Genesis 19:1
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;
a. NLT: That evening the two
angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and
when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed
with his face to the ground.
b. NIV: The two angels arrived at
Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he
saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
c. Amplified Bible: It was evening
when the two angels came to Sodom. Lot was sitting at Sodom’s [city] gate.
Seeing them, Lot rose up to meet them and bowed to the ground.
d. Septuagint: And the two angels
came to Sodom at evening. And Lot sat by the gate of Sodom, and Lot having seen
them, rose up to meet them, and he worshiped with his face to the ground, and
said,
e. Stone Edition
Torah/Writings/Prophets: The two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot
was sitting at the gate of Sodom; now Lot saw and stood up to meet them and he
bowed, face to the ground.
1. “And there came two angels to Sodom at even…”
a. there came [935 * bow’]
[Strong: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of
applications):--abide, apply, attain, X be, befall, + besiege, bring (forth,
in, into, to pass), call, carry, X certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come
(against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, X doubtless again, + eat, + employ,
(cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, +
follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, + have, X indeed, (in-)vade,
lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, X (well)
stricken (in age), X surely, take (in), way.]
b. two [8147 * shenayim] [Strong: dual
of 8145; feminine shttayim {shet-tah'-yim}; two; also (as ordinal) twofold:--both,
couple, double, second, twain, + twelfth, + twelve, + twenty (sixscore)
thousand, twice, two.]
c. angels [4397 * mal’ak] [Strong:
from an unused root meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically,
of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):--ambassador, angel,
king, messenger.]
d. Sodom [5467 * Cedom] [Strong: from
an unused root meaning to scorch; burnt (i.e. volcanic or bituminous) district;
Sedom, a place near the Dead Sea:-- Sodom.]
e. even [6153 * ‘ereb] [Strong: from 6150;
dusk:--+ day, even(-ing, tide), night.]
1). This gives us a time marker.
Earlier in the day, in “the heat of the day” probably between 2-5 PM, these two
angels had been with the LORD visiting with Abraham, Genesis 18:1. The angels arrived
at the entrance to Sodom at even, approximately 6 PM. Most Bible Scholars
locate Sodom and Gomorrah at the southern end of the Dead Sea. So, from the
plain of Mamre, outside of present day Hebron to Sodom would be at least 40
miles. Time and distance is irrevelant to angels.
2. “…and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom…”
a. Lot [3876 * Lowt] [Strong: the
same as 3875; Lot, Abraham's nephew:--Lot.]
1). Interestingly according to Blue
Letter Bible this same Hebrew word with a different Strong’s number, #3875, is
translated “covering” in Isaiah 25:7. Every other instance of its use is
translated “Lot” the nephew of Abraham.
2). Isaiah 25:7 And he will destroy
in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail
that is spread over all nations.
b. sat [3427 * yashab] [Strong: a
primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in
quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to
marry:--(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease
self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant),
make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain,
return, seat, set(- tle), (down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place)
-uate), take, tarry.]
c. gate [8179 * ] [Strong: from 8176 in
its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or gate:--city, door, gate, port (X
-er).]
1). The gate of a city was a place
where legal business was done. In Israel, the determination of guilt or
innocence was done at the gate.
a). Deuteronomy 22:15 Then the
father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the
damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:
2). Executions were carried out
there.
a). Deuteronomy 22:24 Then ye
shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them
with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the
city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor’s wife: so thou shalt
put evil from among you.
3). When Boaz wanted to legally
marry Ruth, he went to the gate of the city of Bethlehem.
a). Ruth 4:1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat down
there, and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by, unto whom he said,
Ho, such a one! Turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
4). There are numerous examples in Scripture that shows the importance of
the gate of the city. Here are some other examples
a). 1 Kings 22:10 And
the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne,
having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of
Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
b). Jeremiah 38:7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs
which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon;
the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;
c). See also Amos 5:10-15.
b. This evidence is enough to put
forth that Lot was in some capacity an official of the city. Most people do not
realize that Lot had been living in Sodom for about 20-22 years, from the time
when Abraham and Lot separated in Genesis 13:5-11 when Abraham was between 75-80
years old, probably around 77 or 78. This 20-22 year time period includes the
war to rescue Lot and the residents of the cities of the plain from the Mesopotamian
kings in Genesis 14. The cutting of the Covenant in Genesis 15, and the approximately
14 years involving the debacle between Abraham, Sarah and Hagar and the birth
of Ishmael.
1.
“…and
Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward
the ground.”
a. Lot [3876 * Lowt] [Strong: the same as 3875; Lot, Abraham's
nephew:--Lot.]
b. seeing [7200 * ra’ah] [Strong: a primitive root; to see, literally or
figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive,
intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, X
certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take
heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon
another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide,
regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew
(self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.]
c. rose up [6965 * quwm] [Strong: a primitive root; to rise (in various
applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative):--abide,
accomplish, X be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X enemy,
enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, X but
newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up)
(again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir
up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, - rising).]
d. meet [7125 * qir’ah] [Strong: from 7122; an encountering,
accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite):--X against (he
come), help, meet, seek, X to, X in the way.]
e. bowed himself [7812 * shachah] [Strong: a primitive root; to depress, i.e.
prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):--bow (self)
down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do
reverence, make to stoop, worship.]
f. face [639 * ‘aph] [Strong: from 599; properly, the nose or
nostril; hence, the face, and occasionally a person; also (from the rapid
breathing in passion) ire:--anger(-gry), + before, countenance, face, +
forebearing, forehead, + (long-)suffering, nose, nostril, snout, X worthy,
wrath.]
g. ground [776 * ‘erets] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to
be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country,
earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]
1). Bowing oneself toward the ground was a common form of greeting. It
implies humility on oneself and honor toward the person you are greeting. It is
unknown if Lot knew these two individuals were angels, at least at this point.
There is no doubt he eventually realized who they were, but when he came to
that realization is unknown. Whether he realized it or not Lot was obeying a ancient
principle shown in Hebrews.
2). Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels
unawares.
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