Chapter Summary
Chapter 19 of Genesis describes the destruction of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Two angels arrive in Sodom and are welcomed by Lot, Abraham's nephew. The men of Sodom immediately surround Lot's house, demanding that his angelic guests be brought out for sexual abuse. Lot attempts to protect his guests, even offering his own daughters, but the crowd turns violent. The angels pull Lot back inside, strike the mob with blindness, and then reveal their mission to destroy the city due to its great sinfulness. They urge Lot to gather his family and escape. Lot tries to warn his future sons-in-law, but they mock him. At dawn, the angels forcefully lead Lot, his wife, and two daughters out of the city, instructing them not to look back or stop anywhere on the plain, but to flee to the mountains. Lot pleads to be allowed to escape to a small nearby town instead, and his request is granted. As soon as Lot reaches this town (later named Zoar), the Lord rains down burning sulfur and fire, obliterating Sodom, Gomorrah, and the entire plain. Lot's wife disobeys the command and looks back, instantly turning into a pillar of salt. Abraham observes the devastating smoke from afar. After the destruction, Lot, fearing to stay in Zoar, moves with his daughters to a cave in the mountains. Believing there are no other men left on earth to continue their family line, his daughters conspire to get their father drunk on two consecutive nights and each sleep with him. They both become pregnant, and their sons, Moab and Ben-Ammi, become the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites, respectively.