Genesis 19:11
New International Version
Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

New Living Translation
Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.

English Standard Version
And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

Berean Standard Bible
And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door.

King James Bible
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

New King James Version
And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

New American Standard Bible
Then they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, from the small to the great, so that they became weary of trying to find the doorway.

NASB 1995
They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.

NASB 1977
And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, from small to great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.

Amplified Bible
They struck (punished) the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, from the young men to the old men, so that they exhausted themselves trying to find the doorway.

Christian Standard Bible
They struck the men who were at the entrance of the house, both young and old, with blindness so that they were unable to find the entrance.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They struck the men who were at the entrance of the house, both young and old, with a blinding light so that they were unable to find the entrance.

American Standard Version
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Contemporary English Version
Then they struck blind everyone in the crowd, and none of them could even find the door.

English Revised Version
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then they struck all the men who were in the doorway of the house, young and old alike, with blindness so that they gave up trying to find the door.

Good News Translation
Then they struck all the men outside with blindness, so that they couldn't find the door.

International Standard Version
and blinded the men who were at the entrance of the house, from the least important to the greatest, so they were unable to find the doorway.

Majority Standard Bible
And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door.

NET Bible
Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, with blindness. The men outside wore themselves out trying to find the door.

New Heart English Bible
They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

World English Bible
They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the men who [are] at the opening of the house they have struck with blindness, from small even to great, and they weary themselves to find the opening.

Young's Literal Translation
and the men who are at the opening of the house they have smitten with blindness, from small even unto great, and they weary themselves to find the opening.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the men which were at the door of the house, they struck with blindness, from small to great: and they will be wearied to find the door.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And them that were without, p they struck with blindness from the least to the greatest, so that they could not find the door.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they struck those who were outside with blindness, from the least to the greatest, so that they were not able to find the door.

New American Bible
they struck the men at the entrance of the house, small and great, with such a blinding light that they were utterly unable to find the doorway.

New Revised Standard Version
And they struck with blindness the men who were at the door of the house, both small and great, so that they were unable to find the door.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, from the least to the greatest, so that they became tired trying in vain to find the door.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they struck the men who were at the door of the house with hallucinations, from the little ones and unto the great, and they labored to find the door.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great; so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, and they were wearied with seeking the door.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Lot Welcomes the Angels
10But the men inside reached out, pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11And they struck the men at the entrance, young and old, with blindness, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the door.

Cross References
Acts 13:11
Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and for a time you will be blind and unable to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

2 Kings 6:18
As the Arameans came down against him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Please strike these people with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, according to the word of Elisha.

Exodus 4:11
And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

John 9:39-41
Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.” / Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard this, and they asked Him, “Are we blind too?” / “If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Deuteronomy 28:28-29
The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind, / and at noon you will grope about like a blind man in the darkness. You will not prosper in your ways. Day after day you will be oppressed and plundered, with no one to save you.

Isaiah 29:10
For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.

Romans 11:8
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”

Matthew 15:14
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Luke 24:16
But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.

2 Thessalonians 2:11
For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,

Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Mark 4:12
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”

Isaiah 44:18
They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.


Treasury of Scripture

And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

with blindness.

2 Kings 6:18
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

2 Kings 6:18
And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

Acts 13:11
And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

that they.

Ecclesiastes 10:15
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Isaiah 57:10
Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

Jeremiah 2:36
Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

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Genesis 19
1. Lot entertains two angels.
4. The vicious Sodomites are smitten with blindness.
12. Lot is warned, and in vain warns his sons-in-law.
15. He is directed to flee to the mountains, but obtains leave to go into Zoar.
24. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed.
26. Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt.
29. Lot dwells in a cave.
31. The incestuous origin of Moab and Ammon.














And they struck with blindness
The phrase "struck with blindness" is a powerful demonstration of divine intervention. The Hebrew word used here is "סַנְוֵרִים" (sanwerim), which is a rare term in the Old Testament, appearing only here and in 2 Kings 6:18. This word suggests a sudden and overwhelming inability to see, indicating not just physical blindness but a spiritual and moral darkness. In the context of Sodom, a city steeped in sin, this blindness symbolizes the judgment of God upon those who persist in wickedness. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from divine truth and righteousness.

the men at the entrance
The "men at the entrance" refers to the inhabitants of Sodom who had gathered around Lot's house with evil intentions. This phrase highlights the pervasive corruption in Sodom, where even the entrance of a home, a place typically associated with hospitality and safety, becomes a site of potential violence and sin. The entrance, in ancient Near Eastern culture, was a place of judgment and decision-making, and here it becomes the focal point of divine judgment against the city's immorality.

both young and old
This phrase underscores the totality of the moral decay in Sodom. The inclusion of "both young and old" indicates that the corruption had permeated every level of society, affecting all generations. It serves as a sobering reminder that sin, when left unchecked, can spread and corrupt entire communities. The mention of both age groups also emphasizes the indiscriminate nature of God's judgment, which is based on righteousness rather than age or status.

so that they wearied themselves
The phrase "so that they wearied themselves" suggests a futile and exhausting effort. The men of Sodom, despite their blindness, persist in their sinful intentions, illustrating the depth of their depravity. This reflects a broader biblical theme where sin leads to a fruitless and tiring pursuit of fulfillment outside of God's will. It serves as a cautionary tale about the relentless and ultimately unsatisfying nature of sin.

trying to find the door
The final phrase, "trying to find the door," is rich with symbolic meaning. The door represents the way to safety and salvation, yet in their blindness, the men of Sodom cannot find it. This mirrors the spiritual blindness that prevents individuals from recognizing and entering the path of righteousness. In a broader biblical context, Jesus refers to Himself as the "door" (John 10:9), offering salvation to those who seek Him. The inability of the Sodomites to find the door serves as a poignant illustration of the consequences of rejecting God's truth and the importance of seeking His guidance to find the true path to life.

(11) Blindness.--This word occurs elsewhere only in 2Kings 6:18, and in both cases it is plain that actual blindness is not meant. Had the men here been struck with blindness they would not have wearied themselves with trying to find the door, but would either have gone away in terror at the visitation, or, if too hardened for that, would have groped about till they found it. So, if the Syrian army had been made actually blind, they would have surrendered themselves; nor would it have been practicable to guide an army of blind men on so long a march as that from Dothan to Samaria. In both cases the men were unaware that anything had happened to them. The people of Sodom thought they saw the door; the Syrians supposed that the locality was one well known to them, and only when the confusion was removed did they become conscious that they were at Samaria. The word really means a disturbance of vision caused by the eye not being in its proper connection with the brain. And so the men of Sodom ever seemed just upon the point of reaching the door, and pressed on, and strove and quarrelled, but always failed, they knew not how, but as they always supposed by one another's fault. It is a strange picture of men given over to unbelief and sin, and who "seeing see not," because they reject the true light.

Verse 11. - And they smote the men that were at the door - the pethaeh, or opening (vide Ver. 6) - of the house with blindness, - סַגְוֵרִים (sanverim), from an unused quadrilateral signifying to dazzle, is perhaps here intended not for natural blindness, but for confused or bewildered vision, involving for the time being loss of sight, and accompanied by mental aberration; what Aben Ezra calls "blindness of eye and mind" (cf. 2 Kings 6:18) - both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door - which they would hardly have done bad it been natural blindness only (Augustine).

CHAPTER 19:12-28

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And
וְֽאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

they struck
הִכּוּ֙ (hik·kū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5221: To strike

with blindness
בַּסַּנְוֵרִ֔ים (bas·san·wê·rîm)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5575: Sudden blindness

the men
הָאֲנָשִׁ֞ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

at the entrance,
פֶּ֣תַח (pe·ṯaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way

both young
מִקָּטֹ֖ן (miq·qā·ṭōn)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6996: Small, young, unimportant

and
וְעַד־ (wə·‘aḏ-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

old,
גָּד֑וֹל (gā·ḏō·wl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

so that they were unable
וַיִּלְא֖וּ (way·yil·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3811: To tire, to be, disgusted

to find
לִמְצֹ֥א (lim·ṣō)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

the door.
הַפָּֽתַח׃ (hap·pā·ṯaḥ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way


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OT Law: Genesis 19:11 They struck the men who were at (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 19:10
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