Génesis 18:20-19:25
Reina Valera Contemporánea
20 Entonces el Señor le dijo:
«Puesto que el clamor contra Sodoma y Gomorra va en aumento, y su pecado se ha agravado demasiado, 21 voy ahora a descender allá, para ver si lo que han hecho corresponde a las quejas que han llegado hasta mí. Si no es así, lo sabré.»
22 Y aquellos varones se apartaron de allí, y fueron hacia Sodoma; pero Abrahán seguía estando delante del Señor. 23 Y se acercó Abrahán y le dijo:
«¿Acaso vas a destruir al justo con el injusto? 24 Tal vez haya cincuenta justos en la ciudad. ¿Acaso destruirás ese lugar, y no lo perdonarás por los cincuenta justos que estén allí adentro? 25 ¡Lejos sea de ti hacer morir al justo con el impío, y tratar al justo como al impío! ¡Jamás hagas tal cosa! ¿Acaso el Juez de toda la tierra no debe hacer lo que es justo?»
26 El Señor respondió:
«Si dentro de la ciudad de Sodoma encuentro a cincuenta justos, por ellos perdonaré a todos los que estén allí.»
27 Abrahán replicó y dijo:
«Aquí estoy ahora, atreviéndome a hablar con mi Señor, aunque sólo soy polvo y ceniza. 28 Pero tal vez falten cinco justos para completar los cincuenta; ¿por faltar esos cinco destruirás toda la ciudad?»
Y el Señor dijo:
«No la destruiré, si encuentro sólo cuarenta y cinco.»
29 Abrahán volvió a hablarle, y dijo:
«Tal vez sólo se hallen cuarenta...»
Y el Señor respondió:
«Aun por esos cuarenta no lo haré.»
30 Abrahán insistió:
«Espero que mi Señor no se enoje, si sigo hablando; pero tal vez sólo se encuentren treinta...»
Y el Señor respondió:
«Aun si encuentro treinta, no lo haré.»
31 Abrahán dijo:
«Aquí estoy ahora, atreviéndome a hablar con mi Señor; tal vez sólo se encuentren veinte...»
Y el Señor contestó:
«Aun por esos veinte, no la destruiré.»
32 Pero Abrahán volvió a decir:
«Espero que mi Señor no se enoje si hablo una vez más; pero tal vez se encuentren sólo diez...»
Y el Señor respondió:
«Aun por esos diez, no la destruiré.»
33 Cuando el Señor terminó de hablar con Abrahán, se fue de allí; y Abrahán volvió a su lugar.
Destrucción de Sodoma y Gomorra
19 Al caer la tarde llegaron los dos ángeles a Sodoma. Lot estaba sentado a la entrada de Sodoma, así que al verlos se levantó a recibirlos. Se inclinó hasta el suelo, 2 y dijo:
«Señores míos, les ruego que vengan a la casa de este siervo suyo y pasen allí la noche. Se lavarán los pies, y por la mañana podrán levantarse y seguir su camino.»
Pero ellos respondieron:
«No, sino que pasaremos la noche en la calle.»
3 Como Lot les insistió demasiado, ellos se fueron con él. Al entrar en su casa, les ofreció un banquete de panes sin levadura, y ellos comieron. 4 Pero antes de que se acostaran, los hombres de la ciudad rodearon la casa. Allí estaba todo el pueblo junto, todos los hombres de Sodoma, desde el más joven hasta el más viejo. 5 Llamaron a Lot, y le dijeron:
«¿Dónde están los varones que vinieron a tu casa esta noche? Sácalos, pues queremos tener relaciones con ellos.»
6 Lot salió hasta la puerta para hablar con ellos, pero cerró la puerta tras de sí. 7 Y les dijo:
«Hermanos míos, yo les ruego no cometer tal maldad. 8 Yo tengo aquí dos hijas mías, que no han conocido varón. Voy a sacarlas, y ustedes podrán hacer con ellas lo que mejor les parezca; pero a estos varones no les hagan nada, pues han venido a refugiarse bajo mi tejado.»
9 Pero ellos respondieron:
«¡Hazte a un lado!»
Y añadieron:
«Este extranjero vino a vivir entre nosotros, ¡y ahora quiere erigirse en juez! ¡Pues te va a ir peor que a ellos!»
