Глава 19

Two Angels come to Sodom, approaching the gates at which Lot sat to receive strangers entering the city. “When he saw Lot, he arose to meet him,” as he usually met strangers. But, approaching them, in one of the two who came he saw the same thing that Abraham saw in one of the three, “and bow down with your face to the ground” (Gen. 19:1). It is likely that the Angels who came to the Sodomites had a beautiful appearance, for the words: “I will come down and see” (Gen. 18:21) mean the same thing as “I will come down and test them.” If the Sodomites, having seen their faces, had not gone into a frenzy, then, although they would not have received remission of their former sins, they would not have suffered the punishment that befell them later. Lot hastens to bring the strangers into his house before the Sodomites gather and are tempted. But the strangers hesitate, giving the Sodomites time to come and be tested. Abraham did not refuse to enter him, because they did not come to tempt him, but to give a reward to someone who had already been tested. They came to Sodom to tempt the Sodomites, so Lot, who forced them to enter his house, was told: “Nor, but let us sleep on the haystack” (Gen. 19:2). When Lot “forced me... and went into his house” (Gen. 19:3), and tasted the meal offered by Lot, but had not yet gone to sleep, then “the men of the city of Sodom came to the house” (Gen. 19:4), and said to Lot: “Where are the men who came to you at night; bring me to us, that we may be with them” (Gen. 19:5). Look, the strangers came not during the day, when the Sodomites could see beauty and be tempted, but at night, when darkness hid the beauty from their sight, so that the temptation would not be so strong. But this did not bring any benefit to the Sodomites. And by night, as by day, they prepared destruction for their souls. Lot convinces the Sodomites, but they are not convinced, he offers them his two daughters, but they do not accept, and with threats they say: “We will embitter you more than these... and will break the doors as we draw near” (Gen. 19:9). Then the strangers “drew Lot into their church,” and struck the Sodomites, who were “before... the house, with blindness” (Gen. 19:10–11). But this did not stop the fury of the Sodomites, because even then they continued to look for the doors. “The men decided to Lot: Are you sons-in-law or sons or daughters here? or if there is anyone in the city that is not yours, take him away... from this place. For we will destroy this place” (Gen. 19:12–13). Sons-in-law are called sons-in-law who wanted to take his daughters as wives. “And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law” (Gen. 19:14). The Sodomites did not notice how he left the house and how he returned. Even when Lot returned, ridiculed by his sons-in-law, and “took Angeli by the hand, and his wife by the hand, and by the hands of his two daughters, and led them out” (Gen. 19:16), and then the Sodomites did not see how they passed among them in a crowd. Since the women in Sodom were not tested, they were tested by the commandment given to them after leaving Sodom. When Lot begins to ask that Zoar be saved, and that he may enter there, because he stood not far away, then the Angel says to him in response: “Behold, we were amazed at your face, and at this word, which you will not destroy the city” (Gen. 19:21). This will be given to you for the shame of both your daughters. When Lot entered Zoar, “The Lord rained down a bogey on Sodom and Gomorrah, and fire from the Lord from heaven” (Gen. 19:24), that is, the Angel in whom the Lord appeared, from the Lord who is in heaven, brought down a bogey and fire on Sodom. Lot’s wife transgressed the commandment given to her for testing for a short time, “and the pillar was destroyed” (Gen. 19:26), and thus she aggravated the temptation of Lot and both of his daughters, but even after that they were not inclined to transgress the commandment of the Angel. Lot's daughters, because they were afraid to live in an empty city, began to ask their father to flee to the mountain. And since they thought that the fiery flood destroyed the whole world, as during the time of Noah the whole world was destroyed by a water flood, then “the elder spoke to the youngest: our father is old, and there is no one on earth who will come to us... let us make our father drunk with wine... and we will raise up seed from our father, and from us will come the third world, just as from the house of Noah came the second, and from Adam and Eve the first” ( Gen.19:31, 32). They had no shortage of wine, because everything that was in Zoar came into their possession. There were no more inhabitants in Zoar, for when the Angel said to Lot: “Behold, we were amazed at your face, and at this word that you would not destroy the city,” then Zoar swallowed up its inhabitants, leaving their property. He devoured the inhabitants in order to appease the Just One, Whom they had angered with their deeds, but left their property for the righteous Lot, so that he could be comforted after losing everything he had in Sodom. Lot’s daughters came up with excuses and said: “We are afraid to sleep, ghosts terrify us, our mother stands before us, turned into a pillar of salt, the burning Sodomites appear before our eyes, the cries of women crying out from the fire are heard in our ears, as if we see before us children suffering in the flames; Therefore, parent, do not sleep, but to calm your daughters, enjoy wine, so that you can spend the night in a vigil that will save us from horrors.” But when they noticed that Lot had lost his mind from the wine, and a deep sleep had taken over his limbs, then the eldest woman came in and snatched the seed from the sleeping worker, “and he did not understand” (Gen. 19:33). Then the elder sister, seeing that her intention had been fulfilled, began to persuade the younger sister to become a wife for a while, and then remain a virgin forever; and the younger one, convinced by her sister, went in and went out, “and he did not understand” (Gen. 19:35). “And the elder woman gave birth to a son, and he called his name Moab” (Gen. 19:37), and he became the founder of a great nation, like the son of Lot. “Now the youngest one will give birth to a son, and he will call his name Barammi" (Amman or Ben-Ammi) (Gen. 19:38), that is, “a son of my people,” because he is the son of my father. So two sons were given, according to the number of two crimes. Two sons were given for two nations, but for the sake of two Angels two crimes were forgiven. Lot’s daughters subsequently did not live with Lot, because he is their father, or with others, although they were for them, the suitors. But since they hastened to do what they should not have done, they also abstained from what was permitted. And by subsequent abstinence, they probably made up for their previous haste. You might be interested in: