Why this story matters

(commentary on Genesis 18-19)

(Page 3 of 5)

Sodom and hospitality

The issue of hospitality is actually a central theme in the Sodom and Gomorrah story and, in light of Jesus’ statement above, some analysts suggest the sin was primarily one of inhospitality. For example, there is a clear contrast between the different ways guests are treated in the story. Just before the destruction of the cities, Abraham exhibited the right way to treat guests when he prepared a meal for Yahweh and his angels when they arrived from heaven. And Lot exhibited the right way to treat guests when he met Yahweh's two angels, who arrived in Sodom to save his family. He invited them home to spend the night. The wrong way to treat guests is exhibited by the people of Sodom.

The “men of the city” surround Lot's house and demand that the strangers (angels) be given to them so they can have sex with them. Lot pleads with them not to ask for such a thing and even offers his own virgin daughters in their place if they will leave his guests alone. But the people refuse and insist on the male guests. The crowd only disperses when they are struck blind by the angels.

Lot’s offer of his two daughters to be gang-raped is troubling to many Christians, as it should be. From one perspective, this would be better than allowing them to rape angels, but is offering your daughter to be gang-raped really the kind of thing a "righteous" man would do? In 2 Peter 2, Lot is characterized as being “a righteous man” and someone who was “tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard”. Any good father would surely fight to his last breath to keep his young girls from such a fate. In actuality, what this demonstrates quite clearly is that, in the Bible, women are not seen as having the same value as men.


And finally, while there’s no getting round the fact that homosexuality was involved here, it should be noted that Lot had lived in the city for a long time and would have known that the offer of his daughters would be at least tempting to the men. He also had sons in law from the city, so many of the men must have been at least bisexual if not completely heterosexual. If the sin of Sodom was primarily one of homosexuality, then, the writers of the Bible failed to make that point clear.

And what about Lot, himself? Why does the Bible call him righteous when he was willing to treat his daughters in this way? And why does the Bible call him righteous when he indulges so freely in alcoholic excess? Well, the issue of alcohol use in the Bible is not as clear as tea totaling Christians would have you believe.

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