{
  "id": "dict_003383",
  "term": "Lot (Person)",
  "slug": "lot-person",
  "letter": "L",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Lot was Abraham’s nephew in Genesis who chose to live near Sodom and was later rescued from its destruction. His life illustrates both God’s mercy and the serious spiritual danger of compromise.",
  "simple_one_line": "Abraham’s nephew who lived near Sodom and was delivered from its judgment.",
  "tooltip_text": "A patriarchal-era figure in Genesis whose choices placed him near Sodom, yet whom God rescued before the city’s destruction.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Abraham",
    "Sodom and Gomorrah",
    "Genesis",
    "2 Peter",
    "Luke 17"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Sodom and Gomorrah",
    "Abraham",
    "Hospitality",
    "Judgment of God",
    "Righteousness"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Lot was Abraham’s nephew and a prominent figure in Genesis 11–19. He moved near Sodom, was caught up in the city’s moral decline, and was delivered by God before its destruction. Scripture presents him as a flawed and compromised man, yet 2 Peter 2:7–8 calls him righteous, highlighting both God’s mercy and the danger of worldly association.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Lot is a biblical person in Genesis, known for separating from Abraham, settling near Sodom, and being rescued from the judgment that fell on the city.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Abraham’s nephew and companion in the early patriarchal period",
    "Chose the well-watered Jordan plain and lived near Sodom",
    "Was captured and later rescued in Genesis 14",
    "Was delivered from Sodom’s destruction in Genesis 19",
    "2 Peter 2:7–8 refers to him as righteous despite his compromise"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Lot was Abraham’s nephew and appears mainly in Genesis 11–19. He separated from Abraham, settled near Sodom, and was delivered by God before the destruction of that city. Scripture portrays him as morally compromised, yet 2 Peter 2:7–8 calls him righteous.",
  "description_academic_full": "Lot was Abraham’s nephew and a member of the patriarchal family line who appears prominently in Genesis 11–19. After traveling with Abraham, he chose the well-watered region near Sodom, a decision that seemed advantageous materially but placed him in a spiritually dangerous environment. Genesis records his capture and rescue, his uneasy association with Sodom, and his deliverance before the city’s destruction. The narrative portrays him as a compromised and weak man whose choices brought trouble, yet not as one outside God’s mercy. In 2 Peter 2:7–8 he is called righteous, indicating that Scripture treats him as more than a mere unbeliever even while it warns through his example. Lot therefore stands as a cautionary figure: a man whom God rescued, but whose life warns against the cost of worldly compromise.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Lot first appears in Genesis 11:27–32 as Abram’s nephew. He separates from Abram in Genesis 13, choosing land near Sodom. In Genesis 14 he is carried off in conflict and later rescued by Abram. Genesis 18–19 records the announcement of Sodom’s judgment, Lot’s deliverance, and the destruction of the city. Luke 17:28–32 uses the days of Lot as a warning about sudden judgment and the danger of looking back.",
  "background_historical_context": "Lot belongs to the early patriarchal world of family-based migration, livestock wealth, and competition for grazing land. His choice of the Jordan plain reflects a practical economic decision, but it also placed him near a city known for grave moral corruption. The story reflects the reality that physical prosperity can coexist with spiritual peril.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In the ancient Near Eastern setting, land selection, clan honor, and hospitality were major concerns. Lot’s movement toward Sodom shows how a family head could be drawn by fertile land while underestimating the moral cost. Later Jewish reflection often remembered Lot as a figure caught between deliverance and compromise, though Scripture itself is the controlling authority for his evaluation.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 11:27–32",
    "Genesis 13",
    "Genesis 14",
    "Genesis 18:16–19:38"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Luke 17:28–32",
    "2 Peter 2:7–8"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The Hebrew form is לֹט (Lōṭ). The name’s etymology is uncertain, so it should not be treated as doctrinally significant.",
  "theological_significance": "Lot’s life illustrates God’s mercy toward imperfect people, the seriousness of living too near moral evil, and the reality of divine judgment on wickedness. It also shows that Scripture can describe a man as righteous while still exposing serious compromise in his conduct.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "Lot is a biblical example of how choices made for apparent advantage can carry long-term moral consequences. The account highlights the difference between immediate benefit and ultimate wisdom.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Lot should not be turned into either a hero or a mere villain. Genesis presents real moral weakness, while 2 Peter 2:7–8 affirms that God regarded him as righteous. The text supports warning and hope together, not one at the expense of the other.",
  "major_views_note": "Most conservative interpreters read Lot as a genuinely righteous but deeply compromised man. Some stress his faith and God’s deliverance; others emphasize his weakness and poor judgment. The biblical text supports both elements without canceling either one.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Lot’s example should not be used to deny the reality of divine grace, nor to teach that outward compromise is harmless. His account also should not be pressed into a rigid formula for salvation; the narrative is descriptive, not a full doctrine of justification.",
  "practical_significance": "Lot warns believers to be careful about where they settle, what influences they tolerate, and how quickly worldly advantage can dull spiritual judgment. His rescue also reassures readers that God is able to save His people even when they have made damaging choices.",
  "meta_description": "Lot was Abraham’s nephew who lived near Sodom and was rescued before its destruction. Genesis presents him as a compromised but delivered man, and 2 Peter calls him righteous.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/lot-person/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/lot-person.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}