Lot's Wife

    Not much information is given on Lot's wife, but the one thing we do know about her is well known among believers. Her actions lead to her death when she could have been free with her family.

    Introduction

    Lot's wife is one of the women in the Bible that is both unnamed and lacking in detail, but she is also one of the more famous people from Genesis. Most people are familiar with the story of the woman who turned into a pillar of salt, even if they can't remember the details.

    Lot's wife flees Sodom with her husband just before God destroys the city. From this, we see some level of faithfulness since she didn't stay benhind and let Lot flee on his own. However, just as they were about to escape, she turns to look back at the city—against the angels' instruction—and turns into a pillar of salt. She is also referenced in Luke 17:32, as someone we should not be like.

    Genealogy

    No information is given about the origins of Lot's wife. We don't know if she was Hebrew—she could traveled with Lot and Abraham when they left Ur, or Lot could have met her during the journey, or he could have met her in Sodom. We do know that she is the mother of Lot's daughters and therefore the grandmother to their sons who's descendants become the nations of Moab and Ammon.

    Questions


    About the Passage/Scenario

    1. Why did she turn back?
      • Did she regret leaving with Lot?
      • Was she simply curious?
      • Was she responding to cries of the people in the city?
    2. Where was she from?
    3. What was her heritage?
    4. Was she born and raised there, or did she move there with Lot?
    5. Did she have family in the city?
    6. Had she ever left town before?
    7. How old was she?

    If I Could Talk to Her

    Lot's wife is an interesting person to think about because so little is given about her, but the impact of her story is immense. In Luke 17:32, we are warned not to be like Lot's wife during the end times. In that passage, we are told we must not go back for the things of this world as she did. Naturally, my biggest curiosity about her is why she turned back.

    There are so many possibilities. I have heard people suggest she had other daughters[1] who stayed in the city and that was why she turned to look back (my understand is that these details come from the Apocrypha; I have not read it yet so I can't confirm or deny). Today, however, people might look back at their house or car, their friends, their favorite hangout spot, maybe even their favorite tree... There are many things that tether us to a place and even though we are content to leave it behind, sometimes we want once last look.

    In that regard, if I could talk to Lot's wife, I would want to know what it was that held her back. Why did she feel so strongly connected to it (or them)? Essentially, what was going through her mind from the time they decided to leave until she turned into salt.

    Lot's Wife in Prophecy

    Luke 17:32 tells us not be like Lot's wife in the end times. He crime was looking back when the angel told her not to. In Luke 17, we're warned that when the time comes we have to be ready and not spare a moment's hesitation. Notice that in the passage concerning Lot, we do see Lot look back at the city after he has gotten to safety. When we are in the thick of trouble, we can't spend our efforts looking back, it's only once we have our own slavation secured that we can look back.

    The best modern example I can think of concerns a family member of mine. She became addicted to drugs a long time ago and fought her way through recovery. She is now over two decades sober and works with prisoners to help them overcome their addictions as well. She didn't put herself back around those in that lifestyle until she was sure she could manage her own recovery.

    Many times, we look back too soon and get sucked back into the life we're trying to leave. Lot's wife is the perfect reminder to not look back.

    Journal Pages

    Journal pages for the week.

    References & Footnotes

    1. See the my other posts on Genesis 19 and Lot to see disucussion of how many daughters did Lot actually have
    2. "Sodom and Gomorrah". Encyclopedia Britannica. August 1, 2024; visited January 2025
    Published on Saturday, January 18, 2025
    , , , ,
    Leave a comment?
    0 responses to “Lot's Wife”

    Leave a Reply

    How are you feeling today?

    Click the emotion you're feeling to see an inspiring bible verse.
    Angry
    Sad
    Afraid
    Annoyed
    Happy
    Shocked