GENESIS
CHAPTER 19
Lot entertains holy men—The men of sodom seek to abuse Lot’s guests, and are smitten with blindness—Lot sent out of sodom—The Lord rains brimstone and fire upon sodom and Gomorrah—Lot’s daughters preserve his seed in the land.
[ It is interesting to note that one of the messages implied is that when we decide where to pitch our tent we need to be very careful. Those who pitch their tents on the edge of town where there is so much wickedness can get drawn in. They get sucked in by watching while foolishly thinking that watching is not a sin so they are safe. But the story reads differently. Do we pitch our tent near sodom or toward bountiful? ]
1 AND there came two angels [ JST "Three angels" most likely the same three angels spoken of in chapter 18. ] to sodom at even;
[ Evening. ] and Lot sat in the gate of sodom:
[ JST "and Lot sat in the door of the house, in the city of sodom" Lot starts out pitching his tent toward sodom, then he is at the gates of sodom and now he appears to have taken up residence as he is at the door of the house inside of sodom. Lot begins the chapter very much like Abraham. He's sitting in the gate and when the strangers come, he says, "Come to the house. I'll feed you. You can wash your feet." I mean, it's very much like Abraham in the preceding chapter. And then, by contrast, come the men of sodom who say, "Where are they?" And Lot is saying, "No. No, don't do this to these men. They've taken refuge in my house. Don't do this." It's a violation, yes, we would say of the laws of nature. I mean, it's wrong. It's but it's also a gross violation of hospitality rules that are really important and that Abraham and Lot have just illustrated. ] and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet,
[ Such as was the custom to wash the dirty and weary feet of those who had trekked all day in the hot dusty weather. ] and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
[ We will just take up residence in the street tonight. ]
3 And he pressed upon them greatly;
[ He would not take no for an answer. Lot knows things that he assumes the strangers do not know - that is that the street in sodom are no place to stay for the night. Is the Lord also teaching us that there are those in the world who do not have the blessings of covenants that we have. They are subject to spend the nights in the streets so to speak. Do we press upon them greatly to come inside with us? ] 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, [ No wonder the cry of sodom has been coming up before the Lord. This is a rotten city where the first thought they have when two strangers come into the city is, "Let's abuse." It was a terrible place and I would bet that it had happened to strangers before who had the misfortune of coming through sodom and sought to put up for the night out in the middle of the desert. I mean, if you know where sodom probably was, it's at the south Eastern end of the Dead Sea. Pretty miserable territory. If you're coming through there and it's late in the day, you haven't had any water and you need some shelter, you go into sodom to get at those things, and then it turns out to be this violent, criminal town, a horrible place where you may not come out of it all right at all. So the Lord is sick of it and he sends his angels to take care of it. ] both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men [ Who were Gods angels. ] which came in to thee this night? [ They noticed that there were new people in town. This kind of tells you how bad the place was. So here we get to sodom, and here again I want to say, there's something else going on. Again, I think it's that hospitality issue as well. The men of sodom want from these two visitors when the two angels go to sodom, but they want it by force and they want to humiliate and dishonor the visitors. That's a violation of every human rule of not only hospitality, but just general human interaction. You just don't do that. So contrast the hospitality of Abraham in the preceding chapter with the attitude of the men have sodom, who when these guests come what they want to do is violate them. ] bring them out unto us, that we may know them. [ yada - Hebrew for intimate knowledge. Note the blazen way in which they call out - send the new guys out so that we can engage in sexual conduct with them(or that we may rape the angels visiting Lot). One of the most grievous sins of sodom and Gomorrah was homosexuality. Spencer . Kimball has forcefully condemned this practice: We hear more and more each day about the sins of adultery, homosexuality, and lesbianism. Homosexuality is an ugly sin, but because of its prevalence, the need to warn the uninitiated, and the desire to help those who may already be involved with it, it must be brought into the open. It is the sin of the ages. It was present in Israel's wandering as well as after and before. It was tolerated by the Greeks. It was prevalent in decaying Rome. The ancient cities of sodom and Gomorrah are symbols of wretched wickedness more especially related to this perversion, as the incident of Lot's visitors indicates. There is today a strong clamor to make such practices legal by passing legislation. some would also legislate to legalize prostitution. They have legalized abortion, seeking to remove from this heinous crime the stigma of sin. ..."But let us emphasize that right and wrong, righteousness and sin, are not dependent upon man's interpretations, conventions and attitudes. social acceptance does not change the status of an act, making wrong into right. If all the people in the world were to accept homosexuality, ... the practice would still be a deep, dark sin." (CR, Oct. 1977, pp. 6-7.) It is interesting to note that the Jordan river valley is below sea level and sodom was one of the lowest places in the Jordan river valley. So we have a city which is one of the lowest in spiritual definition as well as geographic location. On the shores of the Dead sea - as close to death as you can be. ]
8 Behold 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: [ JST renders this quit differently, instead of Lot offerring his other two daughters to the men in exchange for the men that he has invited inside it suggests that lot tells them that the Lord would not look favorably on him if he were to send these men out to them, just as he would not look favorable on Lot if he were to send his two daughters out to them for them to have their ways with them. If you look at footnote 8A, there's a Joseph Smith translation. I'm looking at a commentary here. The Joseph Smith translation explains that, "The citizens demanded both the visitors and the daughters, but Lot refused both. All of this evil," the Joseph Smith translation adds, "was after the wickedness of sodom." ] only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
