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; Ver. 1. _Lot sat in the gate._] Not as a judge (as the Hebrews will have it), nor as a merchant; much less as a noveller; b... [ Continue Reading ]
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, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. Ver. 2. _Nay, but we will abide in the street._] They would hav... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 3. _And they did eat._] They made as if they did eat and drink, saith the Hierosolymi-Targum, but not well. _See Trapp on "_ Gen... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 4. _Both old and young._] _Nulla aetas erat culpae immunis, ideo nec exitii_. - _Ambrose._ Sin spreads as leaven, and is as catching as the... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 5. _That we may know them._] O faces hatched with impudency! They shroud not their sin in a mantle of secrecy, but hang out these sour grapes to the... [ Continue Reading ]
And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, Ver. 6. _Lot went out._] So he exposed himself, to save his strangers, hoping to save them from that abominable violence. The right of strangers is so holy, that there was scarce ever any nation so barbarous that would violate the... [ Continue Reading ]
And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Ver. 7. _Do not so wickedly._] They were the first that fell into this foul sin, and were therefore worthily hanged up in gibbets by God for a terror to others; and besides, they "suffer the vengeance of eternal fire". Jdg 1:7 The Pope pretends to... [ Continue Reading ]
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: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. Ver. 8. _Behold now, I have two daughters._] This was an inconsid... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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. Ver. 9. _Stand back, &c._] They set up the bristle... [ Continue Reading ]
But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. Ver. 10. _But the men._] Thus Lot is rescued at a dead lift; that is God's opportunity, who "knows how to deliver the godly". 2Pe 2:9... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 11. _With blindness._] _Subito scotomate_, saith Junius: With blindness both of body and mind, saith Aben Ezra: such as tormented their eyes, as i... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 12. _Hast thou here any, &c._] It is something for safety, to be Lot's kinsman. So the Kenites in Saul's time, receive life... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 13. _For we will destroy this place._] Even the good angels are God's executioners. And the first execution they did in the world, that we read of, was u... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 14. _But he seemed as one that mocked._] _Sed fuit habitus tanquam iocabundus_.... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 15. _Lest thou be consumed._] So Revelation 18:4. "Come out of her, that ye receive not of her plagues." _Musculi... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 16. _And while he lingered._] Or distracted himself with much business, _a_... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _Look not behind thee._] As loath to depart. _Non minus difficulter a deliciis Sodomorum... [ Continue Reading ]
And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: Ver. 18. _Oh! not so, my Lord._] But who shall prescribe to the Almighty? Or limit the Holy One of Israel? Are we wiser than he? Have we a trick beyond him? He lets us sometimes have our way, but to our woe at last.... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 19. _Behold now, thy servant, &c._] We can receive and commend God's favours, but... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 20. _Is it not a little one?_] Let no man use this plea for his sin. Even the philosopher _a_ tells us, that the smallest errors prove many tim... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 21. _I will not overthrow this city._] Zoar, of all the five cites, was preserved by Lot's prayer, saith Jerome. See Deuteronomy 29:23 Isaiah 15:5 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. Ver. 22. _For I cannot do anything._] Not that the execution of the divine decree depended simply upon Lot's removal to Zoar; but upon another decree, for Lot's removal e... [ Continue Reading ]
The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Ver. 23. _The sun was risen upon Sodom._] But ere night there was a dismal change. _Nescis quid serus vesper vehat_ .... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; Ver. 24. _Then the Lord rained, &c._] Lot was no sooner taken out of Sodom, but Sodom was soon taken out of the world. The wicked are reprieved for the sake of the godly, and, but for them would sudden... [ Continue Reading ]
And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. Ver. 25. _And he overthrew, &c._] Some footsteps of this overthrow are to be read of in Solinus and Tacitus. Josephus _a_ tells us of the mock-apples of Sodom, and saith, th... [ Continue Reading ]
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Ver. 26. _But his wife looked back._] Whether out of curiosity, or foolish pity, or as loath to leave so sweet a country, she turned her about, and she was turned. Some think she was a Sodomite, and some tell us her name was... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:_ Ver. 27. _And Abraham gat up._] So solicitous he was for Sodom, that, as Luther thinks, he could not sleep all night. Lot was delivered by his prayers, though Abraham knew it not.... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 28. _And he looked._] Abraham might look upon the smoke of Sodom; Lot might not; because it would work more on Lot's heart, than on Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 29. _God remembered Abraham, &c._] And shall he forget us, who have Christ to intercede for us?... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 30. _Lot went up out of Zoar, &c._] So he should have done at first; and so he had obeyed God, saved his wife, and prevented... [ Continue Reading ]
And 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: Ver. 31. _And the firstborn, &c._] It is dangerous to live in a wicked place: yea, for though thyself mayest escape infection, thy children may b... [ Continue Reading ]
Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. Ver. 32. _Come, let us make our father drink._] _a_ She knew too well, that _Venus in vinis, ignis in igne furit_. It is like they had wine from Zoar. They sinned against conscience; and ther... [ Continue Reading ]
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, nor when she arose. Ver. 33. _Nor when she arose._] There is a tittle extraordinary in the Hebrew, to note that this is a thing incredible, _a_ _Coire quempi... [ Continue Reading ]
_And 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._ Ver. 34. _The firstborn said unto the younger._] Lot offe... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 35. _And they made, &c._] _Decepit ebrietas Lotum, quem Sodoma non decepit_, saith Origen. Well might Athenaeus call drunkenness the metro... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. Ver. 36. _With child by their father._] God suffers, oft, such unlawful commixions to take effect; for a just punishment of the same. But as a fair and perfect child born, doth not make anything better the adultery or incest in which i... [ Continue Reading ]
And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same [is] the father of the Moabites unto this day. Ver. 37. _Called his name Moab._] That is, the begotten of my father: so, Benammi; that is, begotten of one of my near kindred, viz., her father. Thus "they declared their sin as Sodom, t... [ Continue Reading ]