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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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 said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
- Titus 3:5not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
- Ps 86:5For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
- Exod 34:6Yahweh passed by before him, and proclaimed, “Yahweh! Yahweh, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth,
- Ps 103:8–10Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
- Lam 3:22It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.
- Deut 4:31For Yahweh your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them.
- Ps 34:12Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
- Mic 7:18–19Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.
- Luke 18:13But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
- Ps 107:1Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
- Eph 2:4–5But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
- Ps 118:1Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
- Ps 111:4He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. Yahweh is gracious and merciful.
- Ps 86:15But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
- Ps 106:8Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power 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. He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.
- 2 Pet 2:9the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment;
- Num 14:18‘Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, forgiving iniquity and disobedience; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.’
- Ps 119:60I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments.
- Ps 103:13Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.
- Ps 136:1Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.
- 1 Chr 16:34Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
- 2 Cor 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
- Ps 106:1Praise Yahweh! Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
- Luke 6:35–36But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
- John 6:44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.
- Rom 9:18So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
- Josh 6:22Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the prostitute’s house, and bring the woman and all that she has out from there, as you swore to her.”
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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
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