Why Lot's Wife Look Back

The account of Lot's wife (her name is not recorded) is one of the most well-known incidents of Bible History.

"19:23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

19:27 And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 19:28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

19:29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt. 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters." (Genesis 19:23-30 KJV)

While many legends have originated from that factual event (including, as shown in the photograph, such things as "Lot's wife" formations in the naturally-eroded rocks in the area), Lot's wife was real. The Messiah (who was "the LORD God" - see the Fact Finder question below) even spoke of her as a lesson, and a prophecy, about salvation.

"17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 17:27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." (Luke 17:26-33 KJV)

"Let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife"

Lot's wife is not mentioned in the family journey from Ur (in Iraq; see also 'Raghead' Racism), or Haran (in Syria), or from their temporary stay in Egypt - although everyone else who made the journey is specified. The first mention of Lot's wife is at Sodom. This would seem to strongly imply that Lot's wife was born in the land of Canaan, if not in Sodom itself. Was she "looking back" at her home town?

"11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. 11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there." (Genesis 11:27-31 KJV)

"12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came." (Genesis 12:4-5 KJV)

"13:1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south." (Genesis 13:1 KJV)

Regardless of where she was born, there is another more-certain matter that would surely have affected the thinking of Lot's wife. It involved the daughters, all of them, of Lot and his wife. We know from the Biblical record that two daughters escaped with Lot. But, according to the Holy Bible, there were other daughters, who refused to leave the city along with their husbands.

Lot and his wife had two unmarried daughters, "which have not known man," who were still living at home. They left the city with Lot and his wife.

"19:8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof." (Genesis 19:8 KJV)

But notice that Lot and his wife also had married daughters, who no longer lived at home i.e. "Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters." When the married daughters and their husbands refused to heed the warning and leave, the angels told Lot to take "thy two daughters, which are here" (i.e. at home) out of the city. The other daughters ("whatsoever thou hast in the city") stayed. They, without doubt were on the mind of Lot's wife when she "looked back" to Sodom as it was being incinerated.

"19:12 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: 19:13 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.

19:14 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.

19:15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

19:16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." (Genesis 19:12-17 KJV)

Abraham's famous bargaining with the LORD (see the Fact Finder question below) also attests to more than just the four people that it would have been if the only people to be potentially saved were Lot, his wife and two daughters. The agreement with Abraham was for up to ten people - which, as Abraham would have known, included Lot, his wife, and all of their daughters, including the married daughters, with their husbands, and perhaps their children.

"18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.

18:33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place." (Genesis 18:32-33 KJV)

Christ's warning about Lot's wife, "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it," wasn't only about seeking to save one's own physical life, rather than obeying Him - it was also about losing your own salvation while trying to save the physical lives of other adults who have chosen not to be saved.

"17:31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 17:32 Remember Lot's wife. 17:33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." (Luke 17:31-33 KJV)