Genesis 19:17
in Genesis 19As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 19
Commentary
9 notes on this verseWhen they had brought them forth, etc. - Every word here is emphatic, Escape for thy Life; thou art in the most imminent danger of perishing; thy life and thy soul are both at stake. Look not behind thee - thou hast but barely time enough to escape from the judgment that is now descending; no lingering, or thou art lost! one look back may prove fatal to thee, and God commands thee to avoid it. Neither stay thou in all the plain, because God will destroy that as well as the city.
This site's exposition
At daybreak the angels hurried Lot along
on Genesis 19:15-17
The angels hurried him at daybreak and he hesitated. They take him by the hand, with his wife and his daughters, and lead the four out of the city. The reason the verse gives is the LORD's compassion for them, and Peter calls him righteous Lot at 2 Peter 2:7.
This site's exposition
Do not look back
Three orders come at once: run, keep your eyes forward, and keep moving across the plain. Adam Clarke reads every word as urgent. The plain was to burn with the cities, so a halt anywhere on it would be fatal.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 11 · Written before 99.
proposed
On account of his hospitality and godliness, Lot was saved out of Sodom when all the country round was punished by means of fire and brimstone, the Lord thus making it manifest that He does not forsake those that hope in Him, but gives up such as depart from Him to punishment and torture. [Genesis 19:15-26, 2 Peter 2:6-9] For Lot's wife, who went forth with him, being of a different mind from himself, and not continuing in agreement with him [as to the command which had been given them], was made an example of, so as to be a pillar of salt unto this day. This was done that all might know that those who are of a double mind, and who distrust the power of God, bring down judgment on themselves and become a sign to all succeeding generations.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Such as these are the commands given to those who through grace are delivered out of a sinful state. [1.] Return not to sin and Satan, for that is looking back to Sodom. [2.] Rest not in self and the world, for that is staying in the plain. And, [3.] Reach towards Christ and heaven, for that is escaping to the mountain, short of which we must not take up.
And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2400: “Number 2400—or, "Escape for Your Life!"” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
THE Lord Himself said to Lot, "Escape for your life," although the command was sent by one of His chosen messengers. God has messengers, nowadays, and He still sends by them short, sharp, urgent, stimulating messages like this, "Escape for your life." This message was sent in love. God loved Lot and, therefore, He would save him from the impending doom of Sodom. I doubt not that this message of love was spoken by the messenger in very solemn tones.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The kindly interest the angels took in the preservation of Lot is beautifully displayed. But he "lingered." Was it from sorrow at the prospect of losing all his property, the acquisition of many years? Or was it that his benevolent heart was paralyzed by thoughts of the awful crisis?
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2400: “Number 2400—or, "Escape for Your Life!"” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
THE Lord Himself said to Lot, "Escape for your life," although the command was sent by one of His chosen messengers. God has messengers, nowadays, and He still sends by them short, sharp, urgent, stimulating messages like this, "Escape for your life." This message was sent in love. God loved Lot and, therefore, He would save him from the impending doom of Sodom. I doubt not that this message of love was spoken by the messenger in very solemn tones. I do not know how angels speak, but I am certain that the very heart of the messenger was apparent in the message when he said to Lot, "Escape for your life." Whether he whispered it in Lot's ears, or uttered it in a loud voice, I cannot tell, but anyway, I am sure that it was delivered as it ought to be delivered and it had an immediate effect upon the man who heard it, for he was obedient to it. Now, it may be that God has designs of love towards you who are here, who, as yet, have never fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before you. Remember that the Gospel admonition comes to you fresh from God—it has been in this blessed Book for ages—but it has not grown stale! It still leaps from the mouth of God, filled with all its native energy, and though I who have to deliver it to you may not speak it as I would desire, for I am very feeble, I will at least speak it out of the very depths of my soul while I try to plead with every unconverted man or woman whom my message may reach—and this shall be the one burden of my pleading—"Escape for your life." I. Notice, first, that THERE WAS NO SAFETY FOR LOT WHERE HE WAS. He must escape from the doomed city. The angel did not propose to him that he should stop in Sodom and, beneath some sheltering arch, hide himself from the fire-shower.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִי֩ | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כְהוֹצִיאָ֨ם | khehotziam | when brought out they | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֹתָ֜ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַח֗וּצָה | hachutzah | the outside towards | H2351 → | 164 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִמָּלֵ֣ט | himalet | escape | H4422 → | 95 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ | nafshekha | life your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּבִּ֣יט | tabit | you look | H5027 → | 69 times |
| אַחֲרֶ֔יךָ | ʾachareikha | behind you | H310 → | 715 times |
| וְאַֽל־ | veal- | and may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּעֲמֹ֖ד | taamod | you stop | H5975 → | 521 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַכִּכָּ֑ר | hakikar | the valley | H3603 → | 68 times |
| הָהָ֥רָה | haharah | the hill country towards | H2022 → | 546 times |
| הִמָּלֵ֖ט | himalet | escape | H4422 → | 95 times |
| פֶּן־ | pen- | lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| תִּסָּפֶֽה׃ | tisapeh | you should be swept away | H5595 → | 19 times |
וַיְהִי֩and it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כְהוֹצִיאָ֨םwhen brought out they
khehotziamH3318 →1067 times
אֹתָ֜ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
הַח֗וּצָהthe outside towards
hachutzahH2351 →164 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִמָּלֵ֣טescape
himaletH4422 →95 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָlife your
nafshekhaH5315 →754 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּבִּ֣יטyou look
tabitH5027 →69 times
אַחֲרֶ֔יךָbehind you
ʾachareikhaH310 →715 times
וְאַֽל־and may not
veal-H408 →724 times
תַּעֲמֹ֖דyou stop
taamodH5975 →521 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
הַכִּכָּ֑רthe valley
hakikarH3603 →68 times
הָהָ֥רָהthe hill country towards
haharahH2022 →546 times
הִמָּלֵ֖טescape
himaletH4422 →95 times
פֶּן־lest
pen-H6435 →133 times
תִּסָּפֶֽה׃you should be swept away
tisapehH5595 →19 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
Luke 9:62Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:38
But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 17:31–32
On that day, let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve his possessions. Likewise, let no one in the field return for anything he has left behind.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Philippians 3:13
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
- 2 Peter 2:20–22
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse…
- James 1:6–8
But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
- Hebrews 10:38
Through
Genesis 19:26But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:14
The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways, but a good man is rewarded for his ways.
- Proverbs 14:14
Through
Genesis 19:22Hurry! Run there quickly, for I cannot do anything until you reach it.” That is why the town was called Zoar.
it leads to
- Genesis 13:10
And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was…
- Genesis 14:2
went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
- Genesis 13:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2400: “Number 2400—or, "Escape for Your Life!"” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 11; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.