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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.
Genesis 19:16 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city.
  • BSB But when Lot hesitated, the men grabbed his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters. And they led them safely out of the city, because of the LORD’s compassion for them.
  • NKJV And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
  • NASB But he hesitated. So the men grasped his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out and put him outside the city.
  • NLT When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

When Lot lingers, the angels seize his family's hands and lead them out, the LORD being merciful.

Overview

Lot's hesitation reveals lingering attachment to Sodom, yet God mercifully rescues him anyway. The phrase 'Yahweh being merciful to him' is the heart of the verse: salvation is owed to God's mercy, not Lot's promptness. This pictures the gospel truth that God saves sinners by grace despite their slowness to flee sin.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 29

  • Rom 9:15–16For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
  • Titus 3:5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
  • Ps 86:5For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
  • Exod 34:6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
  • Ps 103:8–10The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
  • Lam 3:22It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
  • Deut 4:31(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
  • Ps 34:12What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
  • Mic 7:18–19Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
  • Luke 18:13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
  • Ps 107:1O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Eph 2:4–5But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
  • Ps 118:1O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Ps 111:4He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
  • Ps 86:15But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
  • Ps 106:8Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.
  • Isa 63:9In 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 bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
  • 2 Pet 2:9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
  • Num 14:18The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
  • Ps 119:60I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
  • Ps 103:13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
  • Ps 136:1O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • 1 Chr 16:34O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • 2 Cor 1:3Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
  • Ps 106:1Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Luke 6:35–36But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
  • John 6:44No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
  • Rom 9:18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
  • Josh 6:22But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot’s house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Genesis videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Genesis 19:16YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GenesisMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 19:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.