And they smote the men that [were] at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
11. blindness ] An unusual word for “blindness,” inflicted as a sudden temporary visitation, used here and 2Ki 6:18. LXX .
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 11. And they smote the men – with blindness] This has been understood two ways:
1. The angels, by the power which God had given them, deprived these wicked men of a proper and regular use of their sight, so as either totally to deprive them of it, or render it so confused that they could no longer distinguish objects; or,
2. They caused such a deep darkness to take place, that they could not find Lot’s door. The author of the book of Wisdom was evidently of this latter opinion, for he says they were compassed about with horrible great darkness, Ge 19:17. See a similar case of Elisha and the Syrians, 2Kg 6:18, &c.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They smote the men, Heb. with blindness, i.e. with a blindness both of body and mind. It was not a total blindness, as if they quite lost the use of their eyes, for they saw the house, though not the door, but it was a great dimness and confusion of their sight, and a disturbance in their common sense, by which they were made unable to distinguish between differing persons or places; as it was also with the Syrians, 2Ki 6:18; as it is in some measure with some drunkards, who, though their eyes be open, cannot distinguish between things that differ. And this was very easy for angels to do by a small alteration either in their sight, or in the air, whereby either the door might appear like the solid wall, or the several parts of the wall like so many doors.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And they smote the men that [were] at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great,…. with “blindnesses” n; with extreme blindness, with blindness both of eye and heart, as Aben Ezra interprets it; and indeed had they not been given up to a judicial blindness and hardness of heart, such a stroke upon them might have convinced them that their ways were evil, and their works not right, and that by them they had incurred the displeasure of God, and would desisted from their enterprise; but, on the contrary, they went on with it, and sought with all diligence and labour as much as possible to effect it. The word for “blindness” is only used here and in 2Ki 6:18, and denotes a peculiar sort of blindness; not an entire blindness with respect to every object, but only with regard to that they were intent upon; for otherwise they would not have continued about Lot’s house, or fatigued themselves with searching for the door of it, but would rather have been glad to have groped to their own houses as well as they could: and thus it was with the Syrians, when they were smitten at the prayer of Elisha, it was not total, for they could follow the prophet in the way he went and led them, but they could not see their way to the place where they intended to go; and so these men of Sodom could see other objects, but not the door of Lot’s house, their heads were so confused, and their imaginations so disturbed as in drunken men; or the medium of the visive faculty, the air, so altered, or the form of the object to be seen so changed, that they could not discern it; when they saw the door, it looked like the wall, and that which seemed to them to be the door, proved to be the wall:
so that they wearied themselves to find the door; went backwards and forwards, fancying the door was here, and then it was there, and when they came to it, they perceived it was not; and thus they went to and fro, until they were quite weary of seeking it, and despaired of finding it, and left off.
n “caecitatibus”, Pagninus, Montanus, &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(11) Blindness.This word occurs elsewhere only in 2Ki. 6:18, and in both cases it is plain that actual blindness is not meant. Had the men here been struck with blindness they would not have wearied themselves with trying to find the door, but would either have gone away in terror at the visitation, or, if too hardened for that, would have groped about till they found it. So, if the Syrian army had been made actually blind, they would have surrendered themselves; nor would it have been practicable to guide an army of blind men on so long a march as that from Dothan to Samaria. In both cases the men were unaware that anything had happened to them. The people of Sodom thought they saw the door; the Syrians supposed that the locality was one well known to them, and only when the confusion was removed did they become conscious that they were at Samaria. The word really means a disturbance of vision caused by the eye not being in its proper connection with the brain. And so the men of Sodom ever seemed just upon the point of reaching the door, and pressed on, and strove and quarrelled, but always failed, they knew not how, but as they always supposed by one anothers fault. It is a strange picture of men given over to unbelief and sin, and who seeing see not, because they reject the true light.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Smote By an exercise of supernatural power .
Blindness The word is used only here and 2Ki 6:18, and in both places denotes a miraculous penal stroke . It seems to denote mental aberration as well as inability to see . Hence the Sodomites recognised not the real nature of the stroke, but wearied themselves to find the door. What a wickedness and perversity is here displayed! “That the old and young should come; that they should come from every quarter of the city; that they assault the house, notwithstanding the sacred rights of guests; that they so shamelessly avow their pederastic purpose; that they will not even be appeased by Lot, to whom they once owed their salvation, (chap. 14,) and that they did not cease to grope for the door after they were stricken with blindness; this is the complete portraiture of a people ripe for the fiery judgment.” Lange.
