And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

GENESIS 19:29KJV
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Genesis 19:29 (KJV)

What does Genesis 19:29 mean?

Genesis 19:29 says that when God destroyed the cities on the plain, God remembered Abraham and rescued Lot from the disaster that struck the cities where Lot lived. The verse highlights that Lot’s deliverance was connected to God’s regard for Abraham.

Genesis 19:29 is a summary statement after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The narrator explains that God’s action to save Lot was not random, but a response to Abraham, who had earlier pleaded for the cities. The verse ties together the earlier conversation between Abraham and God with the outcome for Lot, showing a link between Abraham’s relationship with God and Lot’s rescue.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 19:29

  • זָכַר (zākar, "remembered"): This word means more than just recalling something; it often implies acting on behalf of someone. Here, it shows that God’s memory of Abraham led to concrete action to save Lot.
  • שָׁלַח (shālach, "sent"): This word can mean to send out or to bring out. In this context, it emphasizes that God actively intervened to remove Lot from danger, not just passively allowed him to escape.
  • הָפַךְ (hāphakh, "overthrew"): This word describes a complete turning or overturning, which fits the total destruction of the cities. It underscores the severity of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Why Genesis 19:29 matters

  • Genesis 19:29 clarifies that Lot’s rescue was not just about Lot’s own actions or merit, but was directly tied to God’s relationship with Abraham.
  • The verse connects the destruction of the cities to the earlier story where Abraham pleaded with God, showing that intercession can have real effects.
  • This verse helps the reader see the broader narrative: God’s faithfulness to Abraham’s concerns shapes the fate of others, even amid judgment.

Where else these words appear

“which” Hebrew H2004 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 30:26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
  • Leviticus 14:40 Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
  • Jeremiah 48:9 Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

“Lot” Hebrew H3876 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
  • Genesis 13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
  • Genesis 19:12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:

“plain” Hebrew H3603 · used in 55 verses

  • Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
  • 2 Samuel 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
  • 1 Chronicles 29:4 Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal:

“overthrew” Hebrew H2015 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
  • 2 Kings 5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
  • Psalms 114:8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.