Genesis 19:3
in Genesis 19But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
KJV
And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
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This verse in Genesis 19
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd he pressed upon them greatly - Partly because he would by no means have them to expose themselves to the perils of lodging in the streets of Sodom, and partly because he was desirous of their converse.
This site's exposition
Lot insisted so strongly
Lot pressed them until they came in, and he baked unleavened bread. This is the first unleavened bread in Scripture. The night that follows carries what Israel will keep at Passover, unleavened bread eaten in a house, one household spared while a city is judged, and a family sent out in haste before morning. Genesis records the meal and says nothing of Passover.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
When he saw them resisting and bent on resting in the street (the angels did this out of a wish to reveal more clearly the just man's virtue and to teach us all the extent of his hospitality), then he in turn did not stop at making entreaty in words but also applied force. Hence Christ also said, "Men of violence seize the kingdom of heaven." … "He compelled them," the text says. It seems to me he drew them in against their will. Then when they saw the just man applying this effort and not desisting until he should achieve the object of his desire, "they turned aside to him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, cooking flat bread for them; they ate before lying down." Do you see here as well hospitality manifested not in richness of fare but in generosity of attitude? I mean, when he succeeded in bringing them into his house, at once he gave evidence of the signs of hospitality. He occupied himself in attending on them, providing something to eat and giving evidence of respect and attention to the visitors in his belief that they were only human beings, travelers of some kind.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door. Now it appeared, beyond contradiction, that the cry of Sodom was no louder than there was cause for. This night's work was enough to fill the measure.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:28w-of-56
And he pressed them greatly,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
entered into his house--On removing to the plain, Lot intended at first to live in his tent apart from the people [Ge 13:12]. But he was gradually drawn in, dwelt in the city, and he and his family were connected with the citizens by marriage ties.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּפְצַר־ | vaiyiftzar- | and he urged | H6484 → | 7 times |
| בָּ֣ם | bam | <in> <the> them | ||
| מְאֹ֔ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| וַיָּסֻ֣רוּ | vaiyasuru | and they turned aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| אֵלָ֔יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ | vaiyavou | and they went | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּית֑וֹ | beito | house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וַיַּ֤עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he prepared | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לָהֶם֙ | lahem | for <the> them | ||
| מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה | mishteh | a feast | H4960 → | 46 times |
| וּמַצּ֥וֹת | umatzot | and unleavened bread<s> | H4682 → | |
| אָפָ֖ה | ʾafah | he baked | H644 → | 25 times |
| וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃ | vaiyokhelu | and they ate | H398 → | 810 times |
וַיִּפְצַר־and he urged
vaiyiftzar-H6484 →7 times
בָּ֣ם<in> <the> them
bam
מְאֹ֔דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
וַיָּסֻ֣רוּand they turned aside
vaiyasuruH5493 →299 times
אֵלָ֔יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּand they went
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
בֵּית֑וֹhouse his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
וַיַּ֤עַשׂand he prepared
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
לָהֶם֙for <the> them
lahem
מִשְׁתֶּ֔הa feast
mishtehH4960 →46 times
וּמַצּ֥וֹתand unleavened bread<s>
umatzotH4682 →
אָפָ֖הhe baked
ʾafahH644 →25 times
וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃and they ate
vaiyokheluH398 →810 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 13:2Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
it leads to
- Matthew 25:35
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in,
- Genesis 18:1
Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent.
- 1 Peter 4:9
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
- Romans 12:13
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.
- Matthew 25:43
I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
- Matthew 25:35
Through
Judges 6:19So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread and an ephah of flour. He placed the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out…
it leads to
- Genesis 18:6–8
So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”
- Genesis 18:6–8
Through
Exodus 12:39Since their dough had no leaven, the people baked what they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves. For when they had been driven out of Egypt, they could not delay and had…
it leads to
- Exodus 6:1
But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty hand he will let the people go; because of My strong hand he…
- Exodus 11:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring upon Pharaoh and Egypt one more plague. After that, he will allow you to leave this place. And when he lets you go, he will…
- Exodus 6:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 43.12; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.