9 And they [ This mob. ] said, Stand back. [ They are all riled up, ready to go after what they want. ] And they said again, This one fellow [ Lot. A mob against this one guy, as a mob we can surely win that battle. ] came in to sojourn, [ To stay with them in their city. He is not even one of us, he is just a visitor. ] and he will needs be a judge: [ Do we not see this in society today, it is the same argument that has always been used it appears. You are going to judge us on what is right and wrong, good or bad, what we can or cannot do? No way as a matter of fact you are not even one of us so what gives you any right? He Lot now wants to be their ruler. Maybe part of the reason he was sitting at the gates of sodom, as the rulers of the city, the wise men of the city would sit at the gates and judge so to speak who could enter the city and who could not. In other words; Lot is making the decisions for these men who are staying with him and the mob does not like that. ] now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. [ Angry mobs do not like anyone who stands in their way. so they threaten Lot. ] And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men [ The three holy men. ] put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. [ They, the three holy men reach out and they grab Lot and pull him back into the house, and then they smite the men outside who are staggering around trying to find the door. ]
11 And 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. [ The Joseph Smith Translation additions to these verses indicate that Lot stands up to these men and tells them you cannot do this wickedness to these men, you cannot do this wickedness to my daughters. so (1) Lot did not offer his daughters to the wicked men of sodom and (2) the evil men "could not find" the door after they were stricken with blindness. (See Gen. 19:9-15, Bible Appendix, p. 798). The JST also adds:"and we will do with them as seemeth us good." So who is acting as the judge here? The mob, the mob gets to decide what they want to do, and whatever they decide to do is how it will be. Does any of this sound familiar today? Mob morality. ]
12 ¶ And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, [ JST "sons-in-law, and thy son's sons". ] and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: [ Whomever is in your family, you need to invite them to leave the city now. The three holy men tell Lot, "Look, you need to get out of this place right away because we're going to destroy it." And I don't know if the decision had been made to destroy the place until this event. They're there as the intelligence gatherers. ]
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. [ The evil continued. The sin was too well entrenched. They had laughed and joked about a destruction. The transgressions for which sodom had apparently been renowned continued on. In fact, the people wanted to take advantage of the pure angel men they had seen come into the city. The vicious men pressed and would have broken down the doors to get to them. (See Gen. 19:4-11.) Everything was done that could be done by Abraham to save the city, but it had become so depraved and wanton that to save it was impossible. (CR, Apr. 1975, p. 161). ]
14 And Lot went out, [ JST:"For God will not justify his servant in this thing;" I am God's servant and as such God would not justify it if he let the visitors know that this was wrong. To stand up to the truth. It would be upon Lot's head. The JST: goes on to say that theses angels, the ones who Lot pulled into his house now "but the angels of God, which were holy men, put forth their hand and pulled Lot into the house unto them, and shut the door." now they are the ones that pull lot inside. As if you have done all that you can for now. We will take over from here. ] 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. [ Abraham tells his son's in law that they need to get out right now. "We're going to smite this place so you need to get out and you need to get out quite a distance." ] But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
[ His son in laws did not want to go and they ignored the plea's of Lot to leave. Kind of like "Ah, you're joking. You're not serious." so they don't go. ]
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.
16 And while he lingered, [ Lot was having a hard time going himself and was dragging his own feet. Was it because he did not want to leave his son in laws and daughters, or did he still want to be there in part as well? Was he thinking maybe I should take this or that? ] the men [ The holy 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.
[ They pulled them along away from the destruction that was about to happen. So 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 under him, and they brought him forth and set him without the city." This is not a time to linger. They say, "Just get out. Okay, if nothing else, we'll take you by the collar and just the scruff of your neck and drag you outside and plant you outside the city. Get out." Remember the pray of famous prayer supposedly of Saint Augustine, who said "Oh, Lord, make me chaste but not yet." ]
17 ¶ And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he [ JST "they" ] said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee,
[ Now that you are out of the city do not look back. some scholars render this as "Do not return to the place". ] neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
[ Not only get out of where you are at but go to a higher place - the temple so to speak. Because if you stay in the lower area you will end up getting dragged down with everything. ]
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
[ Lot try's to negotiate with the holy men who are pulling him from the city. ]
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:
[ Why does Lot say this? Is it because the standards are so high. Temple Recommend? I not good enough? Self judgement. ]
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 thee 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.
