And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The command to "escape for your life" isn't just about physical survival; it emphasizes a complete severance from their past. By forbidding them to "look back or stop anywhere in the valley," God demands not only physical escape but a radical detachment from the condemned place and its corrupting influences. This is underscored by the urgency of escaping "to the mountain," highlighting a necessary movement towards a new, safe existence.
And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the angels escort Lot and his family out of Sodom, the very brink of destruction, one of them urgently commands them to flee towards the mountains without looking back. This stark warning highlights the immediate danger and the absolute need to abandon everything associated with the doomed city and its surrounding plain. The divine message underscores the finality of God's judgment on Sodom and the absolute requirement for Lot's complete detachment from that wicked place.
Imagine the ground shaking, the sky darkening, and the smell of sulfur filling the air. In such a moment, every second counts. What does this verse reveal about the absolute necessity of immediate obedience?
The command to 'Escape for your life' and 'Do not look back' isn't just a suggestion; it's a life-or-death imperative. The angels are not giving Lot and his family time to pack or reconsider.
A Race Against Destruction
Sodom's destruction was not a minor event. It was a catastrophic display of divine wrath. What does this verse tell us about why God unleashes such judgment?
The reason for Sodom's destruction, as stated here, is deeply serious. It's not arbitrary, but a response to overwhelming wickedness.
A Cry for Vengeance
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
nephesh · Hebrew Noun
The inherent life-force or soul of a person; often used in the context of salvation or deliverance from physical death or divine judgment. It represents the total personhood in relation to God.
The urgent command to 'escape for your life' and 'do not look back' highlights the absolute severity of God's judgment and the complete separation required for those being rescued from pervasive sin and its consequences.
c. 2000 BC
Lot Separates from Abraham
Lot chose to live in the fertile Jordan plain, near the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, separating himself from his uncle Abraham who lived in the hill country of Canaan.
c. 1800 BC
Inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah Known for Wickedness
The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were known for their extreme wickedness and sinful behavior, particularly their sexual immorality and inhospitality.
c. 1800 BC
Angels Visit Lot
Two angels arrive in Sodom in the evening, and Lot offers them hospitality, bringing them into his home for the night, an act of kindness in a city that was notoriously inhospitable.
c. 1800 BC
Sodomites Attack Lot's House
The men of Sodom surround Lot's house, demanding that he bring out his visitors so they can abuse them, displaying their extreme wickedness and disregard for divine messengers.
c. 1800 BC
Angels Smite Sodomites with Blindness
The angels strike the men at the door with blindness, preventing them from entering Lot's house and thus protecting Lot and his divine guests.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Angels Warn Lot to Flee
The angels inform Lot of God's imminent judgment on the cities and urge him, his wife, and his daughters to escape to the mountains, not looking back.
c. 1800 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God rains down fire and sulfur on Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding plain, destroying the cities and all their inhabitants, signifying divine judgment on extreme sin.
Jesus echoes this command, telling his disciples to flee the coming destruction without looking back for their belongings.
Luke 17:32Jesus uses Lot's wife as a cautionary example, directly linking her disobedience (looking back) to destruction, emphasizing the need for complete severance from the past.
Hebrews 11:31This passage highlights Lot's wife's disobedience as a contrast to the faith of others, underscoring the severe consequences of not fully embracing God's deliverance.
Jeremiah 17:21-22This prophetic warning against carrying burdens out of Jerusalem during the Sabbath echoes the urgency to leave possessions behind and escape without delay, mirroring the command given to Lot.
Philippians 3:13-14Paul's exhortation to forget what is behind and press on toward the goal reflects the spirit of Lot's escape, urging believers to focus on their heavenly calling rather than past entanglements.
gillGenesis 19:17: "And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed."
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad,.... Into the fields of Sodom, or the suburbs of it: that he said, escape for thy life; not one of the two men or angels that had been with him all the night past, for they had now left him, and were gone back to the ci…
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 command to "escape for your life" isn't just about physical survival; it emphasizes a complete severance from their past. By forbidding them to "look back or stop anywhere in the valley," God demands not only physical escape but a radical detachment from the condemned place and its corrupting influences. This is underscored by the urgency of escaping "to the mountain," highlighting a necessary movement towards a new, safe existence.
As the angels escort Lot and his family out of Sodom, the very brink of destruction, one of them urgently commands them to flee towards the mountains without looking back. This stark warning highlights the immediate danger and the absolute need to abandon everything associated with the doomed city and its surrounding plain. The divine message underscores the finality of God's judgment on Sodom and the absolute requirement for Lot's complete detachment from that wicked place.
As the angels escort Lot and his family out of Sodom, the very brink of destruction, one of them urgently commands them to flee towards the mountains without looking back. This stark warning highlights the immediate danger and the absolute need to abandon everything associated with the doomed city and its surrounding plain. The divine message underscores the finality of God's judgment on Sodom and the absolute requirement for Lot's complete detachment from that wicked place.
"And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”" — The command to "escape for your life" isn't just about physical survival; it emphasizes a complete severance from their past. By forbidding them to "look back or stop anywhere in the valley," God dem…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026