Genesis 19:16But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife's hand, and his two daughters' hands, Yahweh being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of the city.
The setting
Sodom's outskirts, modern-day Jordan, around 2000 BC. Dawn light reveals the city one last time as supernatural hands physically drag a hesitating family to safety.
The emotion here: recording with wonder at divine compassion triumphing over human weakness
The original word
chemlah (חֶמְלָה) — compassion, mercy, pity; God's tender compassion overriding human weakness
Why it matters
The phrase 'grabbed his hand' uses the Hebrew for seizing someone in rescue, not arrest
Read with care
What most readers miss in Genesis 19:16
Lot 'lingered' — the Hebrew suggests he was emotionally paralyzed, unable to leave his life behind, so God had to physically drag him
Common misconceptionPeople think Lot was faithless for lingering. Actually, this shows how hard it is to leave everything you know — and how God rescues us anyway.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Genesis 19:16
Bible Genome reading
Genesis 19:16 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Genesis 19:16 comes from the book of Genesis, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grateful, with a comfort power of 75% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include mercy, divine intervention. Notable phrases: he lingered; Yahweh being merciful.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grateful
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16
“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.”
— 2 Timothy 4:7
“It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”
— Acts 2:21
“for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”
— Ephesians 2:8
“So now it wasn't you who sent me here, but God, and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land o…”
— Genesis 45:8
Your reflection
What does Genesis 19:16 mean to you, today?
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