Of Angels and Men

Not written with AI.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom – both young and old – surrounded the house. – Genesis 19:4

Warning: Some portions of the Bible are explicit and uncomfortable.

Genesis 19 introduces a scene shift in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels that had met with Abraham and God (Genesis 18:1-2) have now come down to Sodom to investigate the evil in the city. Lot meets them and invites them to stay in his home for the night. The angels suggest staying in the town square, but Lot’s persistence convinces them to go to his house.

The following story is horrific.

The men of the city, “from every part…both young and old,” surround the house and demand Lot to bring the visitors out so they could have sex with them. Lot responds by offering up his daughters to the men to “do what you like with them.” The men of the city reject Lot’s offer and try to break down the door until the angels pull Lot into the house and blind the men outside. What follows is the escape of Lot and his family and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Even within that brief summary, there are a few things to think about.

First, the phrases “from every part” and “both young and old” are more than descriptors. The author is using them to hint to us that the city is so wicked that it includes everyone. Every person in the city is wicked. This isn’t the first time that the writer has revealed this. Genesis 18 subtly shows this with Abraham’s conversation with God. He asks how many righteous people there would need to be for the city not to be destroyed. Abraham stops at 10 people, doesn’t ask about 1 person, and never asks about Lot and his family. The picture we can take from both Abraham and these phrases is that the city is completely depraved, and there is not a single righteous person in it.

Two more things to consider are rape and homosexuality. The men of the city say, “Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” They are speaking about the angels, who they think are human males, and consent is not in question. The men are looking to dominate and humiliate the guests. The men of Sodom are completely engulfed in injustice, wickedness, and lawlessness, and the men represent the city. Both acts, rape and homosexuality, are condemned in the law and the prophets (examples: Deuteronomy 22 and Ezekiel 16).

Lastly, the reader needs to consider the concept that Lot was willing to give his daughters to the mob. In the ancient Near East, hospitality toward strangers was considered a moral imperative. This meant that Lot couldn’t give the strangers to the men of the city. Also, in that patriarchal society, Lot’s daughters would have been viewed as less important than his guests. He may have viewed giving his daughters to the crowd as less egregious than handing over the strangers. However, Lot’s daughters were engaged, and both Exodus 22 and Deuteronomy 22 condemn anyone raping or sleeping with a betrothed woman. The most severe judgment involved death, and is also in Mesopotamian law codes during that time. Lot offered his daughters up and committed a heinous crime.

In the end, there is no one righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah.