Genesis 19:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

NIV: By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.

NASB: The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

CSB: The sun had risen over the land when Lot reached Zoar.

NLT: Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon.

KJV: The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

NKJV: The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.

The Lord's judgment is coming on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah—actually, upon the entire region occupied by these two depraved cultures. Prior to this, and for the sake of our own understanding, God even allowed Abraham to set the limit of Sodom's rescue: 10 righteous people. This, despite being such a low standard, is a test this culture could not pass. Lot and his family were living in Sodom, but God has mercifully removed them, allowing them now to escape what is coming by hiding out in the small, nearby city of Zoar. In fact, the Lord has agreed not to destroy Zoar for their sake.

In the previous verse, it was made clear to Lot that the judgment would not begin until his family reached Zoar. Now they have arrived, sometime after sunrise. Just as the family makes it to safety, God enacts one of his most spectacular instances of earthly wrath. In a moment symbolic of God's ultimate defeat of sin and evil, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah will be annihilated in a rain of fire.

Genesis 19:23–29 describes the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with sulfur and fire. Based on prior descriptions in the book of Genesis, this devastation is both overdue and well-deserved. The Lord's judgment wipes out the cities, all of the valley, all of the people, and all of the vegetation. God demonstrates that He will judge humans for their sinfulness when the time is right. He also demonstrates His grace and mercy, however, remembering His promises to Abraham in rescuing Abraham's nephew Lot.

Two angels, disguised as men, visit Abraham's nephew, Lot, in the city of Sodom. After the men of Sodom attempt to rape the angels in Lot's home, the angels rescue Lot and his family, forcibly removing them from the city. Then God sends fire and sulfur from heaven. This destroys all of the land and people in and around the cities. As stated in earlier verses, this is the result of their great and ongoing wickedness. Lot's wife is turned to a pillar of salt when she disobeys the angels by looking back on the destruction. Lot and his daughters flee first to Zoar, then to a cave in the hills. There, Lot's confused and frightened daughters get him drunk, have sex with him, and each become pregnant.

In the previous chapter, Abraham had bargained with God on behalf of his nephew Lot and the people of Sodom. The Lord assured Abraham He would not destroy the cities if He found ten righteous people there. Chapter 19 immediately demonstrates no righteous people are to be found. Every man of Sodom attempts to attack two visitors, who are God's angels in human form. As the angels rescue Lot, God's judgment falls, utterly destroying everything in the area around Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot and his daughters end up in a cave in the hills, where the daughters scheme to conceive children by making their father drunk. This ends Lot's role in the story of Genesis, with future chapters focusing exclusively on the life and descendants of Abraham.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/27/2024 5:12:02 PM