Y trataron a Lot con gran violencia, y se acercaron para derribar la puerta. 10 Entonces los varones extendieron la mano y metieron a Lot en la casa con ellos; luego cerraron la puerta, 11 y a los hombres que estaban a la entrada de la casa, desde el menor hasta el mayor, los hirieron con ceguera, y éstos se cansaron de buscar la puerta. 12 Y los varones le dijeron a Lot:
«¿Todavía hay alguien más contigo? ¿Yernos, hijos, hijas? Todo lo que tengas en la ciudad, ¡sácalo de aquí! 13 Porque nosotros vamos a destruir este lugar. ¡Son ya demasiadas las quejas contra ellos, que han llegado a oídos del Señor! Por eso el Señor nos ha enviado a destruirlo.»
14 Entonces Lot salió y habló con sus yernos, es decir, los que habían tomado a sus hijas, y les dijo:
«¡Levántense, salgan de esta ciudad, que el Señor va a destruirla!»
Pero a sus yernos les pareció que Lot estaba bromeando.
15 Al rayar el alba, los ángeles apuraban a Lot y le decían:
«Levántate, y llévate a tu mujer y a tus dos hijas que tienes aquí, para que no mueras cuando la ciudad sea castigada.»
16 Pero como él se tardaba, los varones lo tomaron de la mano y, junto con su mujer y sus dos hijas, lo sacaron de la ciudad y lo pusieron fuera de ella,(A) conforme a la misericordia que el Señor tuvo de él. 17 Una vez que los sacaron, le dijeron:
«¡Corre, ponte a salvo! No mires hacia atrás, ni te detengas en toda esta llanura. ¡Huye a los montes, no sea que perezcas!»
18 Pero Lot les dijo:
«No, señores míos, por favor. 19 Puedo ver que este siervo suyo ha hallado gracia ante sus ojos. Ustedes han engrandecido su misericordia para conmigo al concederme la vida; pero yo no puedo huir a los montes, no sea que el mal me alcance y yo muera. 20 ¡Miren esa ciudad! ¡Está muy cerca y es pequeña! ¡Déjenme escapar a ella, y así podré salvar mi vida! ¿Verdad que sí es pequeña?»
21 Y él le respondió:
«Acepto esta súplica tuya. No destruiré esa ciudad, de la que me has hablado. 22 Pero date prisa y corre a ella, porque yo no podré hacer nada hasta que llegues allá.»
Por eso esa ciudad recibió el nombre de Soar.[a] 23 Y cuando el sol comenzaba a salir sobre la tierra, Lot llegó a Soar. 24 Entonces el Señor hizo llover desde los cielos azufre y fuego sobre Sodoma y Gomorra, 25 y destruyó las ciudades y toda aquella llanura, junto con todos los habitantes de aquellas ciudades(B) y los productos de la tierra.
Footnotes
- Génesis 19:22 Es decir, Pequeña.
Genesis 18:20-19:25
New English Translation
20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against[a] Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant[b] 21 that I must go down[c] and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests.[d] If not,[e] I want to know.”
22 The two men turned[f] and headed[g] toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord.[h] 23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you really sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare[i] the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge[j] of the whole earth do what is right?”[k]
26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord[l] (although I am but dust and ashes),[m] 28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy[n] the whole city because five are lacking?”[o] He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
29 Abraham[p] spoke to him again,[q] “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
30 Then Abraham[r] said, “May the Lord not be angry[s] so that I may speak![t] What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Abraham[u] said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
32 Finally Abraham[v] said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
33 The Lord went on his way[w] when he had finished speaking[x] to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home.[y]
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
19 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while[z] Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway.[aa] When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.
2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night[ab] and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.”[ac] “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.”[ad]
3 But he urged[ae] them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they could lie down to sleep,[af] all the men—both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom—surrounded the house.[ag] 5 They shouted to Lot,[ah] “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can take carnal knowledge of[ai] them!”
6 Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. 7 He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly![aj] 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never been intimate with[ak] a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please.[al] Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection[am] of my roof.”[an]
9 “Out of our way!”[ao] they cried, “This man came to live here as a foreigner,[ap] and now he dares to judge us![aq] We’ll do more harm[ar] to you than to them!” They kept pressing in on Lot[as] until they were close enough[at] to break down the door.
