunrise the following day.

24
      Analysis: Then YHWH "matar" (rain / to rain) on Sedom and 'Amorah "gophrith" (in this context: sulfur / brimstone) and "esh" (fire / flame / burning) from YHWH, out of the "shamayim" (heavens / sky (same word as Genesis 1: 1)).

25
      so He overthrew the cities of the "kikkar" (circle / region / 'valley of the Jordan') and all "yashab" (inhabitants / those who dwell there) "tsemach" (sprouts / 'plants growing') "adamah" (ground / soil).
      This 'circle' remains where it was, a somewhat oval, fertile region, just to the North of the Dead Sea, across the Jordan from Jericho. Where the ruined city of Tall el-Hammam has been excavated at the far eastern end of the area, with interesting results. See link below.

26
      but "nabat" (look intently at / to behold) his "ishshah" (woman / wife) "achar" (behind / after / back) - and "hayah" (came to pass / happen / become) "netsib" (a post / statue (word includes the idea of 'not moving')) "melach" (salt).
      The word 'salt' does not occur again for awhile. Go to Leviticus 2, run down to verse 13. That is the next mention of the condiment in the OT.

27 - 28
      Summary: In the morning Abraham goes out to where he had bargained with GOD and looks out toward the valley and sees the smoke rising as if from a furnace.
      But Abe doesn't become a pillar of salt.

29
      This verse is a recap of what happened and why GOD had spared Lot.

30 - 31
      Analysis. We don't know how long after the firestorm this is, but it probably wasn't long. The text says Lot was "yare'" (frightened / afraid / dread) to live in Zoar. So he moves up to a cave in the mountains, which is where the angels told him to go to begin with.
      One reason he might have been nervous is that the locals would know he was a refugee from Sodom, or that some of the same behaviors were going in Zoar... or both.

32 - 38
      Comment: Much has been made of the scene between the daughters and Lot. We don't know where they found a liquor store that was open after the events out on the plain. And there is a question about both of them getting pregnant after one night of booze fueled indiscretion.
      But there it is. And it says this is the origin of the Moabites and the Ammonites.

References and links: Outside links will open in new tab/window.
The Interlinear: Hebrew - English https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/19.htm

Contemporary English Version https://www.biblegateway.com/

"Sodom and Gomorrah? Evidence That a Cosmic Impact Destroyed a Biblical City in the Jordan Valley" - By University Of California - Santa Barbara, September 20, 2021
https://scitechdaily.com/sodom-and-gomorrah-evidence-that-a-cosmic-impact-destroyed-a-biblical-city-in-the-jordan-valley/
NOTE: After the publication of the paper, other academics raised questions about their methodology of this and similar studies. However, the fact remains that something unpleasant happened at the site a long time ago.

The Genesis Study Index Page

NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.

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