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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Genesis 19:30 - 19:38
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The sin of Lot and His Daughters
v. 30. And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. The terrible catastrophe had completely unnerved Lot, causing him to doubt even the plain promise of the Lord to preserve the city of Zoar for his sake. As soon as possible he left the city and made his home in a cave of the mountains, very likely in what was afterward known as the country of Moab.
v. 31. And the first-born said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth;
v. 32. come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. Even if it was not lewd voluptuousness which caused the two daughters of Lot deliberately to plan this sin of incest, it shows that they had imbibed freely of the poison of Sodom and were acquainted with the most unnatural vices. The desire for children and for the propagation of their family cannot excuse their revolting act, even if their supposition of the general destruction of men had been true.
v. 33. And they made their father drink wine that night; and the first-born went in and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down nor when she arose. Lot was in such a drunken stupor that he was not fully conscious of his actions.
v. 34. And it came to pass on the morrow that the first-born said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father; let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
v. 35. And they made their father drink wine that night also; and the younger arose and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down nor when she arose.
v. 36. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. Lot was guilty as well as his daughters, first, because he gave way to dull despair instead of trusting in the Lord, and then also, because he did not watch and pray, but permitted his daughters to make him drunk.
v. 37. And the first-born bare a son, and called his name Moab (from father); the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
v. 38. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi (son of my generation, begotten of my father); the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. Thus Moses recorded the origin of the Moabites and Ammonites, which had become mighty nations in his day. Both nations subsequently played an important role in the history of Israel, Deu_2:9-19; Deu_23:4-5. We hear no more of Lot, since he was no longer of any influence in the history of the chosen people. And still he is mentioned in the New Testament as a type of a just man, 2Pe_2:7-8, whom Christians, in his righteous acts, may well imitate.