Discovery BoxGenesis 13:10 
Context13:10 Lot looked up and saw 1 the whole region 2 of the Jordan. He noticed 3 that all of it was well-watered (before the Lord obliterated 4 Sodom and Gomorrah) 5 like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, 6 all the way to Zoar.
Genesis 19:2
Context19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night 7 and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” 8 “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” 9
Genesis 19:9
Context19:9 “Out of our way!” 10 they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, 11 and now he dares to judge us! 12 We’ll do more harm 13 to you than to them!” They kept 14 pressing in on Lot until they were close enough 15 to break down the door.
1 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes and saw.” The expression draws attention to the act of looking, indicating that Lot took a good look. It also calls attention to the importance of what was seen.
2 tn Or “plain”; Heb “circle.”
3 tn The words “he noticed” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
4 sn Obliterated. The use of the term “destroy” (שַׁחֵת, shakhet) is reminiscent of the Noahic flood (Gen 6:13). Both at the flood and in Sodom the place was obliterated by catastrophe and only one family survived (see C. Westermann, Genesis, 2:178).
5 tn This short temporal clause (preposition + Piel infinitive construct + subjective genitive + direct object) is strategically placed in the middle of the lavish descriptions to sound an ominous note. The entire clause is parenthetical in nature. Most English translations place the clause at the end of v. 10 for stylistic reasons.
6 sn The narrative places emphasis on what Lot saw so that the reader can appreciate how it aroused his desire for the best land. It makes allusion to the garden of the
7 tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.
8 tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”
9 sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.
10 tn Heb “approach out there” which could be rendered “Get out of the way, stand back!”
11 tn Heb “to live as a resident alien.”
12 tn Heb “and he has judged, judging.” The infinitive absolute follows the finite verbal form for emphasis. This emphasis is reflected in the translation by the phrase “dares to judge.”
13 tn The verb “to do wickedly” is repeated here (see v. 7). It appears that whatever “wickedness” the men of Sodom had intended to do to Lot’s visitors – probably nothing short of homosexual rape – they were now ready to inflict on Lot.
14 tn Heb “and they pressed against the man, against Lot, exceedingly.”
15 tn Heb “and they drew near.”
