(vv. 1-38) The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. And when he saw them, he stood up to meet them, and bowed himself with his face to the ground, and said, Behold, my Lord, come in unto thy servant's house, and tarry overnight, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise early in the morning, and go your way. But they said: Nay, but we will tarry in the street overnight. So he almost compelled them, and they "returned" to him, and came into his house. And he made them a feast, and baked unleavened cakes, and they did eat. But before they lay down, the people of the city of Sodom came and surrounded the house, young and old, all the people from every quarter. And they demanded of Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men that are come unto thee this night? Let them come out to us, that we may know them. And Lot went out unto them at the door, and shut the door behind him, and said, Oh, brethren, do not be so wicked. Behold, I have two daughters, which have not yet known a man: I will put them out among you, and do unto them as ye please: but do nothing unto these men of God: for therefore are they entered under the shadow of my roof. But they said: Come hither. Then they said: Did you not come in as a stranger, and now you want to be a judge? Well, we will do thee more harm than they. And they pressed hard upon the man
Lot, and as they ran to break open the door, the men reached out and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And the men that were at the door of the house were smitten with blindness, both small and great, that they could not find the door. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any more a husband, and sons, and daughters, and whosoever is thine in the city, bring him out of this place: for we will destroy this place, and their cry shall be great before the LORD, which hath sent us to destroy it. Then Lot went out, and spake unto his oaths, which should take his daughters: Arise, and get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But it was ridiculous to them. So when the dawn was breaking, the angels hurried Lot and said: Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters which thou hast found, lest thou also perish in the iniquity of this city. And when he was gone, the men took him, and his wife, and his two daughters, by the hand, because the LORD spared him; and they brought him out, and left him without the city. And when they had brought him out, they said, Save thy soul, and look not behind thee, neither stand thou in all this place; save thyself in the mount, that thou perish not. But Lot said unto them: Nay, my lord, behold, because thy servant hath found grace in thine eyes, thou wilt not perish.
May you make your mercy great, which you have done for me, to keep my soul alive; I cannot save myself on the mountain; an accident may befall me, and I may die. Behold, there is a city near, whither I may flee, and it is small; there will I save myself; yet it is small, that my soul may live. Then said he unto him, Behold, I have looked upon thee also in this thing, that I turn not back the city which thou hast spoken of. Make haste and be saved there, for I cannot do anything until you come in. Therefore the city is called Zoar. 1) And the sun was risen on the earth, when Lot entered into Zoar. And the LORD rained down brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and turned back the cities, and all the coasts thereof, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and all that grew upon the face of the earth. And his wife looked behind him, and was turned into a pillar of salt. And Abraham rose up early in the morning unto the place where he stood before the LORD, and turned his face toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the country of the region, and looked, and, behold, there arose a vapor from the land, as a vapor from the furnace. For when God had destroyed the cities of the region, he remembered Abraham, and brought Lot out of the cities which he had turned back, wherein Lot dwelt. And Lot departed from Zoar, and abode in the mountain with his two daughters: for he feared to abide in Zoar, and so abode in a cave with his two daughters. Then the eldest said to the youngest, "Our father is old, and there is no longer a man on earth to protect us in any way. So come, let us give our father wine to drink, and sleep with him, 2) that we may receive seed from our father. So they gave their father wine to drink that night. And the first went in, and lay with her father, and he knew it not when she lay, nor when she arose. And in the morning the eldest said unto the youngest, Behold, I lay with my father yesterday; let us give him wine this night also.
1) Marginal gloss: Zoar means small. - This marginal gloss is missing in the Jenaer. In the Wittenberg, there is only the text of the first three verses.
2) Erlanger: and become drunk with him.
Give wine to drink, that you may go in and lie with him, that we may receive seed from our father. So they also gave their father wine to drink that night. And the youngest also arose, and lay with him; and he knew it not when she lay, nor when she arose. So Lot's two daughters conceived by their father, and the eldest gave birth to a son, whom she named Moab; from him came the Moabites to this day. And the youngest also bare a son, and called his name the child Ammi: from him came the children of Ammon unto this day.
First, we hear here of the men or angels who went from Abraham to Sodom. As Abraham, his cousin, was, so also is Lot to Sodom. Abraham was a man who liked to give hospitality, so this one also does, so that he also urges and compels them to return to his house and be his guests.
2 This is an example of the custom of the people, that they were ready to do good to anyone. For it should not be thought that they alone were so willing to shelter poor strangers. They have been strangers themselves, and have tried how strangers are treated and how no one takes care of them; therefore they have gladly taken them in. However, it will undoubtedly have happened that they also had many ungrateful guests. [It is also fitting. For what is to be a Christian good work must be so skillful that the people to whom it is good will do all mischievousness against it. [They] have thought thus: done for God's sake, not left for man's sake. For one must always consider that God was pleased with the people. What he testifies to must be right and delicious.
(3) Thus both Lot and Abraham sat and dwelt among thorns and vipers and scorpions, as do all Christians and children of God. There nothing becomes different; it must go, as in the Song of Songs [Cap. 2, 2.] stands: "As a rose in the midst of thorns, so is my love among the daughters." Thus he has become a free man.
He was a man of good deeds, who did good to everyone and harmed everyone, so that his life became bitter and sour enough. For he had to lead a different life than the world; he had to live among those who were not quite pious, and punish the unbelievers and charge them with the neck; so that his life deserved no more than always hatred and envy. Therefore God comforted him all the more, even through the angels; thus he dealt with him as if he were carrying him on his hands; yet he left him so miserably stuck among the unbelievers that one can never praise these examples enough.
004 There dwelleth the pious Lot in the capital of Sodom of the five. And consider how he sits there with his wife, his children and his servants, and how he has been a part of the people who were there, and how he has given daughters, and how he has had two wives, and how he has gotten along with them. Again, they were so disgraceful in their behavior, eating and drinking, and practicing all kinds of immorality, that they considered him no different than a Cinderella; he had to suffer all this. How often he also had to punish the people. For, as I said before, it behooves a Christian man to preach and teach against the wicked and not to remain silent. So he had to have great faith to be able to 2) live and help himself among such poisonous and 3) desperate people.
The apostle Peter uses this as an example: "God has redeemed (he says s2. Ep. 2, 7. 8.]) justified Lot, who was deafened by the lewd conduct of the abominable. For while he dwelt justified among them, that he should see and hear it, they tormented the righteous soul from day to day with their unrighteous works." He saw that they led such an abominable vice, neither serving nor helping any man; but, as Christ says of them, "They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built," every man walking after his own pleasure and enjoyment, not looking after his neighbor. He was alone in the whole city, helping and serving the people as much as he could; had to
1) "Such" is missing in the Erlanger.
2) Erlanger: he him.
3) "and" is missing in the Erlanger.
yet be hated and oppressed by them. Thus he had to see what hurt him in his heart, even what might have broken his heart; yet he had to suffer it, could neither defend nor help.
(6) Therefore the prophet Ezekiel also said: "Behold, this was the vice of thy sister Sodom (he says [Cap. 16, 49] to the synagogue), courtliness, idleness, and plenty, that they were full of eating and drinking, they and their daughters," that is, the villages and towns around, "and no one gave a hand to the poor," and they went out and did such vices that I had to turn them to ashes. So Christ also describes it (as said above [Luc. 17, 28-30.)): "As it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the days of the Son of man; they did eat, and drink, and buy, and sell, and plant, and build, until Lot went out of Sodom: and it rained fire and brimstone, and destroyed them all." If you look at it now, this was the trouble in Sodom, as it is still today, that everyone looks out for himself alone and strives for himself, rightly and wrongly; let someone else stay where he can. God has given it that one builds and plants; but that one alone scrapes to himself all that he can, and leaves his neighbor to suffer hardship, takes care of no other man, that is the complaint and guilt of all with one another.
7 Therefore the prophet says to the city of Jerusalem, "Behold, even so doest thou, yea, Sodom and Samaria have not yet done half that thou doest," that they are still righteous, to whom: they are held against thee [Ezek. 16, 51.), as also Christ punishes the Jews, and passes judgment on them, saying [Matth. 11, 23. 24.), "And thou Capernaum, thou art exalted unto heaven; thou shalt be cast down unto hell. For if the deeds that were done in Sodoma had been done in you, they would still be there today. But I say unto you, that it shall be worse for the land of Sodom at the last judgment than for thee," so that we may not boast. If God has sunk the city because of its sin, He will not spare ours either; as St. Peter also says: "He has turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, and condemned them, so that an example might be made.
sets them that shall be ungodly in time to come." It is true that they have committed the sin called dumb sins, but the Scripture compares it especially to all those who hear the gospel, understand it, and do not follow it, and is set as an example for them to stumble against.
(8) Thus shall the examples be regarded, as the pious children of Abraham and Lot. When they were strangers among the wicked people, seeing nothing but what would have broken their hearts, shameful conduct, unfaithfulness and injustice, they still had to stay with them, could not leave the world; they did not act like our fools, the monks, who do not want to live in the world. God had led them to the land, [they] had to be in it; if they had lived elsewhere, they would have found it just the same. Wherever one goes, the devil is at home. Therefore these are great examples which God sets before us, that we hold fast to faith and love against the whole world. [It is a great cross, when we see that no one is a friend, must suffer vain envy and hatred; nor does God let the pious man fall, as we shall hear how and how warmly he does it.
(9) This is the great and terrible judgment of God upon the five cities. For although Abraham asked for it with great earnestness, but because he found no one who was good, he let it stand and let the wrath go on. Therefore, not to cast the example into the wind, but to form it in the eyes is the great earnestness of God, as it is said, that one should not take comfort in saying that there are still many righteous people among us, for whose sake God stops the wrath. As they were, so they are still, and much worse; but there have been more pious people. So that no one may take a cover and protection, that he may escape God's judgment.
10 It is finally decided that he wants people to be afraid of him and not be safe. That is why his anger has already begun, when he sees that it is thrown to the wind, and still wants to rely on other people's intercession. Therefore the scripture says: [sPs. 147, 11]: "He is well pleased with
1) Erlanger: "is. This is" 2c. - Wittenberger: the great seriousness.
To them that fear him, and trust in him"; as also in the Gospel of Matthew [Cap. 18, 26. 27.] of the servant who owed his master ten thousand pounds, that he obtained grace and mercy, and lamented the Lord of it, when he fell down and sum] begged mercy. Thus by and by the example is to be led that God is not gracious and merciful to anyone, except those who fear him, that will anger 2) and judge. Thus the prophets have set the example, and well blued and reproached, that they might keep the people in the fear of God. It is set to terror and trembling, as we have heard from Petro [2 Ep. 2, 6], for all the wicked, who will certainly also suffer as Sodoma and Gomorrah did, to be put off as long as they wish. God can watch their behavior for a while, but in the end he will come with terrible punishment, he will certainly not stay outside.
(11) Thus it is said what the sin was, because of which they were punished. Above it is said in the thirteenth chapter 4^, that the cities were situated in a fat, delicious land and right lard pit, where all things were abundant and sufficient, that Moses [Cap. 13, 10.It was as beautiful with trees and all the noble fruits, grain, wine and oil, as if God Himself had built it and prepared a garden for it; therefore the people who were in the city had good courage, thought they had a gracious God, and put off all fear. Such certainty led them to commit such an abominable sin; so that God showed what good riches and abundance do to people. Everyone strives to have enough and abundance, and to live well; but Scripture teaches that nothing more dangerous can come our way sPred. 2:1]. Therefore it would have been better if everything had been most precious, and if there had not been such a great abundance, then they would have remained pious; but because they all had abundance, and lived in misery, as Christ says [Luc. 17:27], they were thus punished.
12 Therefore we should also think that nothing is better for a man than poverty, that we have not abundance, but only fullness, around and about, so that of it.
2) Erlanger: zürnet.
3) "overlong" - superfluous, more than enough.
For, as it is said and true, there must be strong legs to endure good days; and: A man can suffer all kinds of things without good days; if he has too much food, he just goes, like the donkey, on the ice, and breaks a leg before good days. If some have been rich and pious, it is a special grace; otherwise it is not useful in the common multitude for one to be rich; as Paul writes to Timothy, fl. Ep. 6, 8], "But if we have food and covering, let us be content." We see daily by 1) all experience that yet everyone dies, bringing nothing from it, but that we fill the belly, cover and cover. Therefore we should not scrape so. Those who come after us will also work well.
We have also heard how God leads the pious Lot out of the city with miraculous signs; not only redeemed from sin, but also from punishment. Which example St. Peter gives in his second epistle fCap. 2, 7] to the comfort of all who believe. God is pleased with him and takes special notice of him, especially for Abraham's sake, because he stood with him in the same faith. Therefore he shows how he respects those who trust in him. For if you look at it, you will find him with his wife and two daughters, that is, four people in the whole city and region; the others all lived as they pleased, sowing and spluttering. He must be the Cinderella of them all, as they say to him in the text.
14 Then he suffered two things: First, as Peter says, that his heart might have broken against the life which he saw. His faith and spirit could not endure that he should not speak against it; therefore he had to separate himself from them and also punish them. Thus he brought upon himself hatred and enmity. Not all that he suffered is written, but St. Peter touches it a little when he says, "He saw and heard the torment of his soul." If he had been a decent man, he might have gone away; but now he is burdened with wife and child, and for this reason he must watch and suffer. Dar-
1) Jenaer: in.
2) Erlanger: saust.
3) "they" is missing in the Erlanger.
It is a mighty prize that he can sit among the people and speak and do against them alone. What God praises must be high and delicious; he gives it well to think what he has had to suffer, more than is indicated, because we see before our eyes what those still have to suffer who do not live as the devil and the world wants.
(15) Besides such sufferings, he nevertheless has a consolation against them. Because he has to live against many people, God is with him, and keeps an eye on him, punishes them horribly, and saves him, makes him suffer misfortune enough; but he preserves him, both from sin and punishment, so that we learn from this that it is no miracle if he lets the whole world be an enemy to us. We must consider that one alone must stand against all the world.
(16) No man shall enter into heaven, but to think that he goeth alone, as Christ and the prophets did; as he saith in the Psalter [Ps. 142:5], I looked about me, but there was none that knew me. If it does not happen before the world in life, then it must happen at death, that I stand there and condemn everything that is against me, as if I were wiser than the whole world; so it must go, otherwise it is not right. All this is written so that we may close our eyes and not be surprised if many blaspheme the gospel. It is still a wonder if you see only two who are Christians. We may praise them a lot and consider them so, but when it comes to the hit, just be prepared so that you can say: Here I must stand alone and forsaken, and no one will stand with me. That is why God gives these examples, so that we may take comfort in the fact that this has not only happened to us, but has also happened to other holy people, and rely on the fact that God has an eye on us and is watching over us, as He did with them.
(17) There is also a comforting example here, in that this Lot sleeps with his daughters afterward. The text says how the daughters made him drunk and lay with him, so that he was not aware of them when they lay down or got up. What is God interested in, that he lets such a fine patriarch, the great spiritual man, become such a shameful fool? It is ever strange, but for this very reason
that reason becomes a fool over such foolish histories. St. Paul said it well: His judgments are untellable to reason [Rom. 11, 33P So he does it with the saints, that he makes fools out of all wisdom [1 Cor. 1, 27].
(18) This man would not take all the world's goods to touch another woman, and sleeps with his own daughters; and they may with good sense and prudence deceive the father. What shall we answer to this? We want to leave it unanswered, but say that the two daughters have sinned horribly, even if they pretend and act out of fear, thinking that there are no more people on earth; they have done it in foolish devotion that they wanted to help the world. But good opinion is useless, one must first have God's word and be sure that it is well done. So I will not excuse Lot, even though he does not stumble so easily; but I will excuse them, the daughters, much less. But I believe that they also had a strong faith, otherwise they would not have been saved, because his own wife was not spared. He will also no doubt not have left it to teach his children how they should believe that there was no lack of understanding, that they fell.
