New King James Version
Genesis 19:16
16And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
Genesis 19:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
- New International Version (NIV)When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.
Context of Genesis 19:16
14So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. 15When 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.” And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. 17So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” 18Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords!
Read all of Genesis 19Genesis 19:16 word by word
וַֽיִּתְמַהְמָ֓הּ׀ וַיַּחֲזִ֨קוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֜ים בְּיָד֣וֹ וּבְיַד־אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וּבְיַד֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י בְנֹתָ֔יו בְּחֶמְלַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עָלָ֑יו וַיֹּצִאֻ֥הוּ וַיַּנִּחֻ֖הוּ מִח֥וּץ לָעִֽיר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And while he lingeredמָהַהּmâhahh · to delayH4102
- the menאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- laid holdחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: holdH2388
- upon his handיָדyâd · handH3027
- of his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- of his twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- daughtersבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- being mercifulחֶמְלָהchemlâh · compassionH2551
- unto him: and they brought him forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- and set himיָנַחyânach · to restH3240
- withoutחוּץchûts chûts · outsideH2351
- the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
Cross-references for Genesis 19:16
- Psalms 119:60I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments.
- John 6:44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
- Exodus 34:6And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
- Numbers 14:18‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’
- Deuteronomy 4:31(for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
- Psalms 34:12Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
- Psalms 86:5For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
- Psalms 103:8The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
- Psalms 103:13As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
- Psalms 106:1Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
- Psalms 107:1Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
- Psalms 111:4He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
- Psalms 118:1Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
- Psalms 136:1Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
- Isaiah 63:9In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.
Commentaries on Genesis 19:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16While he lingered - Probably in affectionate though useless entreaties to prevail on the remaining parts of his family to escape from the destruction that was now descending; laid hold upon his hand - pulled them away by mere force, the Lord being merciful; else they had been left to perish in their lingering, as the others were in their gainsaying.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-38Verses 1-38 - The Destruction of Sodom and Amorah 9. גשׁ־ gesh -hāl'âh “approach to a distant point,” stand back. 11. סנורים sanevērı̂ym “blindness,” affecting the mental more than the ocular vision. 37. מואב mô'āb Moab; מאב mē'āb “from a father.” בן־עמי ben -‛amı̂y Ben-ammi, “son of my people.” עמון ‛amôn Ammon, “of the people.” This chapter is the continuation and conclusion of the former. It records a part of God‘s strange work - strange…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-23Lot escaped God's judgment because of God's grace, but Lot was still hesitant to leave Sodom. Israel would forever remember Lot as someone who hesitated and needed angels to pull him to safety. The Lord was merciful and spared Lot because of Abraham (18:23; 19:29). Today, people who follow God often feel pressure to copy the wrong ways that many people live. God asks his followers to live differently from people who do not follow him. This means…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1715-17. The kindly interest the angels took in the preservation of Lot is beautifully displayed. But he "lingered." Was it from sorrow at the prospect of losing all his property, the acquisition of many years? Or was it that his benevolent heart was paralyzed by thoughts of the awful crisis? This is the charitable way of accounting for a delay that would have been fatal but for the friendly urgency of the angel.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 19:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries