Genesis 19:15 kjv

And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

Genesis 19:15 nkjv

When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."

Genesis 19:15 niv

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished."

Genesis 19:15 esv

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."

Genesis 19:15 nlt

At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. "Hurry," they said to Lot. "Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!"

Genesis 19 verses

Genesis 19 15 Meaning

Genesis 19:15 portrays the divine urgency to escape impending judgment. As dawn breaks, signifying the commencement of judgment, angels actively hasten Lot and his family, commanding them to depart immediately from Sodom. The core message is a stern warning that continued presence in the city, associated with its profound wickedness, would result in their absolute destruction along with the city. This verse highlights God's grace in providing an escape and His righteous judgment against iniquity.

Genesis 19 15 Context

Genesis 19:15 follows Abraham's fervent intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18), where the LORD reveals He will not destroy the righteous with the wicked, affirming His justice. Lot, dwelling in Sodom, welcomed two angels disguised as men, protecting them from the depraved city mob who sought to violate the visitors. The angels revealed their divine mission to destroy the city due to its grievous sin. Having rescued Lot's family from the crowd, they commanded Lot to gather his family members—his wife, two unmarried daughters (betrothed to local men), and sons-in-law—and leave the city before morning. However, Lot's sons-in-law scoffed at the warning. The immediate context of verse 15 is the imminent arrival of daybreak, signaling the absolute final moment before the divine judgment begins. Lot's delay (explicitly mentioned in the subsequent verse 16) highlights his deep entanglement with the city despite its depravity, and the angels' merciful persistence to save him before it is too late. This event occurs in an ancient Near Eastern cultural setting, where hospitality was sacred, and cities like Sodom were hubs of diverse populations and practices, yet the scale of their moral corruption described here was seen as an affront to divine order, warranting catastrophic judgment.

Genesis 19 15 Word analysis

• And when the morning arose, (וַיְהִי כַּעֲלֹוֹת הַשַּׁחַר - Vayehi ka'alot ha'shachar)

  • וַיְהִי (Vayehi): "And it was" or "And it came to pass." A common Hebrew narrative conjunction, often signifying a pivotal moment or transition in the narrative.
  • כַּעֲלֹוֹת (ka'alot): From the root עָלָה (alah), meaning "to go up," "to ascend." Here, "at the rising" or "when it ascended." It marks the precise timing—dawn.
  • הַשַּׁחַר (ha'shachar): "The morning" or "the dawn." Dawn is significant as the onset of a new day, but here, it tragically signifies the dawning of an inescapable, cataclysmic judgment. It is the end of mercy and the beginning of destruction for the city. Historically, a city under judgment at dawn also suggests a comprehensive destruction, leaving nothing by the light of day.

• then the angels hastened Lot, (וַיָּאִיצוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים בְּלוֹט - Vaya'itzu hamalachim b'Lot)

  • וַיָּאִיצוּ (Vaya'itzu): From the root אָצַץ (atzatz), meaning "to urge," "to press," "to compel quickly." This is a strong, intensive verb indicating the angels did not merely suggest, but applied forceful persuasion, recognizing Lot's dangerous lingering. This highlights the severity of the threat and Lot's personal inertia or attachment.
  • הַמַּלְאָכִים (hamalachim): "The angels," plural of מַלְאָךְ (mal'akh), meaning "messenger" or "angel." These are divine agents sent with specific instructions. Their role is pivotal, carrying out God's will of both mercy and judgment.
  • בְּלוֹט (b'Lot): "Upon Lot" or "against Lot." The preposition emphasizes the direct, intense pressure put upon Lot himself.

• saying, (לֵאמֹר - lemor)

  • לֵאמֹר (lemor): "To say," a common Hebrew introductory particle preceding direct speech, indicating the words that follow are verbatim from the speaker.

• Arise, (קוּם - kum)

  • קוּם (kum): Imperative verb, "Rise!" or "Get up!" This is a call to immediate action, to physically move from a state of dwelling and potential peril. It's a common biblical command to initiate significant change or embark on a new course, often in response to a divine directive.

• take thy wife, (קַּח אֶת-אִשְׁתְּךָ - kach et-ishtecha)

  • קַּח (kach): Imperative verb from לָקַח (laqah), meaning "to take," "to grasp." This is a direct command to Lot to take responsibility for his wife's salvation, underscoring his headship in the family.
  • אֶת-אִשְׁתְּךָ (et-ishtecha): "Your wife." Explicitly mentioned as part of his immediate family needing rescue.

• and thy two daughters, (וְאֶת-שְׁתֵּי בְנֹתֶיךָ - v'et sh'tei b'notekha)

  • וְאֶת-שְׁתֵּי בְנֹתֶיךָ (v'et sh'tei b'notekha): "And your two daughters." The daughters who were betrothed to Sodomites, making their escape particularly pressing and heartbreaking from a family perspective, yet vital for their safety. The specificity emphasizes saving the remnant of his direct family line.

