Lot's Daughters' Incestuous Relationship in Genesis Explained
After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his two daughters sought refuge in a cave in the mountains, fearing to remain in Zoar [9]. Believing that no men were left on earth to preserve their family line, Lot's elder daughter proposed a plan to her younger sister: they would intoxicate their father with wine and then lie with him to conceive children [5, 9]. This plan was executed over two consecutive nights, resulting in both daughters becoming pregnant by their father [1].
The elder daughter conceived a son named Moab, who became the ancestor of the Moabites. The younger daughter also bore a son, Ben-ammi, whose name means "son of my kindred" or "born of incest," and he became the progenitor of the Ammonites [2, 9].
This event is presented in Genesis 19:30-38 following Lot's escape from Sodom, which was destroyed due to its wickedness [4, 6]. Earlier in the narrative, Lot had offered his daughters to the men of Sodom to protect his angelic guests from sexual assault, an act that some interpreters view as demonstrating a flawed moral compass, despite his efforts to protect his guests [3, 7, 8]. The subsequent incestuous act by his daughters is often seen as a tragic consequence of their isolation and desperation, though it also highlights the moral decline within Lot's family after their departure from Sodom [9]. The narrative serves to explain the origins of the Moabite and Ammonite peoples, who were often in conflict with Israel [9].
Sources
- Genesis “Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father. -- Genesis 19:36”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ben-ammi — Son of my kindred; i.e., "born of incest", the son of Lot by his youngest daughter (Gen. 19:38).”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 11, section 2: of Abraham. Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence; and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their lodging in his house; and promised that if their inclinations could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their lust, instead of these strangers; neithe”
- Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 19 (introduction): INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 19 The contents of this chapter are Lot's entertainment of two angels that came to Sodom, Gen 19:1; the rude behaviour of the men of Sodom towards them, who for it were smote with blindness, Gen 19:4; the deliverance of Lot, his wife and two daughters, by means of the angels he entertained, Gen 19:12; the sparing of the city of Zoar at the entreaty of Lot, to which he was allowed to flee, Gen 19:18; the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen 19:23; Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt for looking back, Gen 19:26; Abraham's view of”
- Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 19:30: And the firstborn said unto the younger,.... That is, the firstborn of those two, or the elder of them; for, if Lot had other daughters that were married in Sodom, it is probable they were elder than either of these: Aben Ezra intimates, that Lot had another wife, who died first, and these were by his second; the following motion is made by the eldest of them to the youngest, as being bolder, having more authority, and a greater influence to persuade: our father is old; if he was fifty years of age when he was taken captive by the kings, as says the Jewish chronol”
- Genesis (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Genesis 19 (introduction): The contents of this chapter we have, Pe2 2:6-8, where we find that "God, turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, and delivered just Lot." It is the history of Sodom's ruin, and Lot's rescue from that ruin. We read (ch. 18) of God's coming to take a view of the present state of Sodom, what its wickedness was, and what righteous persons there were in it: now here we have the result of that enquiry. I. It was found, upon trial, that Lot was very good (Gen 19:1-3), and it did not appear that there was any m”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Genesis 19:8: LET ME, I PRAY YOU, BRING THEM OUT UNTO YOU. From the praise of this man Lot we have come to his disgrace: he made every effort on behalf of his guests in order to save them because they came under the shadow of his roof, but he is ready to appease the men of the city by abandoning his daughters to prostitution! This bespeaks nothing but an evil heart for it shows that the matter of prostitution of women was not repugnant to him, and that in his opinion he would not be doing such great injustice to his daughters. It is for this reason that our Rabbis have ”
- Genesis (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Genesis 19:6: 19:6-9 Lot opposed homosexuality and rape and rebuked their wicked plans, but he was hypocritically willing to sacrifice his daughters to fend off the townsmen’s vice. Lot had originally pitched his tent next to Sodom; now Sodom controlled his life.”
- Genesis (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 19:29: For on the destruction of these cities, God had thought of Abraham, and rescued Lot. This rescue is attributed to Elohim, as being the work of the Judge of the whole earth (Gen 18:25), and not to Jehovah the covenant God, because Lot was severed from His guidance and care on his separation from Abraham. The fact, however, is repeated here, for the purpose of connecting with it an event in the life of Lot of great significance to the future history of Abraham's seed. Gen 19:30-35 From Zoar Lot removed with his two daughters to the (Moabitish) mountains, for fe”