GospelMount
Search Topics Scripture Prayer Resources Ebooks About Support the mission Saved articles

לוֹט (lot)

lot

Lot

H3876 · Hebrew · Old Testament · 29 verses

N:N-M-P

Quick Reference

Language
Biblical Hebrew
Testament
Old Testament
Occurrences
29 verses
Root
—
Part of speech
N:N-M-P

Word Overview

The name Lot, rendered from the Hebrew לֹוט, literally means "covering" or "veil." This etymology is significant because it echoes a prophetic image in Isaiah 25:7, where God promises to destroy "the covering that is spread over all peoples," suggesting a removal of obscurity or judgment. In the patriarchal narratives, Lot appears as the son of Haran and nephew of Abraham, a figure whose life illustrates the tension between divine promise and human compromise.

Scripture records Lot’s choice to settle near Sodom because of its fertile land (Genesis 13:10-11), a decision that ultimately led to his entanglement in the city’s corruption. Despite this, he was delivered from the destruction of Sodom through divine intervention (Genesis 19:29). His descendants, the Moabites and Ammonites, are later identified as the "children of Lot" in Deuteronomy 2:9, linking his personal history to the broader geopolitical landscape of Israel’s neighbors.

Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).

What This Word Means for Your Faith

The name Lot means covering or veil, a detail that adds depth to his story in Genesis. He began as a companion to Abraham, sharing in the journey of faith from Ur to Canaan. Yet his life shows how easily we can drift from divine promise when we focus on immediate comfort. Choosing the well-watered plain near Sodom seemed practical at first, but it slowly isolated him from the spiritual protection he once had.

His story is not just about failure but also about grace. Even when surrounded by corruption and danger, God remembered Abraham’s covenant and delivered Lot from destruction. This reminds us that our choices have consequences, but God’s mercy remains available even in our most compromised moments. We are invited to examine where we might be settling for temporary ease instead of lasting peace.

Lot’s experience encourages humility. It shows that faith is not a one-time decision but a daily journey requiring vigilance. When we find ourselves in difficult situations, we can look to God’s deliverance rather than our own strength. His rescue from Sodom stands as a testament to the enduring nature of divine care for those who remain connected to the covenant community.

How it's translated

How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 29 verses where it appears, by frequency.

  • Lot25×
  • and/ Lot4×
  • <in>/ Lot2×
  • to/ Lot1×

Forms in the text

The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.

  • ל֖וֹט5×
  • לוֹט֙3×
  • ל֣וֹט3×
  • ל֗וֹט3×
  • לֽוֹט\׃2×
  • ל֨וֹט2×
  • ל֑וֹט2×
  • וְ/ל֖וֹט2×
  • לְ/ל֔וֹט1×
  • ל֧וֹט1×
  • ל֤וֹט1×
  • ל֜וֹט1×

Key Verses

  • Genesis 13:10
    Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

    This verse marks the critical moment Lot chooses physical prosperity over spiritual proximity, setting the stage for his later entanglement with Sodom.

  • Genesis 19:29
    When God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

    Here the text explicitly links Lot’s rescue to God’s remembrance of Abraham, highlighting that deliverance often comes through relational covenant rather than personal merit.

  • Genesis 19:14
    Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city!” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.

    Lot’s warning is dismissed as a joke by his sons-in-law, illustrating the tragic isolation that results from living in a culture hostile to divine truth.

  • Genesis 12:4
    So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

    This early occurrence establishes Lot’s initial inclusion in the patriarchal journey, showing he was once fully aligned with Abraham’s call.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Lot mean?

The Hebrew name Lot (לוֹט) literally means covering or veil. This etymology is often linked to themes of obscurity or judgment in later prophetic literature, such as Isaiah 25:7.

Why did Lot choose to live near Sodom?

In Genesis 13:10-11, Lot sees that the plain of the Jordan is well-watered and fertile. He chooses this land for its economic potential, which leads him to move his tent toward Sodom and separate from Abraham.

How was Lot rescued from Sodom?

God sent angels to warn Lot and his family before destroying the city. Genesis 19:29 states that God remembered Abraham, which prompted Him to send Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.

Who were Lot’s descendants?

Lot’s sons, Moab and Ben-Ammi, became the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites respectively. These groups are frequently mentioned in Deuteronomy and Joshua as neighbors and sometimes adversaries of Israel.

Every Occurrence (29 verses across 2 books)

Genesis 27 verses
Genesis 11:27

Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became…

Genesis 11:31

Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife.…

Genesis 12:4

So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Genesis 12:5

Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom…

Genesis 13:1

Abram went up out of Egypt—he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him—into the South.

Genesis 13:5

Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks, herds, and tents.

Genesis 13:7

There was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the…

Genesis 13:8

Abram said to Lot, “Please, let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen; for…

Genesis 13:10

Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh…

Genesis 13:11

So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves from one another.

Genesis 13:12

Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.

Genesis 13:14

Yahweh said to Abram, after Lot was separated from him, “Now, lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are,…

Genesis 14:12

They took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

Genesis 14:16

He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot and his goods, and the women also, and the other…

Genesis 19:1

The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed…

Genesis 19:5

They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we…

Genesis 19:6

Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself.

Genesis 19:9

They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a…

Genesis 19:10

But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.

Genesis 19:12

The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in…

Genesis 19:14

Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this…

Genesis 19:15

When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are…

Genesis 19:18

Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord.

Genesis 19:23

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.

Genesis 19:29

When God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the middle of the overthrow,…

Genesis 19:30

Lot went up out of Zoar, and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to live in Zoar.…

Genesis 19:36

Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father.

Deuteronomy 2 verses