Genesis 19:31-38 · Bible study
Genesis 19:31-38 Commentary: Lot's Daughters
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Lot's daughters commit incest with their father?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Lot's daughters, fearing extinction of the family line, commit incest with their drunken father, giving birth to Moab and Ammon, ancestors of Israel's neighbors.
- Key words: Firstborn (H1067) / younger (H6810); preserve seed (H2233, H2421), the driving motive; he did not know (H3045), Lot's ignorance key to his guilt debate; Moab (H4124) suggests “from the father”; Ben-ammi (H1151) “son of my people.”
- Main debate: Whether the account is literal history or a polemical folk-etiology intended to shame Moab and Ammon (Cambridge Bible); and whether the daughters acted from faith or corrupt desperation.
- Theological theme: The power of sin to corrupt even noble intentions; God’s sovereignty to continue His plan through fallen human actions; the enduring consequences of moral compromise.
- Best use: A cautionary narrative about the dangers of fear-driven decision-making, the spiral of sin, and the hope that God can redeem even the darkest story.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
31One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to sleep with us, as is the custom over all the earth.
32Come, let us get our father drunk with wine so we can sleep with him and preserve his line.”
33So that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the firstborn went in and slept with her father; he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.
34The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Look, I slept with my father last night. Let us get him drunk with wine again tonight so you can go in and sleep with him and we can preserve our father’s line.”
35So again that night they got their father drunk with wine, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him; he was not aware when she lay down or when she got up.
36Thus both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father.
37The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites of today.
38The younger daughter also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites of today.
WEB World English Bible 2000
31The firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth.
32Come, let’s make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.”
33They made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34It came to pass on the next day, that the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let’s make him drink wine again tonight. You go in, and lie with him, that we may preserve our father’s family line.”
35They made their father drink wine that night also. The younger went and lay with him. He didn’t know when she lay down, nor when she got up.
36Thus both of Lot’s daughters were with child by their father.
37The firstborn bore a son, and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.
38The younger also bore a son, and called his name Ben Ammi. He is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.
KJV King James Version 1769
31And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34And 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.
35And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben–ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
31And the first-born said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33And they made their father drink wine that night: and the first-born went in, and lay with her father; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34And it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born 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.
35And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37And the first-born bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
31And the first-born saith unto the younger, `Our father is old, and a man there is not in the earth to come in unto us, as is the way of all the earth;
32come, we cause our father to drink wine, and lie with him, and preserve from our father--a seed.'
33And they cause their father to drink wine on that night; and the first-born goeth in, and lieth with her father, and he hath not known in her lying down, or in her rising up.
34And it cometh to pass, on the morrow, that the first-born saith unto the younger, `Lo, I have lain yesterday-night with my father: we cause him to drink wine also to-night, and go thou in, lie with him, and we preserve from our father--a seed.'
35And they cause their father to drink wine on that night also, and the younger riseth and lieth with him, and he hath not known in her lying down, or in her rising up.
36And the two daughters of Lot conceive from their father,
37and the first-born beareth a son, and calleth his name Moab; he is father of Moab unto this day;
38as to the younger, she also hath born a son, and calleth his name Ben-Ammi: he is father of the Beni-Ammon unto this day.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
31And the first-born said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the land to come in to us after the manner of all the earth:
32come, let us give our father wine to drink, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve seed alive of our father.
33And they gave their father wine to drink that night. And the first-born went in, and lay with her father, and he did not know of her lying down, nor of her rising.
34And it came to pass on the next day that the first-born said to the younger, Lo, I lay last night with my father: let us give him wine to drink to-night also, and go thou in, lie with him, that we may preserve seed alive of our father.
35And they gave their father wine to drink that night also. And the younger arose, and lay with him; and he did not know of her lying down, nor of her rising.
36And both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
37And the first-born bore a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites to this day.
38And the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; the same is the father of the children of Ammon to this day.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
31And the elder said to the younger: Our father is old, and there is no man left on the earth, to come in unto us after the manner of the whole earth.
32Come, let us make him drunk with wine, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33And they made their father drink wine that night: and the elder went in, and lay with her father: but he perceived not, neither when his daughter lay down, nor when she rose up.
