But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” - Genesis 19:9
A descendant of Shem and Abraham's nephew.
- Father: Haran (Genesis 11:27)
- Uncles: Abram, Nahor (Genesis 11:26)
- Wife: Lot's wife (Genesis 19:26)
- Daughters: Two daughters (Genesis 19:8)
- Sons: Moab (Genesis 19:37), Ben-ammi (Genesis 19:38)
Lot was born in Ur to Haran, who passed away. He then traveled with Abram, first to Haran then Canaan and Egypt until their wealth had grown beyond reason. Abram suggested they split peaceably, and Lot chose to live in the lush watered lands of the Jordan Valley in the east, settling as far as Sodom.
Early Life with Abram
When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran fathered Lot and died in the presence of his father in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Terah took Abram, Lot, and Sarai from Ur to Canaan, but they settled in Haran when they came there.
The Lord told Abram to leave his country, kindred, and his father's house and go to the land He will show him. Abram departed from Haran at 75 with Lot, Sarai, and all their possessions and people and set out for Canaan.
With Abram, Lot passed through the land to Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. He continued on to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He continued toward the Negeb.
There was a severe famine, so Abram took Lot to Egypt.
Lot moves to Sodom
Pharaoh sent Abram out of Egypt, so he took Lot into the Negeb then Bethel, but their herdsmen had conflict with each other and the land could not support both of their sets of possessions. Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." Lot chose Jordan Valley in the east because it was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. He settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. The men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. (Genesis 13)
War of Nine Kings
Lot was captured by Chedorlaomer's side during the War of the Nine Kings. An escapee told Abram who was living by the oaks of Mamre, and Abram and Mamre the Amorite and his brothers Eshcol and Aner led 318 men to rescue him. Abram brought back all the possessions, Lot and his possessions, and the women and the people. (Genesis 14)
Lot hosts the angels sent to judge his city
Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom and saw two angels coming in the evening. He rose to meet them, bowed himself with his face to the earth, and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” But he insisted until they stayed in his house and ate the feast he prepared for them with unleavened bread.
Before they lay down, all the men of Sodom surrounded the house and called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.”
Lot went out and shut the door after him, saying, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.”
They said, “Stand back!” and said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. The angels pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door, and they struck the men at the entrance of the house with blindness, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.
The men asked, "Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” Lot told his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city,” but they thought he was jesting.
Lot's city is destroyed
As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” When he lingered, the Lord took mercy and the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand and set him outside the city.
One said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.”
Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!”
He said, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
Lot arrived in Zoar after the sun had risen, then the Lord rained sulfur and fire out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah. He overthrew the cities, the valley, the inhabitants, and what grew on the ground, and Lot's wife who had looked back had become a pillar of salt.
When God destroyed the cities of the valley, God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.
Lot unknowingly fathers the Moabites and Ammonites
Lot came to live in a cave in the hills outside of Zoar, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. His daughters feared no men survived, so they decided to secure offspring by their own father. One night, his two daughters gave him wine, and his firstborn lay with him and became pregnant with Moab, the father of the Moabites. The next night, his younger daughter lay with him and became pregnant with Ben-ammi, the father of the Ammonites. He did not know when they lay down or when they arose.