Mercy without Covenant: A Literary Analysis of Genesis 19

Abstract

This analysis of the text of Genesis 19 differs from conventional approaches that import ideological conceptions of Abraham found in the surrounding chapters and are often moralistic. This article argues that the pattern of speeches in the first half of the chapter portrays a positive characterization of Lot. Genesis 19 is more concerned to portray divine affirmation of Lot than judgment on Sodom. Deliverance is a central theme of the Lot stories (including Gen. 14) and is highlighted by two affirmations of divine mercy (19.16, 19). Most significant for this reading is the fact that Lot, a character outside of the covenant of Abraham, is the first in the Hebrew Bible described as the recipient of the saving mercy of YHWH.