John Calvin Commentary Genesis 19:16

"But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, Jehovah being merciful unto him; and they brought him forth, and set him without the city." — Genesis 19:16 (ASV)

And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand. The angels first urged him by words; now seizing him by the hand, and indeed with apparent violence, they compel him to depart. His tardiness is truly astonishing, since, though he was certainly persuaded that the angels did not threaten in vain, he still could not be moved by any force of words until he was dragged by their hands out of the city. Christ says,

Though the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

Here a worse fault is pointed out: because the flesh, by its sluggishness, so represses the eagerness of the spirit that, with slow, hesitant movement, it can scarcely creep along. Indeed, as each person's own experience testifies to this evil, the faithful should strive with greater earnestness to prepare themselves to follow God. They should also be careful not to disregard his threats as if with deaf ears.

Truly, however studiously and forcibly they press forward, they will still be hindered more than enough in performing their duty. For what Moses says is worthy of attention: that the Lord was merciful to his servant when, having laid hold of his hand by the angels, He hurried him out of the city.

Thus, it is often necessary for us to be forcibly drawn away from scenes we do not willingly leave.

If riches, honors, or any other such things prove an obstacle to anyone, making him less free and disengaged for the service of God, and if he is then deprived of his fortune or reduced to a lower rank, he should understand that the Lord has laid hold of his hand. This intervention occurs because words and exhortations had not benefited him sufficiently.

Therefore, we should not consider it harsh that those diseases, which instruction was not sufficient to correct effectively, are healed by more violent remedies.

Moses even seems to point to something greater: namely, that the mercy of God strove with the sluggishness of Lot. For if left to himself, he would, by lingering, have brought down upon his own head the destruction that was already near.

Yet the Lord not only pardons him but, resolved to save him, seizes him by the hand and draws him away, even though he resists.