Gen. 19:19 (AV) Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy (חַסְדְּךָ ḥasdəḵā, N-msc | 2ms), which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
הִנֵּה־נָא מָצָא עַבְדְּךָ חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וַתַּגְדֵּל חַסְדְּךָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת־נַפְשִׁי וְאָנֹכִי לֹא אוּכַל לְהִמָּלֵט הָהָרָה פֶּן־תִּדְבָּקַנִי הָרָעָה וָמַתִּי׃
|
Of |
the two angels to Lot |
|
Tyndale |
mercy |
|
AV |
mercy |
|
ASV |
lovingkindness |
|
Darby |
goodness |
|
YLT |
kindness |
|
RSV |
kindness |
|
NIV |
kindness |
|
ISV |
gracious love |
|
ESV |
kindness |
|
NASB |
compassion |
|
NET |
kindness |
|
WEB |
loving kindness |
|
D-R |
mercy |
|
LXX |
ἔλεος |
|
Vulgate |
misericordiam |
Gen. 19:19
Context: The episode of which this verse is a part begins in Gen. 18, immediately following the institution of the covenant between the LORD and Abraham and the circumcision of Abraham’s household. The LORD, along with two companions, visited Abraham and Sarah. After refreshment and some conversation, the men set out for Sodom (vv. 16, 22). The LORD made clear to Abraham His intention to judge Sodom, and Abraham began to intercede for the preservation of Sodom based on the presence of some righteous residents of the city. Then, in Gen. 19, the two men who came to Sodom are revealed to have been angels (v. 1). Abraham’s nephew, Lot instantly recognized this fact (or it was revealed to him), bowed, and insisted on hosting them in his house (v. 2). After demurring, the two angels entered Lot’s house (v. 3).
After dinner, they were disturbed by the men of Sodom surrounding the house and demanding that Lot surrender the two angels so that they could have sexual relations with them (vv. 4, 5). Lot refused and offered his own virginal daughters instead (v. 8). The men of Sodom were incensed at the suggestion and threatened Lot with harm (v. 9). But the angels grasped Lot and dragged him into the house, shutting the door (v. 10). Then the angels struck the men of Sodom with blindness (v.11), which ended their demands.
The two angels informed Lot that they had been sent and were about to destroy the city, urging Lot to gather any people he had, so that they could leave ahead of the destruction (vv. 12, 13). But Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was jesting (v. 14). At dawn, the angels roused Lot, his wife, and his two daughters, urging them to flee to the hills, for the angels had orders from the LORD to destroy everything in the valley (v. 15). When he lingered, the angels took them all by the hand and led them outside the city, with the instruction that they should escape to the hills (vv. 16, 17), for the disaster was near and the outcome likely to be messy. Lot, being concerned that they could not reach the hills in time, asked for the favor that he be permitted to flee to a small town near the edge of the area to be destroyed (vv. 19, 20). He cited the previous benefit (ḥesed), that they had saved his life (actually, twice). The favor was granted, and the story continued, the outcome of which is an apocalyptic vision that reminds one of Ps. 11:6. But the little town of Zoar at the edge of the plain, to which Lot and his family fled, was spared.
Discussion: It must be admitted that Lot made the effort, as host (v. 8), to protect his guests from the mob. Two elements make this different from the usual hospitality ethic: 1) Lot knew that the two men were angels and not ordinary guests; and 2) the men probably did not need protecting; indeed, they had power and protection beyond anything the mob was capable of handling. Lot’s hospitality is not called ḥesed in the text, but the angels’ actions to save Lot are. Is this reciprocal? The asymmetrical circumstances makes it hard to see that the two actions were in any way comparable. Mutuality is not obvious in this episode.
Though the Abrahamic covenant did not apply to Lot, since Lot was not a descendent of Abraham, nevertheless, Abraham would surely have preferred that Lot and his family be saved. Abraham had already rescued Lot once, and he knew that Lot was not in good circumstances. This may have been part of the point to the intercession with the LORD that Abraham made concerning Sodom (Gen. 18:22-33). There is obligation on the angels, but it is obligation to God, not to Lot. We resist any implication of obligation for God. God’s determination to save Lot for Abraham’s sake is explained in Gen. 19:29, in that, God remembered Abraham (that is, remembered His love for Abraham and Abraham’s faithfulness to Him) and saved Lot for Abraham’s sake.
One detail needs attention: the angels said that they will destroy the cities, but in vv. 24-25 it is the LORD who rained down brimstone and fire from heaven and destroyed the cities. We infer that angels are God’s instruments, cognizant and capable of making decisions, appraising situations, and evaluating the physical and psychological conditions, and also faithful and dutiful. Their instrumentality in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is assumed and indistinguishable from God’s activity in that regard.
In v. 26, there is a curious incident recorded. The angels had told the family to flee and not look back. In their flight, Lot’s (unnamed) wife ignored the command and looked back and became a pillar of salt. Evidently, the loss of Lot’s wife led to the incestuous episodes in Gen. 19:31-38 that led to the founding of the nations of Moab and Ammon.
Notes:
· Act of ḥesed¸ from, to: from the angels, messengers of God, to Lot and his family.