[ Zoar means little. So the wickedness is not as bad here, so is Lot asking can I start to be better a little at a time not all at once? Can I bring my favorite sins with me? Lot makes the plea let me stay in the city called Zoar, rather than the mountains where he has been instructed to go. Possibly is he asking if he can re-start his ministry in a smaller town. ]
24 Then the LORD rained upon sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25 And he [ The Lord. ] overthrew those cities, [ Destroyed those cities as well. This was a flood of fire, consequences for sin. ] 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. ["Just what did Lot’s wife do that was so wrong? As a student of history, I have thought about that and offer a partial answer. Apparently, what was wrong with Lot’s wife was that she wasn’t just looking back; in her heart she wanted to go back. It would appear that even before she was past the city limits, she was already missing what sodom and Gomorrah had offered her. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once said, such people know they should have their primary residence in Zion, but they still hope to keep a summer cottage in Babylon. It is possible that Lot’s wife looked back with resentment toward the Lord for what He was asking her to leave behind. We certainly know that Laman and Lemuel were resentful when Lehi and his family were commanded to leave Jerusalem. So it isn’t just that she looked back; she looked back longingly. In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. That, apparently, was at least part of her sin. " The Best Is Yet to Be BY ELDER JEFFREY R. HOLLAND The account of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt has puzzled many commentators. Was this event a literal thing, or was it figurative? There are two indications in the scriptures that the phrase “looked back” was an idiomatic way of saying “she turned back” or “returned to sodom.” When warning the disciples of the destruction which was going to come upon Jerusalem, the Savior warned them to flee without delay, not even going into the house to get their possessions. Jesus said, “And he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:31–32; emphasis added). He then admonished them that he who seeks to save his life will lose it, and he who loses his life will find it. Elder Bruce R. McConkie paraphrased those verses in these words:
“Look not back to sodom and the wealth and luxury you are leaving. Stay not in the burning house, in the hope of salvaging your treasures, lest the flame destroy you; but flee, flee to the mountains. “Seek temporal things and lose eternal life; sacrifice the things of this life and gain eternal life.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:645.)
The implication is that Lot’s wife started back to sodom, perhaps to save some possessions, and was caught in the destruction.
In the Doctrine and Covenants is a scripture that uses the same terminology as Genesis 19:26. After warning the Saints to flee spiritual Babylon, which is wickedness, the Lord says, “He that goeth, let him ot look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him”
(D&C 133:15; emphasis added). Again, the implication is that of a return to wickedness.
Most scholars agree that the most probable site of sodom is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea, a body of water with a high salt content. If Lot’s wife returned to sodom, she would have been caught in the destruction. Her becoming a pillar of salt could be a figurative way of expressing this outcome. But whatever it was that happened to Lot’s wife, it is clear that she perished. There a hint in the Quran that she didn't just want to go back, but she actually went back. ]
27 ¶ And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before [The morning after the great destruction, according to Genesis, "Abraham hurried back to the spot" where he had stood and pleaded for Sodom, and "as he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the whole area of the Plain, he could see only smoke over the land rising like the fumes from a kiln." (Gen 19:27:28) Then, adds the Joseph Smith Translation, that it was here that "God spake unto Abraham, saying, I have remembered Lot, and sent him out of the midst of the overthrow, that thy brother might not be destroyed. ... And Abraham was comforted" (JST Gen. 19:35-36). Remember that Abraham did not mention Lot when he was bargining with the Lord for Sodom. ] 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, [ When God destroyed sodom. ] that God remembered Abraham, [ God blessed Abraham by helping Lot and his family get out of sodom before the destruction, otherwise they would have been consumed as well. ] 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, [ For whatever reason Lot does not stay long in Zoar. ] and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: [ Lot begins to see the fallacy of his ways that if he try's to live on the edge that eventually he will fail. ] and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, [ JST "and the firstborn dealt wickedly, and 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: [ There are no men around to marry us and give us children. We need to perserve the line of our father, and since our mother is gone as well this is the only way. See vs 32. ]
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, [ The daughters get their father drunk. ] and we will lie with him, [ He is the only man left on the earth as they know it, so they sleep with their father. There is only 3 people left on earth as they see it. So this is our only chance at a future. We often make grave mistakes we we see that we have no future. We have seen with Sarah and others how important having a child was to the women of that day. ] that we may preserve seed of our father.
33 And 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, [ Lot was so drunk that he did not know that he had slept with his daughter. ] nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, [ So the next day. ] that the firstborn said unto the younger, [ The oldest daughter says to the younger daughter - it's your turn to sleep with dad. ] 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.
35 And 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.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. [ JST: says "they dealt wickedly" they did something that they were not supposed to do. The account of the incestuous seduction of Lot by his two daughters is a shocking one but one which, again, illustrates that the Old Testament records the evils of the people as well as their righteousness. There is no way to justify the wickedness of what the two daughters did, although it may be better understood when it is considered that the daughters may have thought that the whole world had been destroyed in the holocaust that befell sodom and Gomorrah and that Lot was the only source of children left to them. Moses may have included this account in the record because it shows the beginnings of the Moabites and the Ammonites, two peoples that would play an important role in the history of the people of Israel. Old Testament Student Manual. ]