Commentators explain that the command to 'look not behind thee' was more than a practical instruction for a quick escape. It symbolized a required total abandonment of their old life. Scholars like Calvin and Ellicott note it was a call for Lot and his family to sever their hearts and wills from the condemned cities, preventing any lingering desire for their sinful past. Matthew Henry applies this directly to believers, urging them not to return to sin but to press forward toward Christ.