why did Lot offer up his two daughters to the mob of men who were looking for the strangers among them?

Question

i remember my lessons teaching that the mob did take a woman who died that night from the Multiple rapes!
Some teach that Hospitality of the Host was to protect the strangers, i.e. (angels) from the mob at all cost.
but it is clear that the MOB wanted Sexual gratification from the new men and so Lot offered his daughters instead. but it seems they rejected this offer and because they tried to break down the door the angels caused them to be blind.
either way, the cities of the valley were destroyed.

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/gen/19/8a

Answer 1

You are thinking of the story in judges 19:22-30 where the woman dies.

Answer 2

Actually, there were two different incidents like this in the Bible. The one involving Lot and his daughters didn't immediately result in anyone's death. The daughters were saved due to the crowd being blinded. Well, he offered the daughters, perhaps knowing the men were gay and would not do anything to them. That was stupid. His morals were misguided. That may be partly why his 2 daughters later got him drunk and seduced him. They were not taught any better, nor taught that women deserve respect. Would you have a right relationship with a father who wants to give you over to what he considers sexual perverts? That clearly warped their perspective of how families are to function.

There was another story later on, perhaps in Judges, where a group of Benjamites ravished and abused someone's wife or concubine all night long over an incident similar to what happened in Sodom. She was found dead the next day. The husband then cut her up into 12 pieces and delivered each piece to each tribe as a way to bring attention to what had happened and obtain some sort of justice.

So a difference between these stories is that the Sodomites were gay, but these Benjamites were bisexual and sadistic.

One thing about the Bible that confuses people is that there are a number of similar stories. There are two bread-breaking stories, for instance, the feeding of the 4000, and the feeding of the 5000.

Answer 3

There is nothing that says they were taken. IN fact, if you read further, you see that the angels blinded the crowd and then spoke to Lot about his family which, even as the angel said, his two daughters who were there. Lot did this trying to protect the angels.

Answer 4

They were messengers of God sent by God to warn Lot to get his family out of the city. Because the city was full of corruption and filth. This proved true when the towns people refused Lots virgin daughters. Lot offered his daughters to protect God's messengers. Lot thought they would be harmed.

Answer 5

The reason Lot offered his daughters to the mob was Though hospitality played a role in it, as it was dishonorable to not protect those you are hosting. The main reason Lot offered his daughters to the mob was because it was better for them to be raped than for the mob to commit sodomy (anal sex). Sodomy is one of the seven sins that “cry up to heaven for justice”, it is actually second on the list just to show you how horrible a sin it is.

Here he is not only looking out for his guests but also for the mob. It will be better for them to rape his daughters than it will for them to rape those men, though both are unacceptable. He is more worried about their souls than his own and he knows it will be worse if they commit sodomy than rape.

I don’t condone one over the other but there are some sins that are worse than others, raping a woman is not as horrible as raping a man though it is horrible for both parties.

Answer 6

As in the rest of the OT women weren't valued much by men.

Apparently protecting strange mens fecal abilities was more important than protecting his daughters virginity.

He was a great host, but a lousy father.

Answer 7

Lot never thought much of his daughters, as females are mere property in the OT.

As it turns out, shortly afterward, Lot has children through them, becoming a father and grandfather at the same time.

Answer 8

I believe it was because they were looking for sex with men. He thought that sex with the women would be more acceptable. I do think there was such offering of family members back then as civilization was only in its beginning stages. I don't think Lot wanted this, but was concerned with offending the Lord. Whether or not we agree with it isn't the concern here, but I believe that was the reasoning.

Answer 9

It was the custom of the era and region that a formaly recognized guest was to be protected at all costs. This was, and in some regions still is, one of the most important social rules. By offering his daughters in place of his guests, Lot was showing an incredible dedication to the rules of society, as they were then and there. Thus proving that he was a good man.

At least, that's the interpretation I've heard most often.

Answer 10

Think it through...Lot knew very well they were not interested in women, right?
Still, it does show how LOW a godly man can get when he is exposed repeatedly to an ungodly culture. Consider the whole section which speaks of Lot.