· Relationship, existence of a covenant: The covenant was with Abraham and his seed. Lot was not a descendant of Abraham and thus not included in the covenant. That this is so is confirmed by the fact that Lot’s descendants were unmistakably outside the covenant, namely, the Moabites and the Ammonites.
· Speaker: Lot
· Obligation, expectation, mutuality: Obligation, expectation, and mutuality are completely missing from this episode.
· Loyalty[] Graciousness[x] Kindness[x] Love[] Mercy[x] Faithfulness[] Goodness[]
· Remarks:
· BDB, 339: II. of God: kindness, lovingkindness: 1. specifically lovingkindness a. in redemption from enemies and troubles:
· GLU, 36: Example of ḥesed between host and guests
· GLU, 43-44: Example of ḥesed as mutuality or reciprocal conduct -- hosts and guests
· GLU, 43-44: detailed treatment of the episode with Lot.
· SNA, 101: Parallelism with ḥen.
· GAL, 14: Stoebe – ḥesed never stands next to ḥen.
· CAR, 376: Luke 21:12-19 apocalyptic image.
· SAK, 97: The relationship of host and guest is neither intimately personal nor of indefinite duration. Moreover, Lot appeals to previous ḥesed by the angels rather than Lot’s ḥesed in protecting the angels from the mob.
· TWOT: “The angels in Gen 19:19 were hardly bound by covenant obligation—or any obligation—to Lot. Indeed the basis of their action is said in v. 16 to have been their compassion (cf. Isa. 63:9).”
· TWOT: “It should be mentioned that ḥesed is also paired about fifteen times with nouns of mercy like raḥûm, e.g. Ps 103:4; Zech 7:9 (and cf. Ex 34:6–7 above), ḥēn, e.g. Gen 19:19; Ps 109:12, tanḥûm, Ps 94:18–19, etc. These instances usually stand as paired nouns not really in an adjectival relation. The implication is that ḥesed is one of the words descriptive of the love of God.”
· WAL, 61: Lord being merciful for sparing Lot for Abraham’s sake.
· Clark Refs: 165, 178, 186
· Clark, 165:
o Gen. 19.18-20 records Lot's response to the angels who, having brought him and his family out of Sodom, urge them to take refuge in the hills before the city is destroyed. Glueck (1967: 43-44) treats this passage as an example of human חֶסֶד; he acknowledges that Lot's guests are represented as angels but does not regard them as messengers from Yahweh, nor does he mention any connection between this pericope and those which precede (Abraham's intercession with Yahweh on behalf of Sodom, 18.16-33)—and follow (where Yahweh is named as the one who destroys Sodom, 19.24-28). He claims that the reciprocation by Lot's guests of his conduct towards them is called 'great' because they are represented as angels, which means that their חֶסֶד 'is portrayed as grace or mercy'. Sakenfeld (1976: 97-101) argues cogently against Glueck's position and groups this passage with examples of God's חֶסֶד. She insists first that Yahweh is the agent and second that the act of חֶסֶד is the saving of Lot's life both from the attack by the men of Sodom on the previous night and also from the ensuing destruction of Sodom.
o Sakenfeld finds many points of resemblance between this incident and the return of Jacob to Canaan which she has already discussed.1 She groups these two passages, which centre on Jacob and on Lot, with others that are concerned with Yahweh's relationship with different individuals in a context of specific aid to the person (1976: 93), and she bases his חֶסֶד on his 'responsible care for that person' (p. 107). 'Yahweh's immediate responsibility for Lot' depends on two factors (p. 100): first, Lot's relationship with Abraham, to whom the promise was made; and second, Lot's righteousness. The city was destroyed because there were not even ten righteous men, but Lot proved himself to be righteous by protecting the messengers from the men of Sodom. In terms of the commitment proposed as the prerequisite for חֶסֶד, Yahweh's commitment to Lot stems from his commitment to Abraham and is a consequence of Abraham's intercession for Sodom; and Lot's commitment to Yahweh is evident in his insistence that the messengers accept his hospitality. It is immaterial whether, or when, Lot realizes that the messengers are from Yahweh, for his treatment of them is in accordance with the neighbourly conduct that is desired by Yahweh.
· Clark, 178: When the expression עשֹה חֶסֶד עִם is used,
o 1. There is a commitment between the two parties involved. When there is no such commitment (2 Sam. 3.8), the word חֶסֶד is not appropriate.
o 2. The outcome is beneficial to the patient—preservation of life: Lot (Gen. 19.18-20), Abraham (Gen. 20.13), Rahab (Josh. 2.12-14), the man of Bethel (Judg. 1.24), Joash (2 Chron. 24. 22); perpetuity of Abraham's line (Gen. 24.12-14; 24.48-49).
· Clark, 186: Yahweh's commitment to Lot depends on the fact that he is Abraham's relative rather than on his personal relationship with Yahweh (Gen. 19.18-20).
· Note on NET: 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.
· Collocation: magnified (AV), great (NIV)
· In light of Lot’s rescue, the interpretation demanded of ḥesed in this context is compassion, mercy, or kindness.
· GAL, 11: Asensio – ḥesed-ḥen here translated by gratia misericordiam.
· TSK+ Gen. 19:19--{and thou} Ps. 18; 40; 103; 106; 107; 116; 1 Tim. 1:14-16.
