Genesis ::: A Study on Beginnings
 
XXV. The Destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, With The Escape of Lot, His Wife, & His Two Virgin Daughters, The Future Mothers of The Moabites & The Ammonites.
  1. The Three Persons (angels, men, or The Triune God).

Genesis 18:1-2
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, (KJV)

  1. three = shalowsh {shaw-loshe'}
    = numerical 3; triad.
         
  2. men = 'enowsh {en-oshe'}
    = men, persons, certain (ones).
    In Daniel 7:13, Messiah is seen as being like the Son of man ('enowsh). It is so used to show the close relationship of Messiah to the human race.
         
  3. Lord = 'Adonay {ad-o-noy'}
    = an emphatic form of 'adown {aw-done'} lord, master.
    "Lord" --- Adonay = Lord, lord, God.
    = spoken in place of JEHOVAH in display of reverence.
    Very important: "'Adon" is the singular form; When 'adon appears in the special plural form, with a first common singular pronominal suffix 'adona(y), it always refers to GOD. It appears in this form more than 300 times, mostly in the Psalms, Lamentations, & the latter prophets.

Just as 'elohim (GOD) is plural in Hebrew, so this word might also be called an intensive plural or plural of Majesty. Only rarely is the suffix translated. (Source = The TWOT) It is so translated in Gen. 18:3. (& in Isa. 21:8; Psa.16:2)

Note that Genesis 18:1, says that JEHOVAH appeared unto Abraham & then in Gen. 18:3, Abraham uses this term to address HIM: "My Lord" = Adonay. This word is used by the devout Hebrews as a substitute for the proper Name, JEHOVAH (or KJV= LORD). This is seen more than 6,000 times in the Hebrew Bible.

These facts seem to point (in my opinion) to these three "MEN" as being the same ELOHIM as in the creation, (Genesis 1:1). JEHOVAH is the Personal Name for Almighty God. Compare:

Psalm 16:1-3
<<Michtam of David.>>
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. {Michtam: or, A golden Psalm} 2O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. (KJV)

  1. God = 'el {ale}
    = either a generic name for a "god,"or "God" for The God of Israel.
         
  2. LORD = Y@hovah {Yeh-ho-vaw'}
    = Jehovah; The existing One; The proper Name for The One True God.
         
  3. my Lord = 'adonay {ad-o-noy'}
    = emphatic form of 'adown {aw-done'} lord; master.
    (This form always refers to The Almighty God).
  1. Two of the (men) Persons go toward Sodom, but Jehovah remains with Abraham.

Genesis 18:16-22
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. (KJV)

  1. Jehovah God will not keep secret from His friend, Abraham, what is about to happen to Sodom and Gomorrah, the vicinity where his nephew, Lot resides. Note what our Jesus said:

John 15:13-15
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (KJV)

  1. The LORD wanted to share with His friend, Abraham what He was about to do. He knew all about Abraham, just as He does about each of us. He knew that Abraham was trustworthy and what his future held.

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (KJV)

Genesis 18:17-19
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (KJV)

  1. The sins of Sodom, Gomorrah, & the surrounding lands were so in the "depth of satan" they were an abomination to The LORD. He destroys them utterly. Their debris may lie at the bottom of the Dead Sea. Admah & Zeboim were judged also.

Genesis 18:20-21
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. (KJV)

  1. cry = za'aq {zah'-ak}
    = outcry; a cry for help in the face of distress. It may be that the only cry for help was that of Lot.

2 Peter 2:6-8
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (KJV)

  1. Sodom = C@dom {sed-ome'}
    = burning; from an unused root meaning "to scorch."
         
  2. Gomorrah = 'Amorah {am-o-raw'}
    = submersion.
         
  3. vexed = kataponeo {kat-ap-on-eh'-o}
    = oppressed; to tie down with toil, to afflict or oppress with evils; to treat roughly; to make trouble for.
    It is in the Present tense (=actual time);
    Passive voice (= the subject, Lot, is the recipient of the action;
    Participle mood (= reflects the "ing," or "ed" = a verbal noun).
    This is seen in the actions of these sodomites at Lot's home:

Genesis 19:4-9
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. (KJV)

  1. righteous (soul) = dikaios {dik'-ah-yos}
    =upright; observing divine laws (C/f. marriage)
         
  2. filthy = aselgeia {as-elg'-i-a}
    = unbridled lusts; shameless; licentiousness.
         
  3. wicked = athesmos {ath'-es-mos}
    = one who breaks through the restraints of law and gratifies his lusts.
         
  4. Abraham, being concerned about the "righteous," (esp. Lot) asked The LORD if He would save the cities if 50 "righteous" ones could be found. He finally "bargained" down to 10 righteous.

