Encyclopedia entry · Person
Lot
Curator's research file
Subject · person
Identity
- Name meaning
- a covering; veil
Family
- Parent(s)
- —
- Spouse
- —
- Children
- —
- Tribe / people
- —
Era & origin
- Era
- patriarchal age, approximately 1926-1898 BC
- Region
- —
- Contemporary of
- —
Role
- Role
- Abraham's nephew; survivor of Sodom's destruction
- Notable for
- Lot was the son of Haran and nephew of Abraham who accompanied his uncle from Ur through Egypt and into Canaan.
Scripture
- First mention
- Genesis 13:5-13
- Most cited
- Genesis 19
Network
- Referenced by
- 20 entries
- Voices
- —
Early Life and Separation from Abraham
Lot was born in Ur of the Chaldees after his father Haran died. He traveled with Abraham's family to Charran (Haran) and later to Canaan. As both men's flocks and herds multiplied greatly, the pastures could no longer sustain them together. Abraham offered Lot first choice of land, and Lot selected *the plain of the Jordan* (Genesis 13:10-11), settling toward Sodom. This choice, motivated by immediate prosperity, would prove spiritually costly.
Capture and Rescue
When the eastern kings invaded Canaan, Lot was captured along with other inhabitants of Sodom. Abraham, hearing of his nephew's captivity, pursued the kings and rescued Lot and the captives (Genesis 14:12-16). This military action demonstrated Abraham's loyalty and foreshadowed God's later intervention on Lot's behalf.
Deliverance from Sodom
Though Lot's righteousness was vexed by Sodom's wickedness (2 Peter 2:7), he remained in the city until God sent angels to rescue him. As Sodom burned, Lot fled with his two daughters; his wife, disobeying the angel's warning, looked back from behind him, and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Jesus later invoked this tragedy, saying Remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:32), warning against hesitation when facing judgment.
Later Life and Legacy
Lot sought temporary refuge in Zoar before moving to a cave in the nearby mountains with his daughters (Genesis 19:30). Church tradition, though not biblical record, associates Lot with the Edomite people and notes the incestuous origins of Moab and Ammon through his daughters (Genesis 19:36-38). His legacy stands as a cautionary tale of spiritual compromise and God's grace extended even to the partially faithful.
Key passages
See also
More illustrations of Lot
1
Source · AI-drafted from public-domain sources (Smith's 1884, Easton's 1897), synthesized + modernized; auto-verified for fidelity. Final gospel.bot review recommended.












