Genesis 19:26

"But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."

All kinds of reasons are alleged for the action of Lot's wife here, and even what she did is grossly misunderstood. God's command to "look not behind thee" is not to be understood as any prohibition whatever against merely "glancing backward." It referred to a purposeful "returning back" to the doomed city. This is perfectly clear from the use that Jesus made of this episode in the passages quoted at the head of the chapter. Therefore, we must reject as nothing short of ridiculous the rendition of these words in The Anchor Bible: "As Lot's wife glanced backward, she turned into a pillar of salt."[16] We hope we are wrong, but it seems to us that such "translations" are for the purpose of making the narrative unreasonable.

Referring again to the use Jesus made of this episode (Luke 17:31,32), our Lord mentioned the conduct of Lot's wife as an example of what NOT to do, having just admonished his hearers, "He that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away." The inference is clear enough that the "looking back" done by Lot's wife was that of interrupting her flight long enough to return to their house in order to remove something she had left behind. It was a fatal mistake. The terrible destruction of the cities fell upon her also.

"She became a pillar of salt ..." It is a mistranslation to make this read, "She was changed into a pillar of salt." Such a rendition turns the event into a vengeful retribution executed upon this poor woman, but it was no such thing. God was doing everything He could to save her, even sending angels to take her by the hand and lead her out of the place. The awful destruction, having already been commanded and in progress, was not sent upon Lot and his wife, but upon Sodom. Lot's wife entered the disaster zone contrary to the will of God and against His specific commandments. Thus, God did not "change her" into a pillar of salt, as in some magical tale; "she BECAME a pillar of salt," as a result of her own rash decision to enter the disaster zone. There are enough miracles in this episode without making another one out of this. We believe Keil's analysis of this is correct:

"Lot's wife, having been killed by the fiery and sulfurous vapour with which the air was filled, was afterward encrusted with salt, resembling an actual statue of salt; just as, even now, from the saline exhalation of the Dead Sea, objects near it are quickly covered with a crust of salt.[17]"

For ages, there was a specific "pillar of salt" in the area that was designated "Lot's Wife," and it continued to exist until the times of Jesus Christ and his personal ministry. Josephus declared, "I have seen it, and it remains at this day."[18] That it still stood in those times is also attested by Clement of Rome and later by Irenaeus.[19]

REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE (Luke 17:32)

1. She is a warning to all who are tempted to sacrifice their safety in order to win or keep more of this world's goods.
   
2. If we strive to possess the best of both worlds, we are likely to lose both.
   
3. She is a reminder that being "near safety" is not enough.
   
4. She is a warning that having begun to follow the Lord's Word, one may still turn back from the way and be lost.