Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Genesis

[Vishnu]

What is the meaning of Genesis 19:30-38?

[jimwalton]

The story has several purposes:

1. It's a study of two aspects of God's judgment: the cataclysmic (Gn. 19.1-29) based on obvious sin, and the gradual slope, the result of years of bad choices (Gn. 19.30-38).

2. It tells us of the beginning of two nations, Moab and Ammon, who were historically thorns in Israel's side. We find out that these nations came to be because of horrible sin. The seduction of this scene foreshadows the seduction of the Israelites by the Moabites (Numbers 25).

3. There's nothing in the story to suggest it is simply a political or ethnic slur. Though it's a short narrative, the evidence we have contradicts the assumption it's just a tale of rivalry to make other ethnic groups look bad.

4. It provides a striking contrast between sin (Sodom & Gomorrah, Lot's daughters) and the Holiness Code of the Torah. The Bible wants us to see the devastation of sin contrasted with the blessings of holiness.

5. It shows us what happens when we act based on fear rather than on faith.

6. It shows us what fiascos happen when people try to be masters of their own fate.