Lot

LOT, the Son of Haran, and Nephew to Abraham. He followed his Uncle when he left the City of Ur; and afterwards when he departed from Haran, in Order to settle in the Land of Canaan¹. Abraham had always a great Tenderness for him. He carried him with him into Egypt, and brought him back into the Land of Canaan. But Gen. xiii. 6, 7.they could not continue longer together: They were obliged to separate, because as they both had large Flocks, their Shepherds sometimes quarrelled. Abraham therefore said to Lot; Let there be no Dispute between us, since we are Brethren, the whole Land is before us, fix upon what Part you please. If you go to the Left, I will go to the Right; and if you choose the Right, I will take the Left. Lot therefore chose Sodom for the Place of his Abode², the Countrey round about it being very beautiful and agreeable.

About eight Years after³, King Clederlaomer and his Allies having attacked the King of Sodom, and the Princes of the neighbouring Cities, routed them, pillaged Sodom, took a great Number of Captives, and carried away Lot in particular, Abraham’s Nephew. Abraham being informed Gen. xiv. 12, 13.of it, chose out of his Servants three Hundred resolute and well armed Men, with whom he pursued the Confederate Kings, overtook them near the Springs of Jordan, beat them, put them to Flight, recovered the Spoil which they had taken, and brought back the Captives, among the rest, his Nephew Lot. Some Years after the Sins of the Sodomites and Inhabitants of the four neighbouring Cities being at their full Height, God sent three Angels to punish and utterly destroy them⁴:⁵ The three Angels passed by Abraham’s Dwelling; and this Patriarch had the Advantage of receiving them in his Tent. As he conducted them back on the Way to Sodom, one of them discovered to him the Occasion of their Journey: And Abraham full of Apprehensions for his Nephew,⁶ asked whether God would involve the Innocent with the Guilty in the Ruins of this City, and if he would destroy it, supposing only twenty or ten righteous Persons were to be found in it. The Angel having told him, that God would spare Sodom if he met with only ten righteous Men in it; Abraham returned, assuring himself, that there would be without doubt at least such a Number of good Men in so large a City, and that Lot would not fail to be one of them.

Towards the Evening, the two Angels, for the third had disappeared, being sent in all Probability only to declare the Birth of Isaac: These two Angels, I say, being come to Sodom, Lot, who was sitting at the City Gate, perceived them, went to meet them, threw himself prostrate on the Earth, and intreated them very earnestly to take Shelter in his House. The Angels at first refused, saying that they would pass the Night in the publick Street; but Lot pressing them to come into his House, they went in, and he provided an Entertainment for them. But before they were retired to lye down and rest, all the Inhabitants of the City besieged Lot’s House, and said to him: Where are these Men, who came to you this Evening? Produce them, that we may know them. Do not, I beseech you, my Brethren, said Lot, do not any Thing so wicked. I have two Daughters, both Virgins; I will bring them to you; use them as you please, provided you do no Evil to these Men who are come to my House, as to a Place of Security. But they said to him: Be gone, you came a Stranger hither, and now pretend to be our Judge. We will treat you your self with Violence. And as they were upon the Point of breaking open the Door, the two Angels stretched out their Hands to Lot, drew him back into his House, and shut the Door, and struck all those with Blindness who were round about it; so that they were not able any more to find where it was.

Then the Angels said to Lot, direct all those who belong to you to depart out of this City; for we are going to destroy it, because the Cry of the Inhabitants Sins is gone up even to the Lord; and he has sent us to ruin it effectually. Lot went therefore to his Sons in Law, who had married his Daughters, informed them of what he had heard, and told them that it was advisable for them to depart in all Haste out of Sodom, because the Lord was going to destroy it. But this Intelligence they received as an idle Fancy of his, and took no Notice of it. In the Morning as soon as it was Day the Angels took Lot, his Wife, and Daughters by the Hand, and carried them forcibly as it were out of their House, because they were not very ready to leave it. When this was done, they said, save your selves with all the Haste you can, look not behind you, get as fast as you are able to the Mountain, lest you be involved in the Misfortune of the rest. Lot intreated the Angels to consent, that he might retreat to Zoar, which was one of the five Cities doomed to be destroyed. The Angels therefore in this Particular were condescending to him, and permitted him to fly to Zoar. But Lot’s Wife having looked behind her, was caught in the Flame, which fell from Heaven, and consumed Sodom together with the Countrey about it, and was changed into a Pillar of Salt.

