Глава 19

Gen.19:14. “And he spoke to his sons-in-law, who took his daughters.” Since Lot's two daughters are further called virgins (about whom he himself recently told the Sodomites: “Behold my two daughters, who knew no man”), and now the Scripture mentions that he had sons-in-law, some believe that those daughters who had husbands remained in Sodom, and those who went out with their father were virgins. Since Scripture is silent about this, the Jewish truth must be stated: “Lot went out and spoke with the suitors who intended to take his daughters.” So, the virgin daughters were not yet connected by marriage. Gen.19:21. “And he said to him: “Behold, I was amazed at your face.” The Hebrew text says: “Behold, I have received your face,” that is, I am comforted by your prayers. Symmachus, translating this according to the meaning, says: ὁράσει ἑδυσωπήθην τὸ πρόσωπόν σου. Gen.19:28. “And then a flame rose from the ground, like the heat of a furnace.” Instead, in the Hebrew text we read: “Behold, the citor ( קִיטֹ ֣ ר ) rose up like άναθυμίασις from a furnace,” which we can call heat, smoke or ashes. Gen.19:30. “And Lot went up from Segor and dwelt on the mountain, and his two daughters with him. Because he was afraid to live in Segor." The question arises: why did Lot at first prefer Segor to fleeing to the mountain and wished him mercy for his dwelling [Gen. 19, 18 -22], and now he is moving to the mountain again? I will answer that the following consideration of the Jews about Segor is correct: this city was called first Bela, and then Salisa, because it was often destroyed by earthquakes. And Lot was seized with fear and said: “If this city was often destroyed, while other cities still stood, then especially now with general destruction, can it expect mercy?” [And the Jews believe] that in view of such an insecure situation, he also initiated intercourse with his daughters. [But] since he saw that other cities had already been destroyed, and this one was still standing, and he himself was pulled out of trouble with the help of God, he should not have doubted, at least, about what he had previously heard about as being granted to himself [by God]. Therefore, what is said to justify the daughters (they believed that the human race had ceased, and therefore lay with their father) does not excuse the father. Finally, it follows: Gen.19:35. “And he did not know when she slept with him and when she rebelled from him.” The Jews mark these words with dots above as implausible, since the natural nature does not accept that anyone should not notice the intercourse. Verse 36 - 38. “And Lot’s two daughters conceived from their father; and the eldest gave birth to a son, and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the youngest gave birth to a son, and called his name Ammon, that is, the son of my people. He is the father of the sons of Ammon." "Moab" means "from the father." Moreover, this etymology refers to this name taken in its entirety. In turn, the name Ammon, as a kind of reason for which the expression “son of my family” is presented, or, better, as in the Hebrew text, “son of my people,” is formed so that it contains partly the meaning of the name, and partly the sound. Because the word ammi (‏ עַמי), from which the Ammonites are called, means “my people.”