Abraham allows Lot … He liberated Lot and brought him to Sodom with all his possessions; the women who had been captured and other prisoners were also recovered. Abram, trying to find a solution to this problem, proposed that he and Lot should separate amicably and move to new territory. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground() 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s houseYou can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. "Keil & Delitzsch Commentary says, No, "lord" is singular in the Hebrew. Generally speaking, the east wind in the Bible is a negative thing. Genealogy based on Lot and his relatives. The Bible has a lot to say about Abraham's nephew and his place in the ancient world, but it is a profitable study with broad implications for the day in which we live. They made their father drunk and laid with him. Lot also accompanies Abraham to Egypt and is with him when they leave. The infamous story of the prophet with the talking donkey demonstrates the Bible's awareness that powers of divination were not limited to Israelite seers. So Lot moved his family and animals there. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. The angels agreed and told him that the little town, called Zoar, would not be destroyed. At some point, possibly soon after Haran’s death, Lot’s grandfather Terah decided to relocate his entire family to Canaan. Your email address will not be published. He saw a very nice part of the country that had water and a lot of good grass for his animals. The Moabites and Ammonites who switched to worshipping the god, Chemosh. There, he divided his men in groups; attacked the enemy that night; and defeated them, chasing them back as far as Hobah, near Damascus. Abraham’s Camels. The fourth chapter of the Book of Ezekiel finds God instructing the prophet to perform a series of bizarre tasks. 3. Instead, he settled for less. This article about Lot, together with other tools, activities, aids and materials and are designed to be used by an individual or a Christian Bible … The victors took a number of prisoners, including Lot, and returned to their own countries, loaded with all the goods from Sodom and Gomorrah that they could carry. Lot told them that he would not be able to get that far and to allow them to find refuge in a small nearby town. By highlighting Lot’s selfishness, greed, and lust, Abraham appears generous and righteous. Rickett further examines Lot’s motives in this passage: Genesis 13 states Abraham’s desire for him and Lot to separate but says nothing about Lot’s desire to separate. Lot looked over the land. In the free eBook Exploring Genesis: The Bible’s Ancient Traditions in Context, discover the cultural contexts for many of Israel’s earliest traditions. Lot’s oldest daughter came up with an idea that she presented to her younger sister. Camels appear with Abraham in some Biblical texts—and depictions thereof, such as The Caravan of Abram by James Tissot, based on Genesis 12. Lot was called righteous for the same reason that Abraham or any person is: He believed in God. Lot is Abraham's nephew; he is the son of Haran, who had died before the family moved from Ur. Question: "Who was Lot in the Bible?" He was born in Ur of the Chaldeans, a Sumerian city in the Euphrates valley, near the head of the Persian Gulf. Dig into the illuminating world of the Bible with a BAS All-Access membership. The Talmud charges Lot with having a “lustful character.” Chrysostom (c. 349–407 C.E. However, as Rickett points out, this creates a dilemma since “Lot is not part of God’s promise to Abraham.”, To make sense of this episode, ancient interpreters would shift the focus off Abraham’s offer onto Lot’s character. Answer: Lot was the grandson of Terah, son of Haran, and nephew of Abram (Abraham). He continued to live with his uncle Abram. Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed. They finally made their home in the city of Sodʹom. Some modern readers have noted that Lot’s lack of a counterproposal or deferment to Abraham might indicate his cunning manipulation. The bible does not specifically say that Lot had 4 daughters,but we can infer from the scriptures that he had at least 4 daughters. Abram gave Lot first choice, and he settled in the well-watered valley of the Jordan, near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us into good choices. Terah had three sons: Abraham, Nahor, and Haran.Haran fathered Lot but then died unexpectedly, so Lot was taken in by Terah and Abraham (Genesis 11:27–32). The sons-in-law laughed and thought that Lot was joking. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. The way that the "lots" landed would be interpreted by someone present, usually a person considered close to God or learned in scripture. Lot made his home and reared his children in wicked Sodom. The sun was rising when Lot entered Zoar, and God rained sulfurous fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying both cities and annihilating their inhabitants. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. This upset Lot, because he was a good man. He was likely born in Ur of the Chaldeans. He deliberately chose to do so, as we learn from Genesis 13: 12-13. When he delayed needlessly, the angels seized his hand, and the hands of his wife and daughters, and brought them out of the city. Lot's abduction by the forces of king Amraphel of Shinar and valiant retrieval by Abraham and his men led to the introduction of the hallowed Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) but Lot's life spiraled into ruin. Rickett argues that this was done to safeguard Abraham. These personal flaws result in the desperate and unnecessary act of incest performed by Lot’s daughters in Gen 19:30-38. He was but born to try the lot of man, to suffer and to die. First of all, was Lot a believer in Abraham's God? However, Abraham and Lot eventually separate because the land cannot support both of their possessions, animals, and servants. Years went by, and Lot also became a wealthy man, owning flocks, herds, and tents. It was his descendants who turned away from worshipping the God of their father and uncle. Abram and Lot Separate. Lot, who was sitting in the gate of the city, rose to meet them and invited them to stay at his house. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. If the hypothesis that Lot was a greedy and grasping man opposed to Abraham and his God, why was it that — after listening to Abraham’s plea for the righteous people of Sodom to be saved — was a pair of angels sent to Lot to warn him of the impending destruction? Lot’s descendants were born through sexual immorality and these two boys would end up as two of the worst enemies of the Israelites, well over 400 years later. Abram–who was then called Abraham, a name given to him by God–argued and bargained with God, trying to convince Him not to destroy the city, because there may be a few innocent people there. Michael, you seem to have a bias that you’re not aware of. Undoubtedly he learned it growing up under the wing of his uncle and mentor, Abraham. Sign up to receive our email newsletter and never miss an update. All of these interpretations read sinister motives into the text. l. I think we want very simplistic views of everything as evil v. good. Lot was the son of Haran, grandson of Terah, and nephew of Abraham. Because of his association with Abraham, Lot also has flocks, herds, and tents. Genesis 13:12 | View whole chapter | See verse in context Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. She reminded her younger sister that they were still chil… In the Bible, God promises to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants. However, the men (and boys) of the city gather around Lot's house and demand that he give them the two guests so they could know them (verses 19:4–5). Lot’s wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Learn more about ancient interpretations of Lot’s character in Dan Rickett’s Biblical Views column “Safeguarding Abraham,” published in the January/February 2019 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. Lot meant to appease the men of Sodom so that the hospitality of his house would not be damaged, but he makes the wrong choice in offering his own daughters, and God’s messengers overruled him. Abraham's nephew was one of the only survivors of Sodom and Gomorrah. They, at first, refused the invitation but accepted after Lot insisted. Lot may be a misunderstood, maligned character. excellent, that’s why it pays to read for oneself. (9) His lot was to burn incense.--The order of the courses was, as has been said, one of rotation. They told Lot and his family to escape to the hills, and warned them not to look back. LOT, noun. Lot was the grandson of Terah and the nephew of Abraham. Parents and children can learn together. 4. In the Bible, Abraham’s nephew Lot accompanies him from Haran to the land of Canaan (Genesis 12). My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. Even after we are saved, we are subject to backsliding. Copyright © 2002-2021 My Jewish Learning. What does the Bible say about Lot? 19 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. Subscribers: Read the full Biblical Views column “Safeguarding Abraham” by Dan Rickett in the January/February 2019 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. Lot should have done as his uncle did. And his brother Nahor became Lot’s father –in –law when he married Milcah who may also have been the sister of Sarah. Lot, afraid of staying in Zoar, left the town with his two daughters and went to the hills, where they lived in a cave. The visitors told Lot to take all the members of his household out of the city, because God had sent them to destroy it. Reprinted with permission from Who’s Who in the Hebrew Bible (The Jewish Publication Society). And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. But most of us make bad choices out of good intentions. 1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. Required fields are marked *. A modern reader may consider Lot’s choice to be neutral, perhaps prudent, or maybe even selfish—but probably not wicked. He shows that ancient interpreters frequently painted Lot as greedy and unscrupulous—a foil to Abraham’s righteousness. If he is evil, his misfortunes lay in his evil intent (which of course, I don’t have) not in making a bad choice that any of us might have made. It may then come as a surprise that ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters often attributed sinister motives to Lot’s choice. Genesis 19:17-22 Compared with the rest of the story, there is a sudden change in the pronouns from plural to singular. Lot went out of the house, closing the door behind him and implored the men not to commit such a wicked act. The casting of lots was typically used when a big decision had to be made but there was insufficient information or guidance in the scriptures. The visitors dined with Lot and his family, and they were getting ready to go to bed when the men of Sodom surrounded the house and demanded that Lot hand them the visitors, whom they intended to rape. Like Lot, we are sinful by nature. Any suggestion that he lived in Sodom so he could be like the Sodomites is put to rest when he offers his daughters up to the mob to protect the angels from their sexual advances. The eldest one gave birth to a son, whom she called Moab; he was the ancestor of the Moabites. After the death of Terah at the age of 205, Abram, who was then 75 years old, took Sarai and Lot to the land of Canaan. Explore Mesopotamian creation myths, Joseph’s relationship with Egyptian temple practices and three different takes on the location of Ur of the Chaldees, the birthplace of Abraham. Lot was righteous not because he acted perfectly in the incident with the two strangers in Genesis 19—-far from it. Here we go. Or perhaps Lot really has no interest in Abraham or the God that he serves. In the Bible, Lot finds mention only as the father of Moab and Ammon (Deuteronomy 2:9, 19 Psalm 83:8), and in the passage in 2Pe already noticed; and, besides these places, in Luke 17:28-32. All Rights Reserved. 1. Sometime later, God told Abraham that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were very great and that He was going to destroy the cities. We see it in modern politics. The Bible describes Lot as “just” and “righteous,” which meant he kept God’s Law. The visitors pulled Lot inside the house and shut the door. The two daughters believed that no man had been left alive, but they were anxious to have children. Early next morning, the angels urged Lot to take his wife and his two daughters and flee the city. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” Abraham became very wealthy and owned flocks, herds, and tents. He succeeded in recovering all the stolen loot. After Haran died, Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai, and his grandson Lot and traveled to the city of Haran, which lay between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers in northern Aram, near the modern border between Syria and Turkey. This Biblical episode seems fairly straightforward. By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! 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