Genesis 19:12-29

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. 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.