‘And they smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.’
Perhaps it was a temporary blindness brought on by an exceedingly bright light. We do not know. (The Hebrew word does not indicate permanent blindness but a problem with the sight. Compare 2Ki 6:18-20). But it was sufficient to deter their efforts, and, it seems, to persuade them eventually to leave the vicinity, at least for the time being.
Gen 19:11. And they smote, &c. Lot being in great danger, the angels, by their superior power, rescued him from the mad multitude without, whom they smote with blindness, that is, with such a dimness and confusion of sight, or temporary loss of it, as disenabled them from finding Lot’s door, which they wearied themselves in vain to find. See 2Ki 6:18.
REFLECTIONS.We have here, 1. Lot’s interposition. Observe, (1.) His advice; a humble entreaty. A wise reprover will ever cloak reproof with the garment of love. (2.) His hasty proposal. We must not commit sin, to avert sin. (3.) His earnest pleading of the laws of hospitality. When we treat with men, we should endeavour to convince them by argument.
2. Their insolent rejection of his advice, with intimidating threats against himself. Learn, (1.) Ill language is the common lot of those who set their faces against men’s sins. (2.) Friendly admonition is often thus rejected as insolent intrusion. (3.) They who would rebuke wicked men, must put their life in their hand. (4.) The last effort to save is then finished, when sinners thrust out from them the preaching of the Gospel.
3. The angels’ interposition to save Lot, and chastise these sinners against the Lord. Note; (1.) God has a hand to pull us in at the door of safety, when our case seems almost desperate. (2.) Those who can trust him with their life, are sure of a safe retreat at last, where the wicked cease from troubling.
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Perhaps such blindness as that mentioned; 2Ki 6:18 or like Elymas the sorcerer. Act 13:11 . But awful as both these instances are, how much more the blindness of the soul. Rom 11:8 .
Gen 19:11 And they smote the men that [were] at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Ver. 11. With blindness. ] Subito scotomate , saith Junius: With blindness both of body and mind, saith Aben Ezra: such as tormented their eyes, as if they had been pricked with thorns, as the Hebrew word signifies. And yet they continue groping for the door, as if they were ambitious of destruction, which now was at next door by. Deus quem destruit dementat . So Pharaoh, when under that palpable three days’ darkness, rageth against God, and threateneth Moses with death. Though doomsday should be tomorrow next, wicked men must and will serve their lusts. Vale lumen amicum , said Theotimus in St Ambrose, who chose rather to lose his sight than his sin.
blindness. Produced by dazzlings of light. Figure of speech Heterosis (of Noun). Plural put for sing, only here and 2Ki 6:18. 2Ki 6:9 instances of people so smitten (see App-10). See Gen 19:11; Gen 27:1; Gen 48:10. Jdg 16:21. 1Sa 4:15. 1Ki 14:4. 2Ki 6:18; 2Ki 25:7. Act 13:11.
with blindness: The word sanverim, rendered “blindness,” and which occurs only here, and in 2Ki 6:18, is supposed to denote dazzlings, deceptions, or confusions of sight from excessive light; being derived by Schultens, who is followed by Parkhurst, from the Arabic sana, to pour forth, diffuse, and nor, light. Dr. Geddes, to the same purpose, thinks it is compounded of the Arabic sana, which signifies a flash, and or, light. The Targums, in both places where it occurs, render it by eruptions, or flashes of light, or as Mercer, in Robertson, explains the Chaldee word, irradiations. 2Ki 6:18, Act 13:11
that they: Ecc 10:15, Isa 57:10, Jer 2:36
Reciprocal: 1Ki 13:4 – his hand 1Ki 22:31 – small nor great 2Ki 23:2 – both small and great 2Ch 15:13 – whether small 2Ch 18:30 – small or great Job 12:25 – grope Jer 9:5 – weary Luk 11:34 – but Joh 8:59 – but Act 9:8 – he saw
Gen 19:11. And they smote the men with blindness This was designed to put an end to their attempt, and to be an earnest of their utter ruin the next day.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments