Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 19:14 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 14. 14And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Lot warns his sons-in-law to leave because the LORD will destroy the city, but they treat him as if he is joking. The warning is explicit; the verse does not explain their disbelief or make Lot responsible for an adult relative's refusal.
Read It With
- Genesis 19:12–23
Read verses 12–16. The messengers order a broad warning, the sons-in-law reject it, and dawn leaves only Lot, his wife, and two present daughters to be led out.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Lot carries the warning beyond his house, and the relatives' disbelief narrows who remains available for departure at dawn.
Read Genesis 19:12–14 together
Why these verses belong together: The messengers order a household warning, explain its basis, and narrate its rejection by Lot's sons-in-law.
Verse 12. 12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
Verse 13. 13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
Verse 14. 14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
Follow the Context
- The messengers tell Lot to bring his relatives and anyone belonging to him out because the city's outcry is great and the LORD sent them to destroy it (19:12–13).
- Lot warns his sons-in-law, but they regard him as joking or mocking (19:14).
- At dawn the messengers hurry Lot, his wife, and his two present daughters; when he delays, they take all four by the hand because of the LORD's compassion and place them outside the city (19:15–16).
- Outside, Lot is ordered to flee for his life without looking back or stopping in the plain and to escape to the mountain (19:17).
- Lot appeals to the one addressing him, acknowledges favor and covenant kindness, fears the mountain, and asks to flee to a nearby small city (19:18–20).
- The request is accepted: the city will not be overthrown, Lot must hurry because action waits for his arrival, the city is called Zoar, and Lot enters it after sunrise (19:21–23).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“sons in law, which married his daughters”
In plain language: Men connected to Lot's daughters by marriage or intended marriage.
They are among the relatives Lot tries to bring out.
Why it matters: The exact marital stage is debated, but their rejection is clear.
How certain? probable“as one that mocked”
In plain language: As though he were joking or speaking in jest.
The sons-in-law do not treat the announced destruction as real.
Why it matters: The refusal narrows who remains available for rescue at dawn.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The verse does not say Lot delivered the warning as a joke or that its rejection proves the warning was unclear.
The text does not give enough information to know with certainty whether these men were already married or formally betrothed.
The verse does not make a person morally responsible for forcing every adult relative to believe a warning.
What Remains True
Even a clear and truthful warning can be dismissed; faithful warning and another person's response are related but not identical responsibilities.
How It Can Shape Life
- State urgent danger honestly, document or repeat the necessary action when possible, and seek emergency help without accepting blame for every competent adult who refuses.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 19:14's contribution to Genesis 19:12–23. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 19:12–23 — The Messengers Pull Lot's Household Out to ZoarSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The sons-in-law's precise marital status and reasons for disbelief are not stated with certainty.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, warning, household, delay, compassion, escape, Zoar request, arrival, and canonical reception.
Exact location: Genesis 19:12–23 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 18:20–33; 19:1–11, 24–29; Luke 17:28–33; 2 Peter 2:6–9
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Household categories, sons-in-law ambiguity, rejected warning, daughters present, swept away, delay, compassion, escape, speaker address, steadfast kindness, disaster, small-city wordplay, and granted request.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 19:12–23; lemmas and syntax for chatan, laqach, tsachaq, matsa, safah, mahah, chemlah, malat, adonai, chesed, ra, mits'ar, nasa panim, and tso'ar
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Family and marriage wording, mocked, iniquity or punishment, compassion, speaker ambiguity, favor, disaster, smallness, accepted face, Zoar, and timing.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 19:12–23 and translator notes attached to the unit
Open NET Genesis 19 ↗peer reviewed specialist narrative and canonical study
Homosexuality and Liminality in Sodom: The Quests for Home, Fun and Justice (Gen 19:1–29)
Cephas T. A. Tushima
Old Testament Essays 34(1), pages 68–88, 2021
Supports: Unit structure, warning, sons-in-law, delay, removal, Zoar appeal, immigrant status, righteousness-and-justice setting, and ethical complexity.
Exact location: Old Testament Essays 34.1, pp. 68–88, especially the warning scene in 19:12–14 and expulsion scene in 19:15–22
Open source ↗