A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Verſ. 2. ANd they ſaid, Nay but we will abide in the ſtreet, &c.]
Thus by this civill refuſing at firſt the courteſie proſfered, they make the better tryall of the affection of this holy man; and beſides, it is likely their purpoſe was indeed to abide in the ſtreets, that ſo they might obſerve the manners of the people, had not Lot been ſo importunate with them.
Verſ. 3. And they did eat.]
See chap. 18. verſ. 8.
Verſ. 4. But before they lay down the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compaſſed the houſe round, &c.]
Doubtleſſe the outward appearance of the two angels that were come to Lot was as of young men of rare and extraordinary beauty and comlineſſe of perſon, whereof there being notice taken by ſome of the profane inhabitants of the city, the report thereof was ſoon ſpread abroad in the city, and ſo preſently they flocked together from all places, and joyned together in this horrible and abominable attempt which is here related.
Verſ. 8. I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, &c.]
Queſtionleſſe this proſfer of Lots was unwarrantable and ſinfull: for though in evils of puniſhment we may chuſe a leſſe to avoid a greater, yet in the evils of ſinne all choice is unlawfull: if we may not do evil that good may come of it, Rom. 3. 8. much leſſe may we do any evil to prevent others from doing ſome greater evil. It would not have been lawfull for Lots daughters to have yielded themſelves to have been defiled by theſe varlets, thereby to have taken them off from that fouler ſinne of Sodomy, which they had reſolved upon; much leſſe was it lawfull for him to reſolve that he would bring them forth and deliver them up to the luſt of this rabble, that they might do what they liſt to them: for he had no ſuch power over his daughters, eſpecially if he had already eſpouſed them to husbands, though they were not married, as many Expoſitours think he had. But yet it was no wonder at all that Lot, though a righteous man 2. Pet. 2. 7. and highly beloved of God, ſhould thus forget himſelf, conſidering 1. that in ſuch a ſudden diſturbance cauſed by the fear of ſuch a horrid villany ſo violently purſued, he could ſcarce have ſo much liberty as to ponder any thing that came into his mind; 2. that his zealous care for preſerving his gueſts againſt ſuch a horrid wickedneſſe might ſo farre tranſport him as to make him on a ſudden judge it better to yield to any thing then to give way to their deteſtable deſires; and 3. that he might deceive himſelf with a vain hope that in this ſtrange proffer made by a father they would reade ſo much of the grievous diſtraction of his mind, as would make them relent, and neither deſire what he had proffered, nor proſecute what they had at firſt deſired.
Verſ. 9. This one fellow came in to ſojourn, and he will needs be a judge.]
By this it may appear that Lot had not onelyonly grieved inwardly and vexed his righteous ſoul with the unclean converſation of theſe wicked men, but had alſo, as occaſion was offered, reproved them for their wickedneſſe, and done what he could to teach them better, and to diſſwade them from thoſe lewd courſes, which were otherwiſe likely to bring Gods judgement upon them; and hence it is that they now twit him with taking upon him to be a judge amongſt them, and with thinking (a ſtranger though he were) to govern them and to order them in every thing as he pleaſed.
Verſ. 11. And they ſmote the men that were at the doore of the houſe with blindneſſe.]
Their continuing to ſeek for the doore, and departing home when they had wearied themſelves in vain, argues that they were not utterly deprived of ſight; onelyonly their eyes were dazled in ſuch a manner that they were as men blind in regard of that object they looked after; though they ſaw other things, they could not ſee his doore; or happely though they ſaw the doore before them, they knew not where it ſto…, nor how to come at it.
Verſ. 14. And ſpake unto his ſonnes in law.]
Some underſtand this of certain men in the city that were contracted to his two virgin daughters, of whom mention was before made, verſ. 8 and that they were yet therefore in their fathers houſe; but others underſtand it of the husbands of other daughters of his, that were already married into the city, which ſeems beſt to agree with the text. But if ſo, then we muſt farther conſider though his ſonnes in law are here onelyonly mentioned, as the heads of the families, yet their wives if living were alſo ſpoken to. And hence it may ſeem was Lots lingring, that he ſhould leave his children to be deſtroyed; and the Angels command, verſ. 15. Take thy two daughters that are here, intimating that he might not wait for the other that were not there.
Verſ. 17. And it came to paſse, &c. that he ſaid, &c.]
To wit, one of the Angels; to whom Lot therefore afterward directs his ſpeech in the ſingular number, becauſe it was he that had given him the charge of flying to the mountain.
Look not behind thee.]
This was enjoyned Lot, 1. thereby to expreſſe how deteſtable the inhabitants of Sodom were, a people hated of God, and unworthy of the commiſeration of good men, for whom it was not fit he ſhould take the leaſt thought or care; 2. To teach him hereby, that he was ſo to be affected with Gods me…cy in delivering him from that wicked curſed place, and the judgement that was now to fall upon them, that he was not to mind nor regard his houſe, cattel, or whatever other riches he was to leave behind, or in the leaſt degree to repent of his coming away; and accordingly is the very ſame phraſe uſed, Luke 9. 62. No man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdome of God; 3. To intimate with what ſpeed they were to haſte away, not to hinder their flight ſo much as by looking back upon the city.
Verſ. 19. And I cannot eſcape to the mountain, &c.]
Becauſe the mountain was ſo farre off, he fears leſt ere he could get thither the deſtruction ſhould be poured forth, and he ſhould be overtaken in it; and therefore deſires that Zoar might be the place of refuge for him, which was nearer at hand.
Verſ. 21. And he ſaid unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing.]
The Angel, not without Gods direction undoubtedly, yields to the weakneſſe of his faith, and grants his requeſt; but as God doth uſually grant his ſervants thoſe requeſts which he doth not approve of, that they may by their own experience ſee their folly, and that it is ſtill better for them to follow his direction: for thus it was with Lot, who afterwards verſ. 30. feared to dwell in Zoar, and then therefore found that he had done beſt it at firſt he had followed the angels counſel in flying to the mountain.
Verſ. 22. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.]
Which ſignifies little: before it was called Bela, chap. 14. 2. And the king of Bela, which is Zoar.
Verſ. 23. The ſunne was riſen upon the eart…, &c.]
This I conceive is thus expreſſed, 1. To ſhew how narrowly Lot eſcaped the deſtruction that fell upon the Sodomites: It was break of day when the Angels haſtened him and his to get them out of Sodom, verſ. 15. And when the morning aroſe, then the Angels haſtened Lot, ſaying, Ariſe, &c. and by that time the ſunne was riſen, the judgement threatned fell upon Sodom, whereby no doubt Lot was brought to ſee and acknowledge both his own folly in lingring ſo long, and the goodneſſe of God in forcing him away, and not ſuffering him to ſtay there any longer; and 2. to make it the more manifeſt that this judgement was extraordinary and ſupernaturall, and how ſuddenly the inhabitants of theſe wicked cities were overwhelmed with the ſtorm of Gods fiery indignation, without any warning given them, when doubtleſſe they had not the leaſt fear of any ſuch miſchief that was coming upon them. The ſunne roſe as fairly that day, as upon other dayes: and yet preſently a ſhowr of fire and brimſtone fell upon them, and conſumed them all.
Verſ. 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, &c.]
Sodom and Gomorrah are here mentioned as the chief; but withall Admah and Zeboiim were alſo deſtroyed. Deut. 29. 23. Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, &c. Now, from the Lord is here added in the end of this clauſe, Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimſtone, and fire from the Lord, the more emphatically to expreſſe that it was not by any ordinary courſe of nature, but by the immediate almighty power of God. And doubtleſſe it was the ſupernaturall and miraculous work of the Lord, and not from any naturall cauſe, that ſuch ſhowers, not of water, as when the old world was drowned, but of fire and brimſtone ſhould fall from heaven upon theſe cities, who did therein fit the puniſhment to the ſinnes of thoſe that were deſtroyed thereby. They burned vvith vild and unnaturall luſts, and therefore againſt the ordinary courſe of nature fire falls down from heaven and devours them, and their ſtinking abominable filthineſſe is puniſhed with the ſtench of brimſtone mingled vvith fire; yea this fire and brimſtone vvas but a forerunner of their everlaſting puniſhment in that lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, for evermore, Rev. 21. 8. for ſo the Apoſtle S. Jude ſaith that Sodom and Gomorrah ſuffered the vengeance of eternall fire, Jude 7.
Verſ. 26. But his wife looked back from behind him, &c.]
That is, Lot going before, and his wife follovving behind him, ſhe looked back from behind him tovvards Sodom, to vvit, as doubting vvhether any ſuch judgement vvould fall upon Sodom as vvas threatned, or lingring in her deſires after thoſe friends, that vvealth and eſtate vvhichwhich they had left behind them; and thus ſhe did rebell againſt the expreſſe commandment of the Lord given before to Lot, verſ. 17. and in him unto all that vvere with him, and that vvhen God had afforded her ſuch an extraordinary mercy to fetch her avvay by his angels from Sodom vvhen it vvas to be deſtroyed, and ſo vvas turned into a Pillar, or ſtatue, of ſalt, not ſuch ſalt as vve ordinarily uſe, vvhichwhich being vvet vvill melt and turn into vvater (for it vvas to ſtand as a monument of her infidelity and diſobedience) but a kind of rockie minerall ſalt, vvhichwhich vvill endure all vveathers and not vvaſte avvay.
