Genesis 19:20 - Forerunner Commentary

Genesis 19:20

18 Then Lot said to them, “Please, ^ano, my lords!

19 Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.

20 See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

21 And he said to him, “See, ^aI have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken.

22 Hurry, escape there. For ^aI cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore ^bthe name of the city was called¹ Zoar.

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.

24 Then the Lord rained ^abrimstone and ^bfire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.

25 So He¹ overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and ^awhat grew on the ground.

26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became ^aa pillar of salt.

27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where ^ahe had stood before the Lord.

28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, ^athe smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.

29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God ^aremembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

The Descendants of Lot

30 Then Lot went up out of Zoar and ^adwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.

31 Now the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth ^ato come in to us as is the custom of all the earth.

32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we ^amay preserve the lineage of our father.”

Verse Comparison: Genesis 19:20

<< Genesis 19:19

Genesis 19:21 >>

American Standard Version
behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape thither (is it not a little one?), and my soul shall live.

Amplified® Bible
See now yonder city; it is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape to it! Is it not a little one? And my life will be saved!

Contemporary English Version
There's a town near here. It's only a small place, but my family and I will be safe, if you let us go there."

Darby English Version
Behold now, this city is near to flee to, and it is small: I pray thee, let me escape thither -- is it not small? -- and my soul shall live.

Good News Bible
Do you see that little town? It is near enough. Let me go over there---you can see it is just a small place---and I will be safe."

King James Version
Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.

New American Standard Bible
now behold, this town is near {enough} to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved."

New International Version
Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared."

New King James Version
See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.'

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Now behold, this town seems near enough to flee to, and it looks small. Please, let me escape there (does it not seem small?) that my life may become spared."

Revised Standard Version
Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there--is it not a little one? --and my life will be saved!"

Young's Literal Translation
lo, I pray thee, this city `is' near to flee thither, and it `is' little; let me escape, I pray thee, thither, (is it not little?) and my soul doth live.'

New English Translation
Look, this town¹ over here is close enough to escape to, and it’s just a little one.² Let me go there.³ It’s just a little place, isn’t it?⁴ Then I’ll survive.”⁵

<< Genesis 19:19

Genesis 19:21 >>