34And the next day the elder said to the younger: Behold I lay last night with my father, let us make him drink wine also to night, and thou shalt lie with him, that we may save seed of our father.
35They made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in, and lay with him: and neither then did he perceive when she lay down, nor when she rose up.
36So the two daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
37And the elder bore a son, and she called his name Moab: he is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38The younger also bore a son, and she called his name Ammon; that is, the son of my people: he is the father of the Ammonites unto this day.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 19:31
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the daughters acted out of a desperate, though misguided, desire to preserve their father's family line (Clarke, Keil & Delitzsch). They believed no man was left for them to marry, either because all surrounding peoples had been destroyed or because those remaining in Zoar were tainted by divine judgment (Gill). Their plan to make Lot drunk and lie with him is universally seen as incestuous and sinful, yet the motive was not lust but survival of the lineage. Calvin emphasizes that Lot, though unaware, bears guilt for his intemperance, which God allowed as a judgment on his discontent. The Cambridge Bible suggests the story may have circulated as a polemical tradition to shame Israel's neighbors, but most read it as a literal, tragic event. The naming of the sons, Moab (“from the father”) and Ben-ammi (“son of my people”), openly memorializes the incest, showing the daughters felt no shame (Keil & Delitzsch). Across traditions, the passage serves as a stark warning: sin compounds itself, and even the righteous can fall into grave evil when circumstances and fear overtake faith.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal historical event: The narrative is presented as straightforward history with genealogical conclusions; most conservative commentators (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch, Matthew Henry) treat it as fact. The phrase 'to this day' supports a historical claim.
- Polemical folk-etiology: Cambridge Bible and some modern scholars argue the story was a later tradition that used folk-etymology (Moab = 'from father') to discredit Israel's enemies, reflecting later hostility. They note the lack of moral evaluation by the narrator and the strangeness of the event.
- Allegorical / moral caution: Some read the passage as primarily a lesson about the spiral of sin and the foolishness of fear-driven decisions, using the incest as a shocking example. The historicity is less important than the moral warning.
What is clear: The narrative describes an incestuous act between Lot and his daughters, resulting in the birth of the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites, and is universally regarded as a tragic and sinful event.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Lot's guilt or victimhood | All commentators agree Lot was not consciously aware of the incest due to intoxication. The text states he 'did not know.' Most agree his guilt is lessened but not removed because drunkenness was his own fault. | Calvin sees the intoxication as divine infliction for Lot's discontent, reducing but not excusing guilt. Others (Clarke) argue Lot is 'in many respects excusable' because he did not consent. Some modern readers view him as a victim of his daughters' manipulation. |
| Daughters' motivation: desperation vs. corruption | All note their explicit aim to 'preserve our father's family line.' They believed no eligible man existed. The daughters acted from a desire to continue the family, not from mere lust. | Keil & Delitzsch call their conduct 'worthy of Sodom,' showing deep corruption. Clarke defends them as acting from necessity, not base desire. The question is whether their fear was reasonable or a sign of distorted faith. Cambridge Bible suggests the story may be a polemic, not a factual report. |
| Historicity of the narrative | Most traditions read the passage as reporting actual events in the life of Lot. The genealogical notice 'to this day' suggests the narrator believed in the historical foundation. | Cambridge Bible and some modern scholars propose this is a popular tradition or folk-etiology, not literal history, created to explain the names and to express Jewish animosity toward Moab and Ammon. This view remains a minority within conservative commentaries. |
| Moral evaluation of the daughters' plan | All agree the act was incestuous and sinful. The narrator does not approve. The lasting enmity between Israel and these nations (Deuteronomy 23:3) may reflect divine displeasure. | Some (Clarke) emphasize the daughters' good motive, suggesting their sin was ignorance. Others (Calvin, Gill) stress the heinousness: they deliberately made their father drunk and repeated the act, showing cold calculation. The differing emphases affect how one preaches repentance vs. sympathy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The passage opens with Lot and his daughters living in a cave after fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:30). Lot had earlier pleaded for refuge in Zoar, but now he left that town out of fear it too would be overthrown. In the ancient Near East, caves were common shelters in the limestone hills of Moab, but this was a steep fall for a man who once had flocks and herds alongside Abraham (Genesis 13:5, 6). The trauma of losing his wife, his home, and his entire community would have been overwhelming.
