Genesis 19:15
As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "which are here" isn't just about location; it emphasizes taking everyone present with him, distinguishing them from those absent who had already refused to listen, highlighting Lot's final, urgent opportunity to save his immediate family.
The angels, having revealed their divine purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to their immense wickedness, are now urgently trying to get Lot and his family to flee before dawn. Despite the angels' efforts throughout the night and Lot's own attempts to warn his sons-in-law, Lot himself is lingering, perhaps hesitant to leave his possessions or the city he calls home. This moment marks the critical final push for Lot's escape as the impending destruction looms and morning light signals the imminent end for the city and its inhabitants.
Lot had a night to prepare, but as morning broke, the angels weren't just asking—they were urging. What does this insistence tell us about God's heart and the danger Lot was in?
The angels' repeated and urgent calls to Lot (
The angels warn Lot to flee 'lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.' What does this word 'iniquity' truly signify here, and why was it so destructive?
The Hebrew word translated as 'iniquity' here also carries the sense of 'punishment.' The angels aren't just warning Lot about the presence of sin, but the inevitable judgment that comes with it.
A City's Cumulative Sin
The inhabitants of Sodom had reached a point where their wickedness was so pervasive and so great that it cried out for divine retribution. This wasn't just about individual sins, but a collective corruption that characterized the entire city.
More Than Just a Bad Deed
'Iniquity' here speaks to a deep-seated rebellion against God's order and a disregard for His holiness. It's a state of being that inherently invites destruction because it stands in direct opposition to God's righteous nature.
These divine messengers were not just messengers of doom; they were also agents of salvation. How does this verse reveal their mission?
The angels in this passage embody a crucial aspect of God's interaction with humanity: His justice and His mercy operating simultaneously.
Messengers of Judgment
They were sent to execute God's judgment upon Sodom. Their urgency to get Lot out was a direct result of the impending destruction they were empowered to bring.
Agents of Deliverance
Understand the original words
mal'akh · Hebrew Noun
Messengers sent by God to perform His will, act as guardians, or announce divine judgments. They are created spiritual beings who serve as intermediaries between the heavenly and earthly realms.
avon · Hebrew Noun
The act of God bringing retribution upon sin. It reflects His holy character and His role as the righteous judge who cannot allow wickedness to go unpunished.
The verse highlights the urgency of divine judgment. The angels' insistence that Lot flee at dawn underscores that the moment of destruction is imminent and unforgiving. It calls us to immediate obedience when God calls us out of perilous situations.
c. 2000-1800 BC
Abraham settles in Canaan
Abraham, Lot's uncle, is called by God to leave his homeland and settle in the land of Canaan. Lot accompanies him. This sets the stage for their eventual separation and Lot's decision to settle near Sodom.
c. 2000-1800 BC
Lot settles near Sodom
Though Abraham remains faithful to God's call, Lot chooses to settle near the wicked city of Sodom, attracted by its prosperity and fertile lands. This proximity leads to increasing entanglement with the city's corruption.
c. 2000-1800 BC
Angels visit Abraham
God appears to Abraham, and through a conversation, reveals His judgment is about to fall upon Sodom and Gomorrah due to their extreme wickedness. Abraham intercedes for Lot and his family.
c. 2000-1800 BC— this verse
Angels arrive in Sodom
Two angels enter Sodom, where Lot shows them hospitality. The men of the city, consumed by their depravity, attempt to assault the visitors, revealing the depth of their corruption.
This passage describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, paralleling the urgency to flee and the suddenness of judgment emphasized in Genesis 19:15.
2 Peter 2:7This verse highlights Lot's righteous suffering amidst the wicked, underscoring the angels' mission to rescue him from impending judgment as mentioned in Genesis 19:15.
Jeremiah 50:40This prophetic passage uses the imagery of overthrowing cities like Sodom, reflecting the catastrophic divine judgment that the angels were warning Lot to escape from.
Matthew 10:23Jesus speaks of fleeing from city to city when persecuted, a principle of urgent escape that echoes the angels' command to Lot to leave Sodom immediately before its destruction.
Revelation 18:4This verse calls God's people to 'come out' of Babylon before its judgment, mirroring the angels' urgent call for Lot and his family to exit Sodom to avoid sharing in its punishment.
gillGenesis 19:15: "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city."
And when the morning arose,.... When it was break of day, for as yet the sun was not risen, nor did it rise until Lot got to Zoar, Genesis 19:23 . He was now returned from his sons-in-law, and by this time it began to be light: then the angels hastened Lot; urged him to get out of his house as fast as h…
ellicottGenesis 19:15: "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city."
(15) When the morning arose. —Lot had thus the night for making his preparations, but part of this he spent in his visits to his sons-in-law. Consumed.—Heb., swept away; and so in Genesis 19:17. See Genesis 18:23-24, where it is rendered “destroy.”
The phrase "which are here" isn't just about location; it emphasizes taking everyone present with him, distinguishing them from those absent who had already refused to listen, highlighting Lot's final, urgent opportunity to save his immediate family.
The angels, having revealed their divine purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to their immense wickedness, are now urgently trying to get Lot and his family to flee before dawn. Despite the angels' efforts throughout the night and Lot's own attempts to warn his sons-in-law, Lot himself is lingering, perhaps hesitant to leave his possessions or the city he calls home. This moment marks the critical final push for Lot's escape as the impending destruction looms and morning light signals the imminent end for the city and its inhabitants.
The angels, having revealed their divine purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to their immense wickedness, are now urgently trying to get Lot and his family to flee before dawn. Despite the angels' efforts throughout the night and Lot's own attempts to warn his sons-in-law, Lot himself is lingering, perhaps hesitant to leave his possessions or the city he calls home. This moment marks the critical final push for Lot's escape as the impending destruction looms and morning light signals the imminent end for the city and its inhabitants.
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Yet, they also acted with immense care and compassion towards Lot and his family. They physically urged him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out, demonstrating a merciful intervention to save lives from the impending wrath.
This dual role underscores that God's judgment is not arbitrary; it is often preceded by calls to repentance and opportunities for escape, facilitated by His messengers.
Dawn of the day
Lot and family urged to flee
As dawn breaks, the angels urgently press Lot to take his wife and two daughters and flee the city, warning them they will be destroyed with it if they delay.
Morning
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
After Lot and his family escape, God rains down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, utterly destroying them and the surrounding plain.
"As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.”" — The phrase "which are here" isn't just about location; it emphasizes taking everyone present with him, distinguishing them from those absent who had already refused to listen, highlighting Lot's fi…
