What does Genesis 19:2 mean?
Two angels disguised as men have arrived in Sodom. Lot, sitting at the gate of the city as a leader and elder of the town, has welcomed them. He probably doesn't yet know that these are angels sent to investigate the sins of the city's people in preparation for God's judgment.What Lot does seem to know is that two men, arriving in the city late in the day, are not safe out in the open. In this and the following verse, Lot will urge them to come to his home for the night and to leave early in the morning. He is offering his hospitality, as demanded by the culture of the time. At the same time, though he does not say so, Lot is also offering his protection from the violent men of his own city.
The angels initially reject his offer, claiming they will simply spend the night in the town square. In an era before large-scale hotels, inns, or other accommodations, it would not have been unusual for travelers to sleep in a public area for a night as they passed through a town. As messengers of God, the angels were not concerned for their own safety. Rather, they seem to be testing Lot to see how hard he would try to protect two unsuspecting "men" from the wickedness of his town.