But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "the LORD being merciful unto him" isn't just a side note; it highlights that Lot's salvation wasn't because he suddenly became decisive, but because God's compassion intervened and physically pulled him out of danger. This shows that even when we hesitate and cling to what we should leave behind, God's mercy can act forcefully to save us.
But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the destruction of Sodom loomed, angels, acting as divine agents, forcefully pulled Lot, his wife, and his two daughters from the city when Lot hesitated. His reluctance stemmed from attachment to his possessions or perhaps stunned disbelief at the imminent doom, but God's mercy intervened, physically escorting them out to safety before the city was consumed.
Lot hesitated, caught between the familiar and the terrifying unknown. Why did he delay, and what does it reveal about God’s relentless grace?
The text highlights Lot's 'lingering.' This wasn't just a minor delay; it was a deep hesitation, possibly rooted in attachment to his possessions, his sons-in-law, or even shock and dread at the impending doom (Gill, Poole).
A Gentle Pull, Then a Firm Hand
While Lot lingered, the angels didn't just wait. They acted. They 'laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters.' This shows God's mercy isn't passive. It can be a gentle urging, but when we fail to respond, it can become a forceful intervention.
Mercy Beyond Our Deserving
The crucial phrase 'the LORD being merciful unto him' underscores that Lot's salvation was entirely an act of God's compassion, not due to Lot’s own merit or quickness. His delay could have led to his ruin, but God’s mercy compelled him forward (Wesley, Clarke).
These weren't just messengers; they were instruments of divine justice and profound mercy. How does their dual role challenge our understanding of God’s actions?
The 'men' who seized Lot and his family were, in fact, angels acting as God’s agents. Their actions demonstrate a complex, divinely orchestrated intervention.
Executing Judgment
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These angels were sent to destroy Sodom because its 'cry had grown great before the LORD' (Genesis 19:13). They represented God's swift and terrible judgment against overwhelming wickedness.
Demonstrating Tender Mercy
Yet, the same divine agents acted with immense mercy towards Lot and his family. The phrase 'the LORD being merciful unto him' (Genesis 19:16) reveals that even in judgment, God’s heart is for the salvation of those who are His. The angels physically 'seized' Lot and his family not out of harshness, but out of a tender mercy, literally pulling them away from the impending destruction they were too hesitant to escape on their own (Henry, Cambridge).
Divine Power in Action
Their power was evident not only in their ability to judge but also in their capacity to rescue. They 'brought him forth and set him without the city,' a decisive act of deliverance that required divine strength.
Understand the original words
chamal · Hebrew Verb
Refers to compassion or pity shown by God toward those who are undeserving, specifically His withholding of deserved judgment. It is an expression of God's covenantal love and grace.
Lot's lingering highlights the human struggle to abandon familiar comforts, even when facing imminent destruction. The angels' forceful intervention underscores God's mercy in delivering Lot and his family from the just wrath that consumed Sodom.
c. 2000-1800 BC
Abrahamic Covenant Established
God establishes a foundational covenant with Abraham, promising him descendants and land, and making him a blessing to the nations. This sets the stage for God's interaction with Abraham's family and their neighbors.
c. 1800-1600 BC
Lot Settles Near Sodom
Lot, Abraham's nephew, chooses to settle in the fertile Jordan plain and eventually near the city of Sodom, known for its wickedness. This decision places him and his family in close proximity to a culture ripe for divine judgment.
Date Unknown (Pre-Exodus)
Angels Visit Lot in Sodom
Two angelic visitors arrive in Sodom in the evening. Lot, showing hospitality, invites them to his home, which leads to a confrontation with the wicked men of the city.
Date Unknown (Pre-Exodus)— this verse
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroye
The LORD rains down sulfur and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying the cities and all their inhabitants. Lot and his two daughters are brought out of the city by the angels just before the destruction, though Lot's wife perishes for looking back.
Jesus warns his followers to 'remember Lot's wife,' directly referencing the consequences of looking back or lingering on what is being left behind, just as Lot's wife did when fleeing Sodom.
2 Peter 2:7This passage describes Lot as a 'righteous man' deeply distressed by the 'lawless deeds' of Sodom, highlighting the internal struggle and reluctance he likely felt in leaving his life and home, even amidst impending destruction.
Isaiah 63:9The phrase 'in all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old' reflects the merciful action of God's agents (the 'men' or angels) bearing and redeeming Lot and his family out of pity, echoing the sentiment in Genesis 19:16.
Psalm 34:22This psalm states, 'The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned,' which aligns with the idea that the angels, acting on behalf of the LORD's mercy, rescued Lot and his family from condemnation and destruction.
gillGenesis 19:16: "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city."
And while he lingered,.... Delayed going out of his house, either loath to leave his goods and substance behind him; or waiting to see whether his sons-in-law would come to him; or, as others, praying that God would spare the city: though rather the sense is, tha…
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…
The phrase "the LORD being merciful unto him" isn't just a side note; it highlights that Lot's salvation wasn't because he suddenly became decisive, but because God's compassion intervened and physically pulled him out of danger. This shows that even when we hesitate and cling to what we should leave behind, God's mercy can act forcefully to save us.
As the destruction of Sodom loomed, angels, acting as divine agents, forcefully pulled Lot, his wife, and his two daughters from the city when Lot hesitated. His reluctance stemmed from attachment to his possessions or perhaps stunned disbelief at the imminent doom, but God's mercy intervened, physically escorting them out to safety before the city was consumed.
As the destruction of Sodom loomed, angels, acting as divine agents, forcefully pulled Lot, his wife, and his two daughters from the city when Lot hesitated. His reluctance stemmed from attachment to his possessions or perhaps stunned disbelief at the imminent doom, but God's mercy intervened, physically escorting them out to safety before the city was consumed.
"But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city." — The phrase "the LORD being merciful unto him" isn't just a side note; it highlights that Lot's salvation wasn't because he suddenly became decisive, but because God's compassion intervened and physic…
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Last reviewed October 2026