The daughters’ claim that “there is not a man in the earth to come in to us in the way of all the earth” sounds extreme, but it reflects their perceived reality. They likely believed that the only surviving men were either their father or the residents of Zoar, people whom they considered under God’s curse and thus unfit for marriage (Clarke; Gill). The phrase “the way of all the earth” echoes Genesis 18:11, referring to normal marital relations. In a patriarchal society, a woman’s identity and security depended on being married and bearing children. For these young women, the extinction of their father’s lineage was a catastrophe worse than sin. The incest taboo, though known, was overridden by what they saw as a desperate necessity. Their plan to use wine, likely brought as provisions from Zoar, shows premeditation. The repetition of the scheme over two nights indicates cold calculation, not sudden passion.
The genealogical conclusion (vv. 37, 38) connects these events to the origins of Moab and Ammon, two nations that would later become hostile neighbors to Israel (Deuteronomy 23:3). The names themselves broadcast the incestuous origin: Moab suggests “from the father,” and Ben-ammi means “son of my people” (i.e., close kin). By including this account, the biblical writer shows that even from such sin, God’s plan for history continued, though not without lasting consequences.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Genesis 19:31, 38. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The only small variation is in verse 33: the KJV reads “he perceived not,” while others use “he knew not” (WEB, YLT), but this is a translation difference, not a manuscript issue. Some early translations (LXX) expand the meaning of the names, but the underlying text is undisputed.
Reception History
The early church Father Origen devoted a homily to this passage, noting the absence of lust in the daughters and suggesting the act was permissible under extreme necessity (as cited by Clarke). Medieval Jewish commentators like Rashi focused on the daughters' good intentions, arguing they thought the world was destroyed. The Reformation brought sharper moral judgment: Calvin saw divine punishment on Lot's intemperance; Luther reportedly called the story 'a horrible example of the power of sin.' In the 19th century, the Cambridge Bible raised the possibility that the account was a polemical tradition rather than literal history. In modern preaching, the passage is often cited as a warning about the consequences of alcohol abuse and the danger of rationalizing sin for a 'noble' cause. Despite its difficulty, the story has been seen as demonstrating God's ability to weave even shame into His redemptive plan, especially through Ruth the Moabitess in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Desperation distorts moral judgment. The daughters saw no alternative; their fear of extinction led them to violate a fundamental boundary. Trauma and isolation can cloud even the most basic ethical reasoning.
- Sin compounds quickly. What begins with drunkenness leads to incest, and then to shameless commemoration in the names of the children. One moral failure opens the door to deeper corruption.
- God works through flawed people. Despite the sordid origin, Moab and Ammon become part of biblical history, Ruth the Moabitess becomes an ancestor of David and Jesus. God’s sovereignty does not excuse sin, but it overrules it.
Five-point outline
- Setting the stage: Lot’s descent from wealth and status to a cave, the slow erosion of faith after separation from Abraham.
- The daughters’ motive: Fear of childlessness and the loss of family name. Are they selfish or selfless? Both, their desire to “preserve seed” was noble, but their method was corrupt.
- The role of wine: Lot’s drunkenness is not accidental; it is engineered. The narrator repeats “he did not know” three times, underscoring his oblivion. Calvin saw divine judgment on Lot’s intemperance.
- Shameless naming: Moab and Ben-ammi, names that forever mark the deed. The daughters show no repentance; they embrace the outcome as a legacy.
- Long-range consequences: The Moabites and Ammonites become perpetual thorns for Israel (Numbers 25; Judges 3). Yet God also shows mercy, Ruth, a Moabitess, enters the line of Christ. Redemption is never beyond reach.
Illustration hooks
- Medical crisis decision: A family facing an impossible medical choice chooses a wrong path out of fear, thinking no other option exists. How does fear narrow our vision?
- Inheritance pressure: The weight of keeping a family name alive, ranches, businesses, titles. Stories of people who compromised their values to preserve a legacy.
