-
†. Gen 19:4 . .They had not yet lain down, when the townspeople,
the men of Sodom, young and old-- all the people to the last man -
gathered about the house.
The word for "men" is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') : an ambiguous word that
means: a mortal; a human being in general (singly or collectively). It can
also mean: husband, person, and people.
So it wasn't just the males; it was everybody, young and old, gathered
around Lot's door. All of the women, all of the kids, and all of the men. The
entire town.
†. Gen 19:5a . . And they shouted to Lot and said to him: Where are
the men who came to you tonight?
Everyone was bellowing and clamoring; like impatient fans at wrestling
matches, cage fights, and Roman coliseums; demanding their pound of flesh
and pools of blood.
†. Gen 19:5b . . Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with
them.
Since all the people of Sodom were in on this-- men, women, children, old
and young alike --it becomes frightfully obvious the townsfolk desired far
more than just stimulating gratification. They were looking for entertainment
of the vilest sort imaginable-- quite possibly a filthy stage show of
unspeakable acts; maybe including bestiality and bondage.
Exactly what the people of Sodom intended to do with the messengers is not
said; but Jude 1:7 states that the people were accustomed to "strange flesh"
which suggests that they used men and women's bodies for rather perverse
purposes.
Other than Jude's information, the Bible is silent on this matter. It's as if the
author drew a curtain over Sodom and said : This is just too shocking. I'm
not going to spell out what the people of Sodom wanted to do with the two
men under Lot's roof. You will just have to use your imagination.
†. Gen 19:6-7 . . So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the
door behind him, and said: I beg you, my friends, do not commit
such a wrong.
No doubt those people interpreted Lot's comment that they were "wrong" as
judgmental. It was certain to provoke a hostile response in the typically
indignant manner in which evil people can be expected to act when
somebody criticizes their conduct.
†. Gen 19:8 . . Look, I have two daughters who have not known a
man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you
please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come
under the shelter of my roof.
A culture that would sacrifice its own family members to protect the guests
under its roof is difficult for westerners to understand; for example
pashtunwali, the culture of the Pashtun people of Afghanistan. One of its
principles-- nanawatai (asylum) --refers to the protection given to a person
against his or her enemies. People are protected at all costs; even those
running from the law must be given refuge until the situation can be
clarified. This was demonstrated when Osama bin Laden was provided
special protection by a group of Pashtuns in Abbottabad.
Nanawatai can also be applied when the vanquished party in a dispute is
prepared to go in to the house of the victors and ask for their forgiveness.
(It is a peculiar form of "chivalrous" surrender, in which an enemy seeks
"sanctuary" at his enemy's house). A notable example is that of Navy Petty
Officer First Class Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of a US Navy SEAL team
ambushed by Taliban fighters. Wounded, he evaded the enemy and was
aided by members of the Sabray tribe who took him to their village. The
tribal chief protected him, fending off attacking tribes until word was sent to
nearby US forces.
†. Gen 19:9a . . But they said: Step aside! This fellow; they said;
came here as an alien, and already he acts the judge!
People like the Sodomites instinctively know that what they're doing is
wrong, but God pity the soul that dares to tell them so.
Lot called them friends, but when push came to shove, they regarded him as
an outsider. And one thing you just don't do as an outsider is impose either
your values or your beliefs upon others. They will deeply resent you for it--
whether you are right or wrong has nothing to do with it.
†. Gen 19:9a . . Now we will deal worse with you than with them.
And they pressed hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward
to break the door.
Talk about a thoughtless lynch mob! Those people totally forgot that not that
long ago Lot's uncle saved them all from slavery in a foreign land-- and this
is how they reciprocate Abraham's kindness; by assaulting his nephew?
†. Gen 19:9b-11 . . But the men stretched out their hands and pulled
Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And the people who
were at the entrance of the house, young and old, they struck with
blinding light, so that they were helpless to find the entrance.
(chuckle) That'll learn em' to keep one eye shut when somebody trips a
flare. The flash was totally unexpected and must have startled Lot right out
of his socks. Up to now, he was given no hint that the two men under his
roof were anything but ordinary travelers. "Giminy! Where did all that light
come from? There was no thunder. Was it some sort of stealth lightening?
How'd you guys do that anyway? Is it patented?"
Normally it takes about twenty minutes for visual purple in the human eye to
adjust to darkness after a sudden burst of bright light. The flash didn't
actually damage anyone's eyesight so that they went blind. It just made
their surroundings difficult to see, like when someone pops your photo in
dim light with a camera.
The situation now takes on a desperate atmosphere of survival. The crowd
has turned into an ugly mob; and it's fight or flight-- no other options. The
Lord's messengers chose flight because their purpose was not to remain in
Sodom, but to leave it in ashes.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 19:4 . .They had not yet lain down, when the townspeople,
the men of Sodom, young and old-- all the people to the last man -
gathered about the house.
