Keraia
Genesis 19

Genesis 19:26

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah · Genesis 19:24–29
Read Genesis 19

Translations

Modern
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Traditional
But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Literal
And his wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Latin
Respiciensque uxor ejus post se, versa est in statuam salis.

Original

Hebrew
English
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Notes

Genesis 19:26

looked back: The verb form indicates intense gazing at the world she loved, not just a curious look (15:5; Exodus 33:8; Numbers 21:9; 1 Samuel 2:32; compare Exodus 3:6). Lot’s wife had become too attached to Sodom to follow God's calling. So God judged her as she lingered on the valley slopes.

Christ’s return to judge the world will be as sudden and devastating as Sodom's destruction (Luke 17:32–37). Those who desire the life of this wicked world will lose both this world and the next.

Genesis 19:1–38

The Canaanites were evil people who tried to corrupt others. God judged their immoral civilization and warned others not to be like them. It was difficult to get Lot and his family out of Sodom. But it was even more difficult to remove Sodom's influence from them.

This chapter helped later Israelites understand the moral and spiritual dangers of the people living in and around the promised land. This included the Canaanites and Lot’s descendants, the Moabites and the Ammonites (see Numbers 22–25; Deuteronomy 23:3–6; Joshua 24:9; Judges 10:7–9; 11:4–5; 1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Kings 11:1–3; 2 Kings 24:2).

Theme notes and profiles

Abraham Lot Symbolic Numbers

Events

Parallels

Luke 17:20–37

People

Lot's wife: Wife of Lot, daughter-in-law of Terah

Glossary

Abraham Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Cities of the Plain Dead Sea Ebla Tablets Ezekiel, Book of Genesis, Book of Gomorrah Jude, Letter of Lot Patriarchs, Period of the Peter, Second Letter of Remnant Sodom and Gomorrah Zoar

Topics

Disobedience to God of Lot's Wife, in Looking Back Upon Sodom Disobedient Wives Gomorrah: Destroyed Lot: The Son of Haran: His Wife Disobediently Yearns After Sodom, and Becomes a Pillar of Salt Lot's Wife Miracles: Catalogue of Lot's Wife Turned Into a Pillar of Salt Pillar: Pillar of Salt, Lot's Wife Turned To Pillars: Lot's Wife Became a Pillar of Salt Salt: Lot's Wife Turned Into a Pillar of Salt: Miracles Connected With: Lot's Wife Turned Into a Pillar of Sodom: Destroyed on Account of the Wickedness of the People Women: Lot's Wife, in Her Rebellion Against Her Situation, and Against the Destruction of Sodom