Genesis 19:5 Commentary and Bible Study

It is clear what the mob wanted and Lot is in no doubt as to why they are there. They have not simply come to make enquiries about who has come into his house, but the word ‘know’ is being used as a euphemism for sexual intercourse. Lot’s response shows that he understood their meaning perfectly well. It is a euphemism, says Leupold, not born out of delicacy, for they shout it out in the street. The English word ‘sodomite’ is derived from the name of the city of Sodom. Its use in English indicates what has been understood to be the sin of that city. There are those who claim that this sin was not homosexuality itself, but no one who believes the Scripture to be the inspired word of God can take this view, because other passage make clear that this is exactly what it was. In Romans 1:23-27 Paul certain has Sodom in mind when he describes them as ‘receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet’, yet he says nothing about violence, but only about the wickedness of their perverted sexual practices, which brought down the judgment of God. Likewise Jude 1:7 explicitly tells us that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was sexual sin and homosexuality in particular.