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Lot

Man living at the time of the Patriarchs

Lot, the nephew of Abraham, was rescued from Sodom before its destruction.

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Lot was the son of Haran and the nephew of Abraham (Gen.11.27,31). He traveled with Abraham from Ur to Canaan (Gen.12.4-5). Due to strife between their herdsmen, Lot chose to settle in the plain of Jordan near Sodom (Gen.13.1-13). Lot was captured when Sodom was invaded, but Abraham rescued him (Gen.14.12,16). Despite the wickedness of Sodom, Lot continued living there (Gen.19.1). When God revealed His plan to destroy the city, Abraham pleaded for Lot's safety (Gen.18.16-33). Two angels warned Lot to flee Sodom with his family (Gen.19.1-22). Lot's wife disobeyed and was turned into a pillar of salt (Gen.19.26; Luk.17.32). Lot and his daughters escaped to Zoar and later settled in a cave (Gen.19.30). Lot's daughters, believing they were the last survivors, got him drunk and slept with him, resulting in the births of Moab and Ammon (Gen.19.31-38; Psa.83.8). The New Testament describes Lot as a righteous man distressed by the debauchery of Sodom (2Pe.2.7). Jesus used Lot's story as a warning about the suddenness of His return (Luk.17.28-29).

Family

Father
Haran
Siblings
MilcahIscah

Connections

Part of: The patriarchal families

Abraham and Lot: uncle, nephew and the parting of ways

FamilyStated in the text

Lot, son of Abraham's dead brother Haran, travelled with Abraham from Haran to Canaan. Their herds outgrew the land and their herdsmen quarrelled, so they separated: Lot chose the Jordan plain near Sodom, Abraham stayed in Canaan. Abraham later rescued Lot from captivity and interceded for Sodom.

Where the text shows it: Gen 11:27 — Haran fathered Lot; Haran died before his father TerahGen 13:5-12 — Herdsmen quarrel; Lot chooses the Jordan plainGen 14:12-16 — Abraham rescues LotGen 18:22-33 — Abraham intercedes for Sodom

Sources: Gen 11:27 · Gen 13:5-12 · Gen 14:12-16 · Gen 18:22-33

Lot and his daughters: the origin of Moab and Ammon

FamilyStated in the text

After Sodom's destruction Lot's daughters bore Moab and Ben-ammi, ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites, peoples who stay entangled with Israel (Ruth the Moabite is David's great-grandmother). Deuteronomy ties their later status to the Abrahamic kinship of Lot.

Where the text shows it: Gen 19:30-38 — Moab and Ben-ammi are born to Lot's daughtersDeut 2:9 — Moab is given to the "sons of Lot"Deut 2:19 — Ammon likewise given to the "sons of Lot"

Sources: Gen 19:30-38 · Deut 2:9 · Deut 2:19

The Terah family: Abraham, Nahor and Haran

FamilyStated in the text

Terah had three sons: Abram, Nahor, Haran. Haran died early, leaving Lot; Abraham's wife Sarah is described as his half-sister (daughter of his father, not his mother). Nahor's line supplies Rebekah, Rachel and Leah.

Where the text shows it: Gen 11:26-29 — Terah's sons; Haran and Lot; Nahor marries MilcahGen 20:12 — Sarah is Abraham's half-sisterGen 22:20-23 — Nahor's descendants

Sources: Gen 11:26-29 · Gen 20:12 · Gen 22:20-23

Bible dictionary

Lot Easton Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897)

(Heb. goral, a “pebble”), a small stone used in casting lots (Num. 33:54; Jonah 1:7). The lot was always resorted to by the Hebrews with strictest reference to the interposition of God, and as a method of ascertaining the divine will (Prov. 16:33), and in serious cases of doubt (Esther 3:7). Thus the lot was used at the division of the land of Canaan among the serveral tribes (Num. 26:55; 34:13), at the detection of Achan (Josh. 7:14, 18), the election of Saul to be king (1 Sam. 10:20, 21), the distribution of the priestly offices of the temple service (1 Chr. 24:3, 5, 19; Luke 1:9), and over the two goats at the feast of Atonement (Lev. 16:8). Matthias, who was “numbered with the eleven” (Acts 1:24-26), was chosen by lot. This word also denotes a portion or an inheritance (Josh. 15:1; Ps. 125:3; Isa. 17:4), and a destiny, as assigned by God (Ps. 16:5; Dan. 12:13). Lot, (Heb. lot), a covering; veil, the son of Haran, and nephew of Abraham (Gen. 11:27). On the death of his father, he was left in charge of his grandfather Terah (31), after whose death he accompanied his uncle Abraham into Canaan (12:5), thence into Egypt (10), and back again to Canaan (13:1). After this he separated from him and settled in Sodom (13:5-13). There his righteous soul was “vexed” from day to day (2 Pet. 2:7), and he had great cause to regret this act. Not many years after the separation he was taken captive by Chedorlaomer, and was rescued by Abraham (Gen. 14). At length, when the judgment of God descended on the guilty cities of the plain (Gen. 19:1-20), Lot was miraculously delivered. When fleeing from the doomed city his wife “looked back from behind him, and became a pillar of salt.” There is to this day a peculiar crag at the south end of the Dead Sea, near Kumran, which the Arabs call…

