And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
2. my lords ] adonai. The Massoretic note upon this word is “profane,” i.e. not the Divine name: see note on Gen 18:3.
turn aside ] Lot’s words are a good example of Eastern hospitality. Possibly to this passage and Gen 18:3 reference is made in Heb 13:2.
in the street ] We must be careful not to connect the modern idea of a “street” with this word, which means rather a wide open space. Cf. Jdg 19:15; Ezr 10:9; Neh 8:1, “the broad place.”
The refusal of “the men” is partly to be explained as a piece of Oriental courtesy, but partly, also, to elicit the avowal that what would be safe in other towns could not be risked in Sodom.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 2. Nay; but we will abide in the street] Instead of lo, nay, some MSS. have lo, to him; “And they said unto him, for we lodge in the street.” where, nevertheless, the negation is understood. Knowing the disposition of the inhabitants, and appearing in the mere character of travellers, they preferred the open street to any house; but as Lot pressed them vehemently, and they knew him to be a righteous man, not yet willing to make themselves known, they consented to take shelter under his hospitable roof. Our Lord, willing for the time being to conceal his person from the knowledge of the disciples going to Emmaus, made as though he would go farther, Lu 24:13; but at last, like the angels here, yielded to the importunity of his disciples, and went into their lodgings.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Go on your ways, and so this will be no hinderance to your occasions.
We will abide in the street all night: this was no untruth, but really intended by them in the present state of things, and upon supposition that Lot should press them no further; but they also intended, if Lot was earnest with them, to comply with him. The first denial was but decent, and an act of civility, and in them it was a design to discover Lots piety and hospitality, and to manifest the great difference between him and the barbarous Sodomites, and the reason and justice of Lots deliverance, and their destruction.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. turn in, I pray you . . . tarryall nightoffer of the same generous hospitalities as describedin Ge 18:2-8, and whichare still spontaneously practised in the small towns.
And they said, Nay; but wewill abide in the street all nightWhere there are no inns andno acquaintance, it is not uncommon for travellers to sleep in thestreet wrapped up in their cloaks.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he said, behold now, my lords,…. Taking them to be, and bespeaking them as persons of quality, who appeared with majesty in their countenances, and looked as if they had been well brought up, and were upon their travels; not knowing them to be angels, whom he received and entertained unawares, as the apostle, referring to Lot and Abraham, observes, Heb 13:2;
turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house; meaning himself, who was their humble servant, and entreats them to turn in to his house, which perhaps was hard by, and take up their lodging with him: the ancient Jews k give the sense of the phrase thus, go a roundabout, winding, crooked way to my house, that the men of Sodom may not see you go in there, and know you are there. This is taken from the signification of the word to “turn in”, which in a different construction signifies to decline, to go back; and so the Targum of Jonathan,
“turn here, and there, and go into the house of your servant:”
and tarry all night, and wash your feet; the meaning is, that they would stay all night, and take up their lodging with him, when they had washed their feet, which was usually done before they laid down, and even before they supped; and indeed was the first thing that was done to a stranger upon his entering into the house, Ge 18:4:
and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways: signifying that he would not detain them longer than they thought fit; they might rise as soon in the morning as they pleased, and pursue their journey, only he entreats they would accept of a night’s lodging with him:
and they said, nay, but we will abide in the street all night; which they said partly out of modesty, it not becoming strangers to be too forward in accepting an invitation, and partly to try whether Lot was hearty in the invitation he gave them; and hereby also reigning ignorance of the manners and behaviour of the men of Sodom, as if they might be safe from their insults in the street in the night; and this made Lot the more pressing upon them, that they might not be exposed to his wicked neighbours.
k Bereshit Rabba, sect. 50. fol. 44. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. Nay, but we will abide in the street. The angels do not immediately assent, in order that they may the more fully investigate the disposition of the holy man. For he was about to bring them to his own house, not merely for the sake of supplying them with a supper, but for the purpose of defending them from the force and injury of the citizens. Therefore the angels act, as if it were safe to sleep on the highway; and thus conceal their knowledge of the abandoned wickedness of the whole people. For if the gates of cities are shut, to prevent the incursions of wild beasts and of enemies; how wrong and absurd it is that they who are within should be exposed to still more grievous dangers? Therefore the angels thus speak, in order to make the wickedness of the people appear the greater. And Lot, in urging the angels to come unto him, for the purpose of protecting them from the common violence of the people, the more clearly shows, how careful he was of his guests, lest they should suffer any dishonor or injury.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) In the street.That is, the broad open space of the city. (Comp. Jdg. 19:15; Jdg. 19:20.) In a warm climate there is little hardship in passing the night in the open air; and as at this early date there were no caravanserais, travellers had to lodge in this way unless they found some hospitable entertainer.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. My lords, turn in He shows a hospitality like Abraham, and like him entertains angels unawares .
Wash your feet See on Gen 18:4.
Nay in the street They make as though (comp . Luk 24:28) they would not accept his hospitality, thus testing him . By the street we are to understand the broad, open places of the city, which, in that warm climate, would not be an uncomfortable place to lodge.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
Ver. 2. Nay, but we will abide in the street. ] They would have done so, but for Lot’s importunity. So our Saviour would have gone farther, but that the two disciples constrained him to stay. Luk 24:29 This was no simulation; or if so, yet it was only exploratory, without deceit or hypocrisy. And if Solomon sinned not in making believe he would do that which was unlawful to be done, 1Ki 3:24 it can be no sin to do the like in things indifferent.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
my lords. Plural of Adon.
in the street. Figure of speech Peristasis.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
turn: Heb 13:2
wash: Gen 18:4
Nay: Instead of lo, nay, some manuscripts have lo, to him. “And they said unto him, for we lodge in the street;” where, nevertheless, the negation is understood. Knowing the disposition of the inhabitants, and appearing in the character of mere travellers, they preferred the open street to any house; but not yet willing to make themselves known, as Lot pressed them vehemently, and as they knew him to be a righteous man, they consented to take shelter under his hospitable roof. Jdg 19:17-21, Luk 24:28, Luk 24:29, Act 16:15
Reciprocal: Gen 24:32 – wash Gen 26:31 – betimes Gen 38:1 – turned Gen 43:24 – General Exo 2:20 – call him Jdg 19:15 – no man Jdg 19:20 – lodge not 2Sa 11:8 – wash 2Sa 13:25 – pressed Job 31:32 – The stranger Pro 25:17 – Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s Isa 58:7 – bring Mar 6:48 – would Luk 7:44 – thou Luk 14:23 – compel Joh 13:5 – feet Act 10:23 – and lodged 1Ti 5:10 – washed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 19:2. They said, Nay, but we will abide in the street all night So they said, not only to give Lot an opportunity of evincing the sincerity and cordiality of his invitation, but because it was their real intention to abide in the street, where they, no doubt, would have abode, if he had not so much urged them to lodge in his house.