Genesis 18:32-33
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. 33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. (KJV)

  1. These sins of Sodom, Gomorrah, & the lands of the plains, were abominations to The Almighty God. They are described by various descriptions. These same kinds of sins will be even greater in the end time just before Jesus returns.

Leviticus 18:22-25
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. 24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: 25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. (KJV)

  1. abomination = tow'ebah {to-ay-baw'}
    = a disgusting thing; unclean, filthy, wicked.. A thing of horror; This word occurs 117 times. Homosexuality and other perversions are repugnant to God & fall under His judgment.
         
  2. mankind = zakar {zaw-kawr'}
    = a male.
         
  3. as with = mishkab {mish-kawb'}
    = bed; bedchamber; lying down for sexual contact.
         
  4. womankind = 'ishshah {ish-shaw'}
    = female, woman, wife.
         
  5. lie = shakab {shaw-kab'}
    = to lie for sexual relations.
         
  6. defile = tame' {taw-may'}
    = unclean, impure, polluted.
         
  7. confusion = tebel {teh'-bel}
    = violation of God's divine order; incest; bestiality; All kinds of sexual perversion.

Romans 1:24-28
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; (KJV)

  1. A look at the sad experiences Lot encountered by living in Sodom.

Genesis 19:1-11
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.
4But 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. (KJV)

  1. The "two" persons were angels, appearing as men. C/f. Verses 1 & 10. (The men)
         
  2. Lot had become so much a part of that society that he was in a political position (gate) and was ridiculed as a "sojourner" who had no business there.
         
  3. Lot called these homosexuals, "brother."
         
  4. He offered his 2 virgin daughters to these sodomites to rape.
         
  5. He tried to reason with these perverted minds as though he might change them.
         
  6. Even Lot's married daughters & their husbands considered Lot to be mocking.

Genesis 19:12-14
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. (KJV)

  1. Lot even hesitated to leave that sinful city & when compelled to do so, did not want to get too far from it.

Genesis 19:15-22
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. (KJV)

  1. The reason Lot was spared was because of Abraham.

Genesis 19:27-29
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. (KJV)

  1. The sad and tragic results of Lot's closing days in his old age.
  1. His wife turned to a pillar of salt.
         
  2. His 2 virgin daughters became with child by him.

Genesis 19:30-38
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. (KJV)

  1. Abraham has one more problem & repeats the same sin as previously in Egypt.

Genesis 20:1-7
And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife. 4But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 6And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 7Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. (KJV)

  1. This is the second time that Abraham has failed to be honest about his beautiful wife,Sarah. The first time was when Abraham went down into Egypt. (Gen. 12:10ff)
         
  2. Gerar = G@rar {gher-awr'}
    = a lodging place; A Philistine town S. of Gaza. ('Umm'}
         
  3. Abimelech = 'Abiymelek {Ab-ee-mel'-ek}
    = Melek is my father; or, My father is king.
         
  4. Jehovah God's sovereignty is shown by His keeping Abimelech from taking Sarah.
         
  5. prophet = 1st use of this word = nabiy' {naw-bee'}
    = spokesman, speaker, prophet. An authorized spokesman (in this case for Jehovah).
         
  6. Abraham's excuse and explanation:

Genesis 20:10-12
And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? 11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. 12And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. (KJV)

Genesis 20:14
And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. (KJV)

  1. According to the covenant of circumcision, these menservants that Abimelech gave to Abraham, had to be circumcised.

Genesis 17:9-14
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 13He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. (KJV)

  1. Sarah is restored to her "brother." She is also reproved.

Genesis 20:16
And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. (KJV)

  1. covering = k@cuwth {kes-ooth'}
    = covering, vesture, clothing. (For concealment). It may mean, to cover the "offense." (Clothed as wife, not "brother.")
         
  2. reproved = yakach {yaw-kahh'}
    = rebuke, correct;
    In the Niphal stem = passive (was) &
    in the Participle mood = unbroken continuity of the action.
         
  3. prayed = first use of this word = palal {paw-lal'}
    = to intercede; to intervene. It shows that the first use of prayer was intercessory.
    It is in the Hithpael stem = Reflexive action (he, himself) &
    Imperfect mood = an incomplete action or a single action in the past; gives color & movement to the action.

Genesis 20:17-18
So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 18For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife. (KJV)

  1. healed = rapha' {raw-faw'}
    = to heal; make healthful. Healer, physician.
    Imperfect mood = a single action with color & movement.
         
  2. bare = yalad {yaw-lad'}
    = to bear, bring forth, beget, travail.
          
  3. had fast = 'atsar {aw-tsar'}
    = to restrain, halt, prevent, stop, withhold. In the Qal stem (simple action) & Infinitive mood ("ing" ending = a verbal noun).
          
  4. closed up = same Heb. word ('atsar)
    = Perfect mood( a completed action; has come into existence).

< Back Next >