- Trauma isolation: After a disaster, survivors sometimes make irrational decisions because they feel cut off from normal society. The cave was not just physical but psychological.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Was Lot sinning, or was he a victim? Why does the text emphasize his ignorance?
- Why did the daughters not consider marrying men from Zoar? Was that simply prejudice or a real moral dilemma?
- If God used this to produce the line of Christ through Ruth, does that mean the sin was okay? How does God bring good out of evil?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the consequences of trauma, fear, and isolation. Lot’s daughters felt they had no options; their solution was to take control through deception and incest. As we read, we are invited to examine how our own fears can lead us to compromise what we know is right. The goal is not to judge Lot’s family but to learn from their tragic choices.
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 19:30, 31. What might have been going through the daughters’ minds after the destruction of Sodom? How does their isolation shape their decision?
- Why do you think the daughters believed there was “not a man in the earth” for them? What evidence in the text or context supports their fear?
- Verse 32 says they wanted to “preserve our father’s family line.” Is this motive understandable? What other ways might they have tried to achieve that goal?
- The narrator says Lot “did not know” when his daughters lay down or got up. Does this excuse him? What does Calvin’s comment about “divine infatuation” add to your understanding?
- How does the naming of Moab and Ben-ammi show the daughters’ attitude toward their actions? Were they ashamed or proud?
- What does this story teach about the way sin can snowball from one bad decision to another? Where do you see that pattern in your own life or community?
- In what ways do we see God’s mercy even after this dark chapter? How does the rest of Scripture (Ruth, Matthew 1) reframe this story?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 4:1 | The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.” |
| Genesis 6:4 | The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. |
| Genesis 16:2 | Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. |
| Genesis 16:4 | He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. |
| Genesis 19:28 | He looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace. |
| Genesis 38:8 | Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” |
| Genesis 38:9 | Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. |
| Genesis 38:14 | She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that Lot's daughters acted not from lust but from a desperate, misguided wish to preserve their family line, and that Lot himself was ignorant of what happened. He notes that a single sinful act does not prove a vicious character, especially when the deed is never repeated.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that Lot's drunkenness was more than ordinary excess; God struck him with a stupor as punishment for his intemperance, diminishing but not removing his guilt. He also notes the daughters acted from a foolish desire for progeny, not sensual lust, yet their shameless naming of the children shows utter loss of moral feeling.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible treats this as a popular folk-etymology, not literal history. It suggests the story grew up around the names Moab ("from a father") and Ben-ammi ("son of my kin"), possibly reflecting later Israelite hostility toward these neighbors or a local tradition about Lot's family surviving a catastrophe.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes highlight the daughters' twisted logic, where they justify incest by claiming to preserve their father’s lineage in a world they believe is empty of men. This reasoning reveals a profound moral failure, as they prioritize biological survival over divine law and ethical boundaries. The text underscores how fear and isolation can distort judgment, leading to actions that violate fundamental human decency.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill suggests Lot's daughters may have been driven not by lust but by a desperate hope to preserve the Messianic line, believing the whole world was destroyed. He notes that Jewish tradition links their children to the Messiah, and Ruth the Moabitess appears in Jesus' genealogy. Still, Gill insists that no good intention can justify such a vile act.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that Lot's daughters were driven by fear that no man would marry them as survivors of a cursed land, not by lust. Yet even with that motive, their conduct was still worthy of Sodom, showing how deeply they had absorbed its sinfulness. The names they gave their sons openly declare the father.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange interprets Lot’s offer of his daughters not merely as moral failure but as desperate cunning born from panic. He suggests Lot relied on the mob’s unnatural lusts to protect his guests, viewing this stratagem as a product of spiritual confusion rather than simple hospitality. This reading frames Lot’s actions as a flawed attempt at virtue under the weight of impending judgment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the tragic irony that Lot’s deliverance from Sodom led him to a cave where he faced greater moral distress than in the city. The daughters’ desperate plan to preserve their father’s lineage through incest resulted in the birth of Moab and Ammon, nations destined to be enemies of Israel. This account serves as a stark warning about the consequences of compromised witness and poor judgment.