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Lot Smith Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1863)

(literally a pebble). The custom of deciding doubtful questions by lot is one of great extent and high antiquity. Among the Jews lots were used with the expectation that God would so control them as to give a right direction to them. They were very often used by God’s appointment. “As to the mode of casting lots, we have no certain information. Probably several modes were practiced.” “Very commonly among the Latins little counters of wood were put into a jar with so narrow a neck that only one could come out at a time. After the jar had been filled with water and the contents shaken, the lots were determined by the order in which the bits of wood, representing the several parties, came out with the water. in other cases they were put into a wide open jar, and the counters were drawn out by the hand. Sometimes again they were cast in the manner of dice. The soldiers who cast lots for Christ’s garments undoubtedly used these dice.”—Lyman Abbott. (veil or covering), the son of Haran, and therefore the nephew of Abraham. (Genesis 11:27,31) (B.C. before 1926-1898.) His sisters were Milcah the wife of Nahor, and Iscah, by some identified with Sarah. haran died before the emigration of Terah and his family from Ur of the Chaldees, ver. 28, and Lot was therefore born there. He removed with the rest of his kindred to Charran, and again subsequently with Abraham and Sarai to Canaan. ch. (Genesis 12:4,5) With them he took refuge in Egypt from a famine, and with them returned, first to the “south,” ch. (Genesis 13:1) and then to their original settlement between Bethel and Ai. vs. (Genesis 13:3,4) But the pastures of the hills of Bethel, which had with ease contained the two strangers on their first arrival, were not able any longer to bear them, so much had their possessions of…

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Lot Hitchcock Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary (1869)

Lotan, wrapt up; hidden; covered; myrrh; rosin

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Lot Hastings Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible (1898)

LOT (a covering, veil), the son of Ilaran and nephew of Abraham, was born in Ur, a city of Chaldea, where his father died, and followed, with Abraham and Terah, to Mesopotamia, where the latter died at Haran. Gen 11:31-32, thence to Canaan, Gen 12:4-5, and probably also to Egypt. After the return from Egypt the herds of Abraham and Lot had greatly increased. The tract of land they occupied was inconveniently small; strife arose between their herdmen, and Abraham proposed they should separate, leaving the choice to Lot whether he would go eastward or westward. Lot chose that region of the valley of the Jordan in which Sodom and Gomorrah were situated, but thereby he became involved in the warfare waged by Chedorlaomer against the two cities, was carried away as a prisoner of war, and was only rescued by the valor of Abraham, who attacked and defeated Chedorlaomer. Lot returned to Sodom, and, though he loathed the life of perdition which was led in that city, he remained there and chose his sons-in-law among the Sodomites. When, at last, the measure of iniquity was full and doom was passed over the city, Lot and his family were saved only by the aid of special messengers from the Lord, who accompanied them from Sodom to Zoar; but Lot's "wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." Gen 19:26. Lot removed from Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, after which he disappears from history. The nations of the Ammonites and Moabites descended from him.

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Lot Schaff Schaff’s Dictionary of the Bible

LOT (a covering, veil), the son of Ilaran and nephew of Abraham, was born in Ur, a city of Chaldea, where his father died, and followed, with Abraham and Terah, to Mesopotamia, where the latter died at Haran. Gen 11:31-32, thence to Canaan, Gen 12:4-5, and probably also to Egypt. After the return from Egypt the herds of Abraham and Lot had greatly increased. The tract of land they occupied was inconveniently small; strife arose between their herdmen, and Abraham proposed they should separate, leaving the choice to Lot whether he would go eastward or westward. Lot chose that region of the valley of the Jordan in which Sodom and Gomorrah were situated, but thereby he became involved in the warfare waged by Chedorlaomer against the two cities, was carried away as a prisoner of war, and was only rescued by the valor of Abraham, who attacked and defeated Chedorlaomer. Lot returned to Sodom, and, though he loathed the life of perdition which was led in that city, he remained there and chose his sons-in-law

among the Sodomites. When, at last, the measure of iniquity was full and doom was passed over the city, Lot and his family were saved only by the aid of special messengers from the Lord, who accompanied them from Sodom to Zoar; but Lot's "wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." Gen 19:26. Lot removed from Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, after which he disappears from history. The nations of the Ammonites and Moabites descended from him.

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Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.

Where Lot appears

34 verses in 5 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H3876

Genesis27
Deuteronomy2
Psalms1
Luke3
2 Peter1

Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.