2421. Verses 18, 19. And Lot said unto them, Nay I pray my lords. Behold I pray thy servant hath found grace in thine eyes, and thou hast made thy mercy great which thou hast done with me to make alive my soul; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest peradventure evil cleave to me, and I die. "Lot said unto them, Nay I pray my lords," signifies weakness, so that he could not; "Behold I pray thy servant hath found grace in thine eyes," signifies humiliation from the affection of truth; "thou hast made thy mercy great," signifies a semblance of humiliation from the affection of good; "which thou hast done with me to make alive my soul," signifies on account of His desiring to save him; "and I cannot escape to the mountain," signifies doubt as to his being able to have the good of charity; "lest peradventure evil cleave to me, and I die," signifies that then it could not but come to pass that he would be at the same time in evil, and thereby would be condemned.