translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: GEN

label: NET study note

text: The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.


text: This chapter portrays Lot as a hypocrite. He is well aware of the way the men live in his city and is apparently comfortable in the midst of it. But when confronted by the angels, he finally draws the line. But he is nevertheless willing to sacrifice his daughters’ virginity to protect his guests. His opposition to the crowds leads to his rejection as a foreigner by those with whom he had chosen to live. The one who attempted to rescue his visitors ends up having to be rescued by them.


text: The language has to be interpreted in the light of the context and the social customs. The men are called “sons-in-law” (literally “the takers of his daughters”), but the daughters had not yet had sex with a man. It is better to translate the phrase “who were going to marry his daughters.” Since formal marriage contracts were binding, the husbands-to-be could already be called sons-in-law.


text: The Hebrew word חֶסֶד ( khesed ) can refer to “faithful love” or to “kindness,” depending on the context. The precise nuance here is uncertain.


text: The sun had just risen . There was very little time for Lot to escape between dawn (v. 15 ) and sunrise (here).


text: God’s removal of Lot before the judgment is paradigmatic. He typically delivers the godly before destroying their world.


text: The meaning of the name Moab is not certain. The name sounds like the Hebrew phrase “from our father” ( מֵאָבִינוּ , me ’ avinu ) which the daughters used twice (vv. 32, 34 ). This account is probably included in the narrative in order to portray the Moabites, who later became enemies of God’s people, in a negative light.


text: The name Ben-Ammi means “son of my people.” Like the account of Moab’s birth, this story is probably included in the narrative to portray the Ammonites, another perennial enemy of Israel, in a negative light.