• which are here; (הַנִּמְצָאֹת - hanim'tzaot)

  • הַנִּמְצָאֹת (hanim'tzaot): From the root מָצָא (matza), "to find," "to be present." Here, "those who are found/present." It emphasizes their immediate presence in the place of danger. They are still within reach of salvation, but the window is closing rapidly.

• lest thou be consumed (פֶּן תִּסָּפֶה - pen tisasefeh)

  • פֶּן (pen): "Lest," a negative conjunction expressing fear or warning against something happening. It introduces the dire consequence if the command is not obeyed.
  • תִּסָּפֶה (tisasefeh): From the root סָפָה (safah), often meaning "to sweep away," "to consume," "to be destroyed." Here, in the Niph'al stem, it means "be utterly swept away/consumed." It indicates a complete and inescapable perishing, the ultimate outcome of remaining in the condemned city.

• in the iniquity of the city. (בַּעֲו‍ֹן הָעִיר - ba'avon ha'ir)

  • בַּעֲו‍ֹן (ba'avon): From עָו‍ֹן (avon), meaning "iniquity," "guilt," "punishment for iniquity," "perversion," "moral crookedness." This clearly states the reason for the consumption. It's not a random act but a righteous judgment due to the profound, inherent wickedness of Sodom. Remaining means sharing in its deserved judgment.
  • הָעִיר (ha'ir): "The city." Referring specifically to Sodom, the embodiment of severe moral depravity that drew divine wrath.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot": This opening phrase creates a scene of extreme urgency. The coming dawn, usually a symbol of hope and new beginnings, becomes here a clock ticking towards judgment. The word "hastened" highlights the angelic impatience and divine compulsion against human hesitation in the face of imminent catastrophe. This reveals God's persistent grace, pulling individuals even from the brink.
• "Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.": This powerful command encapsulates the imperative for immediate separation. It explicitly outlines who must be saved (Lot and his direct family, omitting the unwilling sons-in-law) and why they must act without delay—to avoid sharing in the city's fate, which is tied directly to its "iniquity." This emphasizes that judgment is just, linked to a city's specific sin, and offers a narrow window of escape through divine intervention and obedient action.

Genesis 19 15 Bonus section

The intense divine intervention, expressed by the angels "hastening" Lot, foreshadows the New Testament concept of salvation by grace that overcomes human reluctance. While Lot eventually escapes due to this strong compulsion (and the angels physically taking hold of his hand in v. 16), his initial hesitation and the subsequent loss of his wife serve as a perpetual cautionary tale in scripture, highlighting the danger of divided loyalties. The very precision of the time—dawn—for the judgment suggests an ordered, deliberate, and unavoidable divine plan rather than a spontaneous outburst of anger. It emphasizes that while there is a window of grace, it has a definite close, making urgency a critical component of receiving deliverance.

Genesis 19 15 Commentary

Genesis 19:15 serves as a potent spiritual and theological pivot, revealing God's unwavering righteousness, persistent mercy, and the critical nature of human response. As the sun began to rise, signaling not only a new day but the irrevocable onset of judgment, the angels intensified their efforts to remove Lot's family. The act of "hastening" Lot, rather than simply informing him, underscores Lot's internal struggle and dangerous lingering (v. 16), which likely stemmed from attachment to his possessions, his family's established lives, or simply inertia in the face of monumental change. This demonstrates the spiritual blindness and complacency that can settle even on the relatively righteous in a corrupt environment.

The divine command to "Arise" and "take" his family signifies the necessary human action in cooperation with divine rescue. Salvation often requires an immediate, decisive movement away from the source of danger and towards God's provision. The warning, "lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city," clarifies that destruction is not arbitrary but a just consequence directly linked to the "iniquity" (עָו‍ֹן) of Sodom. To remain was to implicitly participate in or endorse that iniquity, thus sharing its judgment. This is a foundational biblical principle: God distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked, but those who cling to sin will face its deserved outcome. The verse offers a poignant warning against compromise with worldly values and the perilous nature of delaying obedience when facing God's judgment.

Examples:

• Prompt Obedience: Similar to Noah's immediate building of the ark despite no visible flood, highlighting faith-driven urgency.
• Fleeing Temptation: Spiritually, the call to "Arise, take...lest thou be consumed" mirrors the New Testament exhortations to "flee sexual immorality" (1 Cor 6:18) or to "resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (Jas 4:7), demanding decisive action.
• Separation from the World: It exemplifies the principle of being "in the world but not of the world" (John 17:15-16), showing the danger of deep entanglement with cultures hostile to God's ways.