John Calvin Commentary Genesis 19:26

"But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." — Genesis 19:26 (ASV)

But his wife looked back. Moses here records the remarkable judgment of God, by which Lot's wife was transformed into a statue of salt. But under the pretext of this narrative, fault-finding and perverse men ridicule Moses; for since this metamorphosis seems no more true than those Ovid has invented, they boast that it is unworthy of belief.

But I rather suppose that, through the trickery of Satan, Ovid, by trifling with fables, has indirectly discredited this most notable proof of Divine vengeance. But whatever heathens might please to fabricate does not concern us. It is only important to consider whether the narrative of Moses contains anything absurd or incredible.

And first, I ask: Since God created men out of nothing, why can he not, if he chooses, reduce them again to nothing? If this is granted, as it must be, why, if he should please, can he not turn them into stones? Indeed, those excellent philosophers, who display their own keenness in detracting from the power of God, daily see miracles just as great in the course of nature.

For how does crystal acquire its hardness? And—not to refer to rare examples—how is the living animal generated from lifeless seed? How are birds produced from eggs? Why then does a miracle appear ridiculous to them in this one instance, when they must acknowledge innumerable examples of a similar kind?

And how can they, who consider it inconsistent that a woman's body should be changed into a mass of salt, believe that the resurrection will restore to life a carcass reduced to putrefaction?

However, when it is said that Lot’s wife was changed into a statue of salt, we should not imagine that her soul passed into the nature of salt. For there is no doubt that she lives to be a sharer in the same resurrection as us, though she was subjected to an unusual kind of death so that she might be made an example to all.

However, I do not think Moses means that the statue had the taste of salt, but that it had something remarkable to warn those who passed by. It was therefore necessary that some marks should be impressed upon it, by which all might know it to be a memorable wonder.

Others interpret the statue of salt to have been an incorruptible one, which would endure forever; but the former interpretation is more accurate. It may now be asked why the Lord so severely punished the imprudence of the unfortunate woman, since she did not look back out of a desire to return to Sodom?

Perhaps, still being doubtful, she wished to have more certain evidence before her eyes; or, it might be that, in pity for the perishing people, she turned her eyes in that direction. Moses certainly does not assert that she purposely struggled against the will of God; but, since the deliverance of her and her husband was an incomparable instance of Divine compassion, it was right for her ingratitude to be punished in this way.

Now, if we weigh all the circumstances, it is clear that her fault was not light. First, the desire to look back proceeded from incredulity; and no greater injury can be done to God than when belief is denied to his word.

Secondly, we infer from the words of Christ (Luke 17:32) that she was moved by some evil desire, and that she did not cheerfully leave Sodom to hasten to the place to where God called her. For we know that he commands us to remember Lot’s wife, lest the allurements of the world should lead us away from the meditation of the heavenly life.

It is therefore probable that she, being discontented with the favor God had granted her, glided into unholy desires, and her tardiness was also a sign of this. For Moses implies that she was following her husband when he says that she looked back from behind him; for she did not look back towards him. Instead, because her pace was slow, she had not advanced as far and was therefore behind him.

And although it is not proper to affirm anything regarding her eternal salvation, it is nevertheless probable that God, having inflicted temporal punishment, spared her soul, since he often chastises his own people in the flesh so that their soul may be saved from eternal destruction.

Since, however, knowledge of this is not very profitable, and we may remain in ignorance without danger, let us rather attend to the example which God intends for the common benefit of all ages.

If the severity of the punishment terrifies us, let us remember that those sin no less grievously today who, having been delivered not from Sodom but from hell, fix their eyes on some other object than the proposed prize of their high calling.