10 So the men inside[au] reached out[av] and pulled Lot back into the house[aw] as they shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest,[ax] with blindness. The men outside[ay] wore themselves out trying to find the door. 12 Then the two visitors[az] said to Lot, “Who else do you have here?[ba] Do you have[bb] any sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or other relatives in the city?[bc] Get them out of this[bd] place 13 because we are about to destroy[be] it. The outcry against this place[bf] is so great before the Lord that he[bg] has sent us to destroy it.”
14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters.[bh] He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the Lord is about to destroy[bi] the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them.[bj]
15 At dawn[bk] the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here,[bl] or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged!”[bm] 16 When Lot[bn] hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters because the Lord had compassion on them.[bo] They led them away and placed them[bp] outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, they[bq] said, “Run[br] for your lives! Don’t look[bs] behind you or stop anywhere in the valley![bt] Escape to the mountains or you will be destroyed!”
18 But Lot said to them, “No, please, Lord![bu] 19 Your[bv] servant has found favor with you,[bw] and you have shown me great[bx] kindness[by] by sparing[bz] my life. But I am not able to escape to the mountains because[ca] this disaster will overtake[cb] me and I’ll die.[cc] 20 Look, this town[cd] over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one.[ce] Let me go there.[cf] It’s just a little place, isn’t it?[cg] Then I’ll survive.”[ch]
21 “Very well,” he replied,[ci] “I will grant this request too[cj] and will not overthrow[ck] the town you mentioned. 22 Run there quickly,[cl] for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” (This incident explains why the town was called Zoar.)[cm]
23 The sun had just risen[cn] over the land as Lot reached Zoar.[co] 24 Then the Lord rained down[cp] sulfur and fire[cq] on Sodom and Gomorrah. It was sent down from the sky by the Lord.[cr] 25 So he overthrew those cities and all that region,[cs] including all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation that grew from the ground.[ct]
Footnotes
- Genesis 18:20 tn Heb “the outcry of Sodom,” which apparently refers to the outcry for divine justice from those (unidentified persons) who observe its sinful ways.
- Genesis 18:20 tn Heb “heavy” or “severe.”sn Ezekiel 16:49-50 includes three types of sins of Sodom: failure to help the poor and needy while having prosperity, pride (or haughtiness), and committing abomination.
- Genesis 18:21 tn The cohortative indicates the Lord’s resolve.sn I must go down. The descent to “see” Sodom is a bold anthropomorphism, stressing the careful judgment of God. The language is reminiscent of the Lord going down to see the Tower of Babel in Gen 11:1-9.
- Genesis 18:21 tn Heb “[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely.” Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the “outcry” against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.
- Genesis 18:21 sn The short phrase if not provides a ray of hope and inspires Abraham’s intercession.
- Genesis 18:22 tn Heb “And the men turned from there.” The word “two” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as “angels”), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the Lord was the third visitor, who remained behind with Abraham here. The words “from there” are not included in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 18:22 tn Heb “went.”
- Genesis 18:22 tc An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition reads “but the Lord remained standing before Abraham.” This reading is problematic because the phrase “standing before” typically indicates intercession, but the Lord would certainly not be interceding before Abraham.
- Genesis 18:24 tn Heb “lift up,” perhaps in the sense of “bear with” (cf. NRSV “forgive”).
- Genesis 18:25 tn Or “ruler.”
- Genesis 18:25 sn Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right? For discussion of this text see J. L. Crenshaw, “Popular Questioning of the Justice of God in Ancient Israel,” ZAW 82 (1970): 380-95, and C. S. Rodd, “Shall Not the Judge of All the Earth Do What Is Just?” ExpTim 83 (1972): 137-39.
- Genesis 18:27 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
- Genesis 18:27 tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the Lord.
- Genesis 18:28 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.
- Genesis 18:28 tn Heb “because of five.”
- Genesis 18:29 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 18:29 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys—the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”
- Genesis 18:30 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 18:30 tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”
- Genesis 18:30 tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.
- Genesis 18:31 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 18:32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 18:33 tn Heb “And the Lord went.”
- Genesis 18:33 tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
- Genesis 18:33 tn Heb “to his place.”
- Genesis 19:1 tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.
- Genesis 19:1 tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.sn The expression sitting in the city’s gateway may mean that Lot was exercising some type of judicial function (see the use of the idiom in 2 Sam 19:8; Jer 26:10; 38:7; 39:3).
- Genesis 19:2 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
- Genesis 19:2 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
- Genesis 19:2 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
- Genesis 19:3 tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.
