Genesis 19:7

Genesis 19:7

And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

a. NLT: “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing.

b. NIV: and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.

c. Amplified Bible: And said, I beg of you, my brothers, do not behave so wickedly.

d. Septuagint: and said to them, By no means, brethren, do not act villainously.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: And he said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act wickedly.

1. “And said, I pray you, brethren…”

a. And said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

b. brethren [251 * ‘ach] [Strong: a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.]

2. “…do not so wickedly.”

a. wickedly [7489 * ra’a’] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good for nothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally):--afflict, associate selves (by mistake for 7462), break (down, in pieces), + displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for 7462), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) ill, X indeed, do mischief, punish, still, vex, (do) wicked (doer, -ly), be (deal, do) worse.]

1). This is conclusive proof that the demand to “know” these visitors was not to “get acquainted with them”, otherwise Lot would not have called it wicked. As previously stated, the meaning of the word is not to just “get acquainted with”.

b. Some advocates of homosexuality say that Lot was responding to the threat of the gang rape of the men that were visiting him and that even homosexuals would condemn that.  In reality, Lot was responding to the homosexual nature of the rape.  This is bolstered by the fact that he incredibly offered his two virgin daughters to be gang raped by the crowd instead of the crowd gang raping the men who came to visit Lot.

c. Given the homosexual description of Sodom in Chapter 19, there are a couple of New Testament passages that need to be included that will increase our understanding about life in Sodom. 

1). 2 Peter 2:6-8 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, and made them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.”

a). Although verse 6 does not specify what the sin was, the meaning of verse 6 has to be determined by the whole passage, verses 6-8. Verse 6 clearly says that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their ungodly lifestyle, and their destruction was to be an example to future generations against ungodliness. Verses 7 and 8 give us some light not only what some of the ungodliness was, but also about what life was like for Lot in Sodom. Verse 7 says that Lot was, “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked”. The Greek word for “vexed”, according to Joseph Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament means, “to tire down with toil, to exhaust with labor, to oppress with evils, to make trouble for, to treat roughly.”  The Greek word for “filthy” also according to Thayer’s means “wanton acts or manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females.”. The only scripture we have in the Bible that describes Lot being affected in such a way is Genesis 19:4-7 where Lot implored the men of Sodom not to behave so wickedly when they desired to have homosexual relations with the men visiting Lot. Getting back to the passage in verse 8 of 2 Peter 2 it goes a little further. As Lot lived among them, what he saw and heard “vexed” him. The Greek word for “vexed” (this word is different from the word “vexed” in verse 7), means “to torture, afflict with pain, harass; in verse 8 it is used metaphorically to examine or scrutinize.” It implies the behavior was practiced in front of him to harass him and see how he would react. On a day by day basis the people of Sodom would purposefully do unchaste acts in front of Lot to torment and harass him.

b). On June 26, 1994 New York leaders ordered police officers not to enforce public nudity laws for the Stonewall 25 parade. As a result, along with 120,000 plus marchers, were marchers from the group ‘Radical Faeries”, who marched down Fifth Avenue totally naked in full view of police officers (World Magazine, 7/2/94). The real reason for the orders was fear that the homosexual community would react violently to enforcement of the law. After all, the parade was a celebration of a riot 25 years previous, by homosexuals against police enforcing the law.

c). From the San Francisco Chronicle’s 9/30/93 edition a letter was published by a San Francisco police officer who was assigned to patrol the city’s ‘Folsom Street Fair. In the letter, the officer wrote, “Being in full uniform and walking the streets of the Fair, I observed couples in bondage attire, men and women displaying their body parts, i.e., bare breasts, bare genitals and buttocks. There was also a flogging demonstration. Worst of all, I observed male couples, totally naked, engaging in acts of mutual masturbation and oral sex.” When repeatedly asked why he wasn’t arresting these people, he writes, “At least a dozen times I had to painstakingly explain that we were to take a position of “high tolerance” and not create an incident.”

2). Jude 7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

a). This is the conclusive Scripture that shows, along with Genesis 18:20,21, Genesis 19: 4-7,12,13, that the homosexuality of these cities was one of the deciding factors in God destroying these cities. The Greek definitions of the words of Jude 7 not only reveal this, but are also rich in the wisdom of God in destroying the arguments of the advocates of homosexuality. For example, “giving themselves over to fornication” is the Greek word ekporneuo, ( ek-out or from; and porneuo-to commit fornication or practice lewdness.) The other phrase, “going after” is very revealing. The word for “going” is aperchomai, and here in Jude 7 it means, “To go after someone, to follow as companions or disciples…having become devotees of other flesh.” The word for “after” is opiso, and it also has the meaning of “following as a disciple or otherwise”.

b). Most people are unaware there were four cities destroyed, not just two.  Deuteronomy 29:23 says, “like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger, and in His wrath”.

c).  Jude establishes that the homosexual activity was also a characteristic of the other cities as well; “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh…”