John Calvin Commentary Genesis 19:8

"Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing, forasmuch as they are come under the shadow of my roof." — Genesis 19:8 (ASV)

I have two daughters. Just as Lot's steadfastness in risking his own life to defend his guests deserves great praise, so Moses now relates that a defect was mingled with this great virtue, sprinkling it with some imperfection. For, lacking sound advice, he devises (as is common in complex matters) an unlawful remedy.

He does not hesitate to prostitute his own daughters to restrain the indomitable fury of the people. But he should have endured a thousand deaths rather than have resorted to such a measure. Yet the works of holy men are commonly like this: nothing proceeds from them so excellent that it is not, in some respect, defective.

Lot, indeed, is urged by extreme necessity, and it is no wonder that he offers his daughters to be defiled when he sees that he has to deal with wild beasts. Yet he inconsiderately seeks to remedy one evil with another. I can easily understand those who try to lessen his fault; yet he is not free from blame, because he sought to ward off evil with evil.

But we are warned by this example that when the Lord has equipped us with the spirit of invincible fortitude, we must also pray that He may govern us by the spirit of prudence, and that He will never allow us to be deprived of sound judgment and well-ordered reason.

For only then will we proceed rightly in fulfilling our duty, when, in complex situations, we perceive with a calm mind what is necessary, lawful, and advisable to do; then we will be prepared to meet any danger promptly. For it is no less dangerous for our minds to be carried to and fro by rashly seizing upon wicked counsel than for them to be agitated by fear.

But when reduced to dire straits, let us learn to pray that the Lord will open a way of escape for us.

Others try to excuse Lot with a different pretext, namely, that he knew his daughters would not be desired. But I have no doubt that, willing to make use of the first subterfuge that occurred to him, he turned aside from the right way.

This, however, is indisputable: although the men of Sodom had not yet explicitly avowed the base desire that inflamed them, Lot had formed his judgment about it from their daily crimes.

If anyone should raise the objection that such an assumption is absurd, I answer that since by custom they had come to regard the crime as lawful, the crowd was easily incited by a few instigators, as commonly happens where no distinction is maintained between right and wrong.

When Lot says, Therefore came they under the shadow of my roof, his meaning is that they had been committed to him by the Lord, and that he would be guilty of perfidy if he did not endeavor to protect them.