Gen. xix. 30, 31, &c.Lot having beheld the sad Calamity which attended Sodom and the neighbouring Cities, had not Courage to abide in Zoar; but left it, and retreated with his two Daughters to a Cave in some Mountain near it. They imagining that all Mankind was destroyed, and that the World would have an End, unless they provided new Inhabitants for it, made their Father drink to an Excess, and the eldest lay with him without his perceiving any Thing of it; so that she conceived a Son by him, whom she called Moab: He was the Father of the Moabites. The second Daughter, after having in like Manner intoxicated him, went in to him the next Night, and had Ammon by him, who was the Father of the Ammonites. See the Commentators upon the xix. Chap. of Genesis, in Order to know the better what Judgment we should form of the whole Conduct of Lot, his Wife and Daughters. Saint Peter says, that God delivered 2 Pet. ii. 7.righteous Lot from the Oppression and Vexation of the Sodomites.

בעל .פעורSome have asserted that Baal-peor, who was worshipped among the Moabites, the Descendants of Lot, was no other than Lot himself. Baal-peor they say signifies, the God exposed naked, and without Modesty; which answers pretty nearly to what happened to Lot and his Daughters.

The Mahometans have added many Circumstances to the History of Lot⁷. They assert, that this Patriarch was sent by God to the Inhabitants of Sodom, and the four Cities, in Order to preach the Unity of God, and divert them from the abominable Crime whereof they are said to have been the first Authors, and which from them has taken its Name among us; we call it Sodomy, the Arabians, Louth, or Laouth. Lot acquitted himself of the Duty of a Preacher for twenty Years; he inculcated the Worship of the true God with abundance of Zeal, and endeavoured to raise a great Abhorrence in them of that unnatural Crime, wherewith they polluted themselves, reproaching them with being the first of all Mankind who fell into this Abomination, and perverted thus the Order of Nature; but his Sermons and Remonstrances were all in vain. God resolved therefore to destroy them: The Angel Gabriel was sent with two others to exterminate them. He passed by Abraham’s Abode, and discovered God’s Resolution to him. Abraham contested for a great while with him, saying, that perhaps there were an Hundred righteous Men in the five Cities, and that God was too just to confound the Innocent with the Guilty. He afterwards descended by Degrees so far as to make the Angel promise, that he would not destroy these Cities if he found but one righteous Person in them. Hereupon Abraham observed to him, that Lot was there with his Family; the Angels replied, we will deliver him; therefore say no more to us of this Matter, for the Sentence of their Condemnation is passed, and is irrevocable.

The Angels upon their Arrival near the City found Lot at work in the Fields; he saluted them, and understanding that they intended to pass that Night in the City, he was much afflicted at it, apprehending least some Insult might be offered them on the Score of their Beauty, and the Agreeableness of their Mien. He could not forbear telling them, that probably they did not know what Sort of People the Inhabitants of Sodom were; that there were not more wicked Men under Heaven; which he repeated to them four Times, Modesty restraining him from explaining himself farther: They did not however submit to his Reasons, but went into the City with him. They were no sooner entred into his House, but the People of Sodom came and besieged them. Lot went out, and offered to sacrifice his Daughters to their Passion, if they would spare his Guests: But their Answer was, Thou knowest that we have nothing to do with thy Daughters, and art not ignorant of what we demand. Lot replied to them, I have not indeed Strength enough to resist you, but God is my Refuge, who will be able to defend me and my Guests from your Outrages.

Then the Angels encouraged him, declared to him who they were, and told him that they were sent to destroy these Wretches. At the same Time they blinded them by only drawing their Hands over their own Faces. This Chastisement dispersed them, and they cried out, that these Hedith. Strangers were Sorcerers. The Angels immediately directed Lot and his Daughters to depart out of the City. But his Wife, who had been debauched by the Conversation which she had had with the Inhabitants of Sodom, chose to stay and perish with them.

The Angel Gabriel going under the Foundations of these Cities, raised them up in the Air to such an Height, that the Inhabitants of Heaven who were nearest to the Earth, heard the Musick of their Horns, and the barking of their Dogs; then he let them fall down upon the Earth, and all who dwelt in them were crushed to Pieces under their Ruins, God intending that their Punishment should have some Proportion to their Crime. After this Overthrow God showered down upon them hot burning Stones baked in the Furnaces of Hell; upon each whereof the Names of the Guilty were written, so that even they who were without the Compass of their City, were burnt and knocked on the Head by them. It is said that one of them being at that Time by Chance in the Temple of Mecca, built by Abraham, continued there secure for forty Days; but that he no sooner set his Foot out of it, but he was struck down and killed like the rest of his Countrymen.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages