Genesis 19:35 (KJV)

What does Genesis 19:35 mean?

Genesis 19:35 describes how Lot’s daughters gave their father wine again on the second night, and the younger daughter went in to sleep with him while he was unaware of what was happening. The verse emphasizes that Lot did not realize when his daughter lay down with him or when she got up.

This verse is part of the story where Lot’s daughters, believing they have no other way to preserve their family line after the destruction of Sodom, make their father drunk so they can become pregnant by him. The passage highlights both the actions of the daughters and Lot’s lack of awareness due to intoxication, setting up the origins of two future peoples, the Moabites and Ammonites, in the following verses.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 19:35

• The word for "made [him] drink" is שָׁקָה (shaqah), which means to give someone something to drink, often used for causing someone to drink. Here, it stresses the daughters’ active role in making sure Lot drank enough wine to be unaware.
• "Wine" is יַיִן (yayin), the common Hebrew word for fermented grape drink. Its use here underlines that Lot’s lack of awareness was due to strong drink.
• "Perceived" is יָדַע (yada‘), which means to know or be aware. The verse uses it to show Lot’s complete ignorance of what happened both when his daughter lay down and when she got up.
• "Lay" and "arose" are שָׁכַב (shakab, to lie down, often used for sexual relations) and קוּם (qum, to arise or get up). The repetition of these words in the verse stresses the secretive and unnoticed nature of the event.

Why Genesis 19:35 matters

• This verse clarifies that Lot was not a willing participant in the act, as he was unaware both times his daughters lay with him, which is important for understanding the moral and narrative weight of the story.
• The verse sets up the birth of Moab and Ammon, explaining the origins of these peoples and their complicated relationship with Israel later in the Bible.
• Genesis 19:35 shows the lengths Lot’s daughters went to out of desperation and fear, highlighting the aftermath and trauma of the destruction of Sodom and the isolation they felt.