So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Lot's sons-in-law dismiss his urgent warning about the impending destruction as a joke, highlighting how deeply the city's wicked culture had normalized a lack of seriousness about anything beyond immediate gratification and comfort. This reveals that their disbelief wasn't just a lack of information, but a deep-seated inability to perceive divine judgment as a real possibility amidst their own perceived security.
So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As angels urge Lot and his family to flee Sodom before its imminent destruction, Lot desperately tries to warn his sons-in-law, who are engaged to his daughters. Tragically, they dismiss his urgent warning as a joke, completely unaware of the divine judgment about to fall on their city. The story highlights the stark contrast between Lot's desperate attempts to save those he cared for and his sons-in-law's fatal disbelief, underscoring their blindness to the impending doom.
Lot's urgent plea to escape Sodom was met with utter disbelief. Why couldn't his sons-in-law grasp the gravity of the situation?
A Worldly Mindset
Lot's sons-in-law represent a mindset that dismisses divine warnings as mere jokes. They couldn't comprehend that their city, their home, was truly doomed. Their disbelief stemmed from a life lived apart from God, where such pronouncements were considered folly.
This verse highlights the tragedy of those who, even when confronted with clear signs, choose disbelief because it's easier than facing the truth.
Even as destruction loomed, Lot himself hesitated. What does his delay reveal about his heart, and why is it so relatable?
The Pull of the Familiar
Despite the angels' clear message and Lot's own warning to his sons-in-law, Lot himself lingered. This hesitation reveals the deep ties to a life he knew, even though it was deeply flawed.
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His lingering serves as a poignant reminder that even those who know God can struggle with the 'pull' of the world, making decisive action hard.
The verse highlights the stark contrast between Lot's urgent, divinely-inspired warning and the utter disbelief and mockery of his sons-in-law. This scene underscores the pervasive moral corruption of Sodom, where even familial ties and clear warnings of impending judgment are met with scorn, setting the stage for the city's inevitable destruction.
c. 2000 BC - 1800 BC
Early Settlement of Canaan
Abraham and his family migrate to Canaan, settling in the region. This period establishes a presence in the land where Sodom and Gomorrah are located.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham's Covenant with God
God formally establishes a covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants and land. This covenant relationship will play a role in the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
Abraham bargains with God to spare Sodom if ten righteous people can be found within it. This highlights the city's wickedness and God's justice.
c. 1800 BC
Angels Visit Lot in Sodom
Two angels arrive in Sodom and are received by Lot, who offers them hospitality. The city's inhabitants quickly reveal their depraved intentions.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Lot Warns His Sons-in-Law
Lot urges his sons-in-law to flee Sodom with him as destruction is imminent, but they dismiss his warning as a joke.
c. 1800 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God rains down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them and the surrounding cities of the plain.
c. 1800 BC
Lot's Family Escapes
Lot and his two daughters escape the destruction, though his wife looks back and perishes. They flee to the mountains, eventually settling in a cave.
This passage directly parallels the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, emphasizing the suddenness and unexpectedness of divine judgment, much like Lot's sons-in-law dismissed his warning as a joke.
2 Peter 2:6-7This New Testament passage explicitly mentions Lot as a righteous man tormented by the lawless deeds of Sodom, highlighting his moral distress and the city's wicked character, which the sons-in-law were part of.
Proverbs 1:24-26This proverb speaks of God calling out and people refusing to listen, resulting in their own destruction. It mirrors the sons-in-law's rejection of Lot's urgent warning and their subsequent perishing.
Matthew 24:38-39Jesus uses the days of Noah and the flood as a parallel to his second coming, stating that people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the flood came and destroyed them all. This echoes the heedlessness of Lot's sons-in-law before judgment fell.
gillGenesis 19:14: "And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law."
And Lot went out,.... From his house, after the men of Sodom were gone from it, and before the morning, very probably about midnight: and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters: according to Aben Ezra, he had two other daughters that perished in Sodom,…
calvinGenesis 19:1-38: "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;"
And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
Et dixit, Ecce, nunc domini mei, declinate obsecro ad domum ser…
Lot's sons-in-law dismiss his urgent warning about the impending destruction as a joke, highlighting how deeply the city's wicked culture had normalized a lack of seriousness about anything beyond immediate gratification and comfort. This reveals that their disbelief wasn't just a lack of information, but a deep-seated inability to perceive divine judgment as a real possibility amidst their own perceived security.
As angels urge Lot and his family to flee Sodom before its imminent destruction, Lot desperately tries to warn his sons-in-law, who are engaged to his daughters. Tragically, they dismiss his urgent warning as a joke, completely unaware of the divine judgment about to fall on their city. The story highlights the stark contrast between Lot's desperate attempts to save those he cared for and his sons-in-law's fatal disbelief, underscoring their blindness to the impending doom.
As angels urge Lot and his family to flee Sodom before its imminent destruction, Lot desperately tries to warn his sons-in-law, who are engaged to his daughters. Tragically, they dismiss his urgent warning as a joke, completely unaware of the divine judgment about to fall on their city. The story highlights the stark contrast between Lot's desperate attempts to save those he cared for and his sons-in-law's fatal disbelief, underscoring their blindness to the impending doom.
"So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting." — Lot's sons-in-law dismiss his urgent warning about the impending destruction as a joke, highlighting how deeply the city's wicked culture had normalized a lack of seriousness about anything beyond im…
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Last reviewed October 2026