Verſ. 29. God remembred Abraham, and ſent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.]
That is, God remembred his promiſe, vvhereby he had ingaged himſelf to Abraham, not onelyonly to bleſſe him in his own perſon, but thoſe alſo for his ſake that were dear unto him, chap. 12. 2. And thou ſhalt be a bleſsing: I will bleſse them that bleſse thee: and he remembred the requeſts vvhichwhich Abraham had made to him for Sodom, and that in the behalf of thoſe fevv righteous ones, that might be in that citie, preſsing him particularly vvith this, that the righteous might not be deſtroyed vvith the vvicked, and ſo he ſaved Lot for Abrahams ſake. It is true indeed that God had reſpect to the piety and righteouſneſſe of Lot in delivering him: for ſo the Apoſtle faith, 2. Pet. 2. 7, 8. That he delivered juſt Lot, and that becauſe the righteous ſoul of this good man was vexed from day to day in ſeeing and hearing the filthy converſation of thoſe vvicked vvretches; but this doth not exclude that vvhichwhich is here ſaid concerning Abraham. There may be divers cauſes of one and the ſame effect: the main cauſe of all vvas Gods free grace both to Abraham and Lot, and not any merit in them; but ſubordinate hereunto there vvere alſo other inducements, to vvit, the joynt reſpect that the Lord had to the righteouſneſſe of Lot his faithfull ſervant, and to the interceſsion of Abraham, as here is expreſſed.
Verſ. 30. For he feared to dwell in Zoar, &c.]
The cauſe of this fear is not expreſſed, but may probably be thought to have been, either that ſeeing the abominable ſinnes of that citie, he feared leſt God vvould alſo deſtroy that; or elſe, that he doubted leſt becauſe of his eſcape the people vvould fall upon him, as the cauſe of the overthrovv of thoſe neighbouring cities: and indeed his hiding himſelf in the cave makes this moſt probable.
Verſ. 31. And there is not a man on the earth to come in unto us, &c.]
Some conceive that they did verily think that all nations of the earth vvere deſtroyed by fire; but many things make this improbable: 1. Their knovvledge that Zoar vvas not deſtroyed, and that the Angels had promiſed that it ſhould not be deſtroyed; 2. Their ſeeing that the ſhower of fire, which had burnt up thoſe cities of the plain, reached not ſo farre as the mountains wherein at preſent they were; 3. The remembrance of Abraham their uncle, a righteous man, not like to be deſtroyed; and 4. That laſt clauſe, after the manner of all the earth, which ſeems to be ſpoken of the time preſent, that they were deprived of that ſociety with man which everywhere elſe they did enjoy. Others conceive that ſhe meant onelyonly this, that there was not a godly man, with whom onelyonly they durſt marry. They take the periſhing of their ſiſters in Sodom, to be a puniſhment of God upon them for their marrying with the wicked Sodomites; not daring to do ſo therefore, and grieving by this means to be deprived of the common bleſſing of mankind, they reſolve upon a more wicked courſe. But I rather conceive thus of the place: Lot and his daughters flying in ſome great fear into the mountain, and being there in a manner mured up in a cave, his eldeſt daughter utters theſe words as a complaint that by this ſolitary life they were deprived of all hope of marriage (the common bleſſing of all the earth) There is not a man in the earth to come in unto us: That is, here we live in a cave without ſociety of any but our ſelves, and it is to us all one, as if there were not a man upon the earth; Come let us make our father drink wine, &c. But indeed any of theſe expoſitions may be imbraced: for whatever abſurdity there is in their reſolutions, muſt be aſcribed to their fear, that paſſion blinding men, and driving them upon any abſurd thoughts or courſes.
Verſ. 32. Let us make our father drink wine.]
To wit, the wine which they had brought from Zoar.
Verſ. 37. And called his name Moab, &c.]
Moab, is by interpretation, of the father, and Benammi, is ſonne of my people, or ſonne of my kindred. In both names …here was a memoriall of their inceſtuous procreation: That which theſe daughters of Lot it ſeemed boaſted of, was their having children of their own kinne, not of the f…ithleſſe and curſed nations.