19 Now this also is written for an example, that no one is so holy, nor stands so firm, who cannot fall again. 1) If the man can fall so high, what wonder is it if we stumble? But no one is given a cover or a help to find it, but a comfort is given to those who believe, so that they will not despair if they fall at times. It is a piece that belongs to the gospel of the kingdom of God, where there is forgiveness of sins. Fall down from time to time, only do not despair, and get up again.
20) So we will hear hereafter [Cap. 37, 35] that Jacob, the patriarch, also stumbled when he was stupid and despondent, 2) and made himself miserable. For if God had not thus made us believe, the saints would have fooled,
1) Erlanger: künne; Jenaer: künde: Wittenberger: kündte.
2) "was" is missing in the Erlanger.
we would not be able to know His kingdom, which is nothing other than the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, it is written that the praise and glory are not based on man's works, but on God's grace. Lot and Abraham could become as wicked as I, and I in turn as pious as they. That is why we heard how he did not despise the Sodomites at all, but took care of them, admonished them, and wanted them to improve.
This is the way it must be in the kingdom of Christ, so that it is vain to build up, always to improve and to mend, 3) only that one does not become sure and insolent, and strike himself into the entrenchment, but creeps back to the cross. Let no one be ashamed of another. He that made me of flesh and blood made them also so; and as he made them holy, so can he make me also. Nature is equal in all, grace is also equal. Behold, this is what such examples of the fathers are to teach; therefore they are not to be exalted so high as our fools, who think that they have felt no sin at all.
22 Finally, to conclude, we want to briefly go over the secret interpretation of the chapter. There are two parts in this history, both of which indicate nothing but human doctrine, as the prophet Ezekiel [Cap. 16, 51] himself interprets it when he compares Jerusalem and the Sodomites together, and says that it has become much worse than Sodom. This is what happens when the holy seed, the word of God, is misused and corrupted so that it cannot bear fruit. This is the first thing.
(23) The other thing, that as the two daughters whored after their father, and conceived by him, so do all those who come before God with works, and teach of free will, not needing the seed where it belongs. Now this is as much as if the daughter slept with her father and begat whorish children. Lot is lex, the law; the two daughters populus, the people of the law, make the father drunk; of which Isaiah [Cap. 28, 1.] says, of the drunken Ephraim. So it goes: If we have God's word, and give it another mind, we make it drunk. The wine is man's doctrine, so with us
3) "be" is missing in the Erlanger.
grows and is made, so one becomes pregnant by the drunken law, that is, misinterpreted and misunderstood. As they now understand it, so they bear fruit, Ammon and Moab, such children that must never come among Christendom and God's people. Just as they were bodily forbidden not to come among the children of Israel 2c. For there is none of them among Christ, who are thus taught according to the understanding which we ourselves have invented.
(24) If any man is to come unto Christ, he must understand the law and the gospel purely and correctly, and bear right fruit. Now the law is such that no one can do it by his own efforts: [Neither was it given for this purpose, but that it might bring us to our knowledge. Then, calling upon the grace of God, which is the gospel, keeps us righteous and sober, so that we become not Ammonites and Moabites, but true children of Israel.
25 The two names also indicate this: Moab, the oldest, is called in German from the father, as if it should say: the son.
I have from the Father; Ammon, Mus äoloris, son of pain, or BenAmmi, that is, a child of my people. These are the saints of works, who by their good works want to be children of God and neighbors with him, and yet have no faith. Therefore also Isaias [Cap. 16, 6.] says of the people: Moab is a proud donkey, I know his arrogance well, ser] is almost proud, and boasts more than he is able. So are they all who are of works, who have thought their thing alone to be right. The Ammonites are also like that. Before the world their thing seems delicious, there it is Moab; but inwardly in the conscience there is no peace nor confidence in God, no joy nor pleasure. Therefore it is a wretched being inwardly, as it is delicious outwardly. Before God they are Ammon, and before the world MoaM For by law and works the conscience can never be helped to have rest and peace. This is the interpretation of this history; that everything goes and is to be done so that one holds to the pure word of God and hears nothing else but the same, and condemns human doctrine in short.