And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
GENESIS 19:34KJVWhat does Genesis 19:34 mean?
Genesis 19:34 describes how, on the day after the first daughter of Lot slept with their father, she suggested to her younger sister that they repeat the act by making Lot drink wine again so the younger could also sleep with him, with the goal of preserving their father’s family line. The verse shows the older sister taking the lead in a plan to have children by their father after the destruction of their city.
In this verse, the firstborn daughter is speaking to her younger sister after they have fled the destruction of Sodom and are living in a cave with their father, Lot. The older daughter refers to what happened the previous night and proposes that they use wine again to make their father unaware, so the younger can also sleep with him. Their stated reason is to "preserve seed"—to ensure their father’s descendants continue, since they believe there are no other men left.
The Hebrew behind Genesis 19:34
- "Preserve" (חָיָה, chayah): This word means "to live" or "to keep alive." Here, it emphasizes the daughters’ focus on survival and continuation of their family line, not just having children but ensuring the family’s existence.
- "Seed" (זֶרַע, zera‘): This word means "offspring" or "descendants." The daughters’ concern is specifically about their father’s lineage, showing their motivation is tied to family continuity.
- "Wine" (יַיִן, yayin): The use of this word highlights that the daughters intentionally used alcohol to make Lot unaware of their actions, which is crucial to understanding the circumstances and Lot’s lack of consent.
Why Genesis 19:34 matters
- Genesis 19:34 clarifies that the daughters acted with intention and planning, not by accident or impulse, and that the older daughter was the driving force behind the plan.
- The verse highlights the desperate and isolated situation the family believed themselves to be in, which shaped their extreme actions.
- This verse sets up the birth of Moab and Ammon, ancestors of two significant groups later in the Bible, showing the origins of these peoples and the complicated family dynamics involved.