The word for "men" is from 'enowsh (en-oshe') : an ambiguous word that
means: a mortal; a human being in general (singly or collectively). It can
also mean: husband, person, and people.
So it wasn't just the males; it was everybody, young and old, gathered
around Lot's door. All of the women, all of the kids, and all of the men. The
entire town.
†. Gen 19:5a . . And they shouted to Lot and said to him: Where are
the men who came to you tonight?
Everyone was bellowing and clamoring; like impatient fans at wrestling
matches, cage fights, and Roman coliseums; demanding their pound of flesh
and pools of blood.
†. Gen 19:5b . . Bring them out to us, that we may be intimate with
them.
Since all the people of Sodom were in on this-- men, women, children, old
and young alike --it becomes frightfully obvious the townsfolk desired far
more than just stimulating gratification. They were looking for entertainment
of the vilest sort imaginable-- quite possibly a filthy stage show of
unspeakable acts; maybe including bestiality and bondage.
Exactly what the people of Sodom intended to do with the messengers is not
said; but Jude 1:7 states that the people were accustomed to "strange flesh"
which suggests that they used men and women's bodies for rather perverse
purposes.
Other than Jude's information, the Bible is silent on this matter. It's as if the
author drew a curtain over Sodom and said : This is just too shocking. I'm
not going to spell out what the people of Sodom wanted to do with the two
men under Lot's roof. You will just have to use your imagination.
†. Gen 19:6-7 . . So Lot went out to them to the entrance, shut the
door behind him, and said: I beg you, my friends, do not commit
such a wrong.
No doubt those people interpreted Lot's comment that they were "wrong" as
judgmental. It was certain to provoke a hostile response in the typically
indignant manner in which evil people can be expected to act when
somebody criticizes their conduct.
†. Gen 19:8 . . Look, I have two daughters who have not known a
man. Let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you
please; but do not do anything to these men, since they have come
under the shelter of my roof.
A culture that would sacrifice its own family members to protect the guests
under its roof is difficult for westerners to understand; for example
pashtunwali, the culture of the Pashtun people of Afghanistan. One of its
principles-- nanawatai (asylum) --refers to the protection given to a person
against his or her enemies. People are protected at all costs; even those
running from the law must be given refuge until the situation can be
clarified. This was demonstrated when Osama bin Laden was provided
special protection by a group of Pashtuns in Abbottabad.
Nanawatai can also be applied when the vanquished party in a dispute is
prepared to go in to the house of the victors and ask for their forgiveness.
(It is a peculiar form of "chivalrous" surrender, in which an enemy seeks
"sanctuary" at his enemy's house). A notable example is that of Navy Petty
Officer First Class Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of a US Navy SEAL team
ambushed by Taliban fighters. Wounded, he evaded the enemy and was
aided by members of the Sabray tribe who took him to their village. The
tribal chief protected him, fending off attacking tribes until word was sent to
nearby US forces.
†. Gen 19:9a . . But they said: Step aside! This fellow; they said;
came here as an alien, and already he acts the judge!
People like the Sodomites instinctively know that what they're doing is
wrong, but God pity the soul that dares to tell them so.
Lot called them friends, but when push came to shove, they regarded him as
an outsider. And one thing you just don't do as an outsider is impose either
your values or your beliefs upon others. They will deeply resent you for it--
whether you are right or wrong has nothing to do with it.
†. Gen 19:9a . . Now we will deal worse with you than with them.
And they pressed hard against the person of Lot, and moved forward
to break the door.
Talk about a thoughtless lynch mob! Those people totally forgot that not that
long ago Lot's uncle saved them all from slavery in a foreign land-- and this
is how they reciprocate Abraham's kindness; by assaulting his nephew?
†. Gen 19:9b-11 . . But the men stretched out their hands and pulled
Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And the people who
were at the entrance of the house, young and old, they struck with
blinding light, so that they were helpless to find the entrance.
(chuckle) That'll learn em' to keep one eye shut when somebody trips a
flare. The flash was totally unexpected and must have startled Lot right out
of his socks. Up to now, he was given no hint that the two men under his
roof were anything but ordinary travelers. "Giminy! Where did all that light
come from? There was no thunder. Was it some sort of stealth lightening?
How'd you guys do that anyway? Is it patented?"
Normally it takes about twenty minutes for visual purple in the human eye to
adjust to darkness after a sudden burst of bright light. The flash didn't
actually damage anyone's eyesight so that they went blind. It just made
their surroundings difficult to see, like when someone pops your photo in
dim light with a camera.
The situation now takes on a desperate atmosphere of survival. The crowd
has turned into an ugly mob; and it's fight or flight-- no other options. The
Lord's messengers chose flight because their purpose was not to remain in
Sodom, but to leave it in ashes.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=