“I have two daughters* who have not known men. . . . Lot spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married [laqach, literally, be taking, a participle, no tense] his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city, But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law” (
Genesis 19:8-14).
* “How many daughters did Lot have?” by Lyon (2002). We do not know whether there were two or four. Both interpretations of “married” are consistent with the KJB. Research: Only Lot’s sons-in-law and two daughters are mentioned. Were there younger daughters married to these sons-in-law? In ancient Canaan, daughters married shortly after puberty (Noll, 2001, p. 165). One of Lot’s two virgin daughters was the "FIRSTBORN" (
Genesis 19:31). It was the custom for the firstborn to be given in marriage first (
Genesis 29:26). She would normally become betrothed at 11 to 12 years of age. It is highly unlikely that the firstborn had another two sisters younger than 11 who were already given in marriage and now living with husbands. Adding two more daughters who are not mentioned is adding to God’s Word; neither is there mention of Lot warning these phantom daughters. Lot most likely had two daughters, the firstborn and her one younger sister, not four daughters.
Genesis 19:15 distinguishes two daughters “which are here,” from the sons-in-law, “who are absent” (Poole, 1685). According to Jewish historian, Josephus (94 AD), the sons-in-law were betrothed to Lot's two virgin daughters (Antiquities l. 1. c. 11.
sect. 4). Still it was considered a legal marriage because “[T]he betrothal is equivalent to an actual marriage” (Betrothal, 1906, ¶ 3).
“And what man is there that hath betrothed [aras] a wife, and hath not
taken [laqach] her? Let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle,
and another man take [laqach] her” (
Deuteronomy 20:7
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