John Calvin Commentary Genesis 19:5

"and they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men that came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them." — Genesis 19:5 (ASV)

Where are the men? Although it was their intention shamefully to abuse the strangers for their outrageous appetite, yet, in words, they pretend that their object is different. For, as if Lot had been guilty of a fault in admitting unknown men into the city, in which he himself was a stranger, they command these men to be brought out before them.

Some interpret the word know in a carnal sense, and thus the Greek interpreters have translated it. But I think the word has a different meaning here, as if the men had said, "We wish to know whom you bring, as guests, into our city." The Scripture truly is accustomed to modestly describe an act of shame by the word know. Therefore, we may infer that the men of Sodom would have spoken in coarser language about such an act. But, for the sake of concealing their wicked design, they here imperiously expostulate with the holy man for having dared to receive unknown persons into his house.

Here, however, a question arises. For if the men of Sodom were in the habit of vexing strangers of all kinds in this manner, how should we suppose they had acted towards others? For Lot was not now for the first time beginning to be hospitable, and they, too, had always been addicted to lust.

Lot was prepared to expose his own daughters to dishonor in order to save his guests. How often, then, might it have been necessary to prostitute them before, if the fury of men of such character could not be otherwise assuaged? Truly, if Lot had known that such danger was impending, he ought rather to have exhorted his guests to withdraw in time.

In my opinion, however, although Lot knew the manners of the city, he had, nevertheless, no suspicion of what really happened: that they would make an assault upon his house. This, indeed, seems to have been quite a new thing. It was, however, fitting, when the angels were sent to investigate the true state of the people, that they should all break out into this detestable crime.

So the wicked, after they have long securely exulted in their iniquity, at last, by furiously rushing onward, accelerate their destruction in a moment. God therefore designed, in calling the men of Sodom to judgment, to exhibit, as it were, the extreme act of their wicked life, and he impelled them, by the spirit of deep infatuation, to a crime, the atrocity of which would not allow the destruction of the place to be any longer deferred.

For as the hospitality of the holy man, Lot, was honored with a signal reward, because he, unknowingly, received angels instead of men and had them as guests in his house, so God avenged with more severe punishment the shameful lust of the others, who, while endeavoring to do violence to angels, were not only injurious towards men but, to the utmost of their power, dishonored the celestial glory of God by their sacrilegious fury.