- Genesis 19:4 tn The verb שָׁכַב (shakhav) means “to lie down, to recline,” that is, “to go to bed.” Here what appears to be an imperfect is a preterite after the adverb טֶרֶם (terem). The nuance of potential (perfect) fits well.
- Genesis 19:4 tn Heb “and the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, from the young to the old, all the people from the end [of the city].” The repetition of the phrase “men of” stresses all kinds of men.
- Genesis 19:5 tn The Hebrew text adds “and said to him.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 19:5 tn Heb “know.” The expression יָדַע (yadaʿ) “to know” is a euphemism for sexual relations. Elsewhere NET employs the English euphemism “be intimate with” for this use of יָדַע, but uses a different euphemism here because of the perverse overtones of force in this context. Their intent is to molest them, but their rhetoric tries to minimize their wickedness.sn The sin of the men of Sodom is debated. The fact that the sin involved a sexual act (see note on the phrase “take carnal knowledge of” in 19:5) precludes an association of the sin with inhospitality as is sometimes asserted (see W. Roth, “What of Sodom and Gomorrah? Homosexual Acts in the Old Testament,” Explor 1 [1974]: 7-14). The text at a minimum condemns forced sexual intercourse, i.e., rape. Other considerations, though, point to a condemnation of homosexual acts more generally. The narrator emphasizes the fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have sex with men: They demand that Lot release the angelic messengers (seen as men) to them for sex, and when Lot offers his daughters as a substitute they refuse them and attempt to take the angelic messengers by force. In addition the wider context of the Pentateuch condemns homosexual acts as sin (see, e.g., Lev 18:22). Thus a reading of this text within its narrative context, both immediate and broad, condemns not only the attempted rape but also the attempted homosexual act.
- Genesis 19:7 tn Heb “may my brothers not act wickedly.”
- Genesis 19:8 tn Heb “who have not known.” Here this expression is a euphemism for sexual relations.
- Genesis 19:8 tn Heb “according to what is good in your eyes.”
- Genesis 19:8 tn Heb “shadow.”
- Genesis 19:8 sn This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.
- Genesis 19:9 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
- Genesis 19:9 tn Heb “to live as a resident foreigner.”
- Genesis 19:9 tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”
- Genesis 19:9 tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors—probably nothing short of homosexual rape—they were now ready to inflict on Lot.
- Genesis 19:9 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
- Genesis 19:9 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
- Genesis 19:10 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “inside” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 19:10 tn The Hebrew text adds “their hand.” These words have not been translated for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 19:10 tn Heb “to them into the house.”
- Genesis 19:11 tn Heb “from the least to the greatest.”
- Genesis 19:11 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Sodom outside the door) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 19:12 tn Heb “the men,” referring to the angels inside Lot’s house. The word “visitors” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 19:12 tn Heb “Yet who [is there] to you here?”
- Genesis 19:12 tn The words “Do you have” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 19:12 tn Heb “a son-in-law and your sons and your daughters and anyone who (is) to you in the city.”
- Genesis 19:12 tn Heb “the place.” The Hebrew article serves here as a demonstrative.
- Genesis 19:13 tn The Hebrew participle expresses an imminent action here.
- Genesis 19:13 tn Heb “for their outcry.” The words “this place” have been moved from earlier in the sentence for stylistic reasons, and "about" has been added.
- Genesis 19:13 tn Heb “the Lord.” The repetition of the divine name has been replaced in the translation by the pronoun “he” for stylistic reasons.
- Genesis 19:14 sn The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.
- Genesis 19:14 tn The Hebrew active participle expresses an imminent action.
- Genesis 19:14 tn Heb “and he was like one taunting in the eyes of his sons-in-law.” These men mistakenly thought Lot was ridiculing them and their lifestyle. Their response illustrates how morally insensitive they had become.
- Genesis 19:15 tn Heb “When dawn came up.”
- Genesis 19:15 tn Heb “who are found.” The wording might imply he had other daughters living in the city, but the text does not explicitly state this.
- Genesis 19:15 tn Or “with the iniquity [i.e., punishment] of the city” (cf. NASB, NRSV).
- Genesis 19:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Lot) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Genesis 19:16 tn Heb “in the compassion of the Lord to them.”
- Genesis 19:16 tn Heb “brought him out and placed him.” The third masculine singular suffixes refer specifically to Lot, though his wife and daughters accompanied him (see v. 17). For stylistic reasons these have been translated as plural pronouns (“them”).
- Genesis 19:17 tn Or “one of them”; Heb “he.” Several ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read the plural “they.” See also the note on “your” in v. 19.
- Genesis 19:17 tn Heb “escape.”
- Genesis 19:17 tn The Hebrew verb translated “look” signifies an intense gaze, not a passing glance. This same verb is used later in v. 26 to describe Lot’s wife’s self-destructive look back at the city.
- Genesis 19:17 tn Or “in the plain”; Heb “in the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
- Genesis 19:18 tn Or “my lords.” See the following note on the problem of identifying the addressee here. The Hebrew term is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
- Genesis 19:19 tn The second person pronominal suffixes are singular in this verse (note “your eyes,” “you have made great,” and “you have acted”). Verse 18a seems to indicate that Lot is addressing the angels, but the use of the singular and the appearance of the divine title “Lord” (אֲדֹנָי, ʾadonay) in v. 18b suggests he is speaking to God.
- Genesis 19:19 tn Heb “in your eyes.”
- Genesis 19:19 tn Heb “you made great your kindness.”
- Genesis 19:19 tn Heb “kindness that you have done with me.”sn The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (khesed) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.
- Genesis 19:19 tn The infinitive construct explains how God has shown Lot kindness.
- Genesis 19:19 tn Heb “lest.”
- Genesis 19:19 tn The Hebrew verb דָּבַק (davaq) normally means “to stick to, to cleave, to join.” Lot is afraid he cannot outrun the coming calamity.
- Genesis 19:19 tn The perfect verb form with vav consecutive carries the nuance of the imperfect verbal form before it.
- Genesis 19:20 tn The Hebrew word עִיר (ʿir) can refer to either a city or a town, depending on the size of the place. Given that this place was described by Lot later in this verse as a “little place,” the translation uses “town.”
- Genesis 19:20 tn Heb “Look, this town is near to flee to there. And it is little.”
- Genesis 19:20 tn Heb “Let me escape to there.” The cohortative here expresses Lot’s request.
- Genesis 19:20 tn Heb “Is it not little?”
- Genesis 19:20 tn Heb “my soul will live.” After the cohortative the jussive with vav conjunctive here indicates purpose/result.
- Genesis 19:21 tn Heb “And he said to him, ‘Look, . . . .’” The order of the clauses has been rearranged for stylistic reasons. The referent of the speaker (“he”) is somewhat ambiguous: It could be taken as the angel to whom Lot has been speaking (so NLT; note the singular references in vv. 18-19), or it could be that Lot is speaking directly to the Lord here. Most English translations leave the referent of the pronoun unspecified and maintain the ambiguity.
- Genesis 19:21 tn Heb “I have lifted up your face [i.e., shown you favor] also concerning this matter.”
- Genesis 19:21 tn The negated infinitive construct indicates either the consequence of God’s granting the request (“I have granted this request, so that I will not”) or the manner in which he will grant it (“I have granted your request by not destroying”).
- Genesis 19:22 tn Heb “Be quick! Escape to there!” The two imperatives form a verbal hendiadys, the first becoming adverbial.
- Genesis 19:22 tn Heb “Therefore the name of the city is called Zoar.” The name of the place, צוֹעַר (tsoʿar) apparently means “Little Place,” in light of the wordplay with the term “little” (מִצְעָר, mitsʿar) used twice by Lot to describe the town (v. 20).
- Genesis 19:23 sn The sun had just risen. There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15) and sunrise (here).
- Genesis 19:23 tn The juxtaposition of the two disjunctive clauses indicates synchronic action. The first action (the sun’s rising) occurred as the second (Lot’s entering Zoar) took place. The disjunctive clauses also signal closure for the preceding scene.
- Genesis 19:24 tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of the next scene and highlights God’s action.
- Genesis 19:24 tn Or “burning sulfur” (the traditional “fire and brimstone”).
- Genesis 19:24 tn Heb “from the Lord from the heavens.” The words “It was sent down” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn The text explicitly states that the sulfur and fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah was sent down from the sky by the Lord. What exactly this was, and how it happened, can only be left to intelligent speculation, but see J. P. Harland, “The Destruction of the Cities of the Plain,” BA 6 (1943): 41-54.
- Genesis 19:25 tn Or “and all the plain”; Heb “and all the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.
- Genesis 19:25 tn Heb “and what sprouts of the ground.”
Copyright © 2009, 2011 by Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.