My lords is the same expression Abraham addressed to his visitors in 18.3 and which is translated “my lord.” The translation requires an address form in the plural of an inferior addressing a superior, if such is available. Otherwise the greeting may be a recognition of the high status of the visitors; for example “You two important chiefs.”
Turn aside, I pray you, to your servant’s house: turn is used in the sense of “turn into,” which is expressed in English as “come to” (Good News Translation), “spend the night,” or “stay with.” I pray you translates the word commonly rendered in Revised Standard Version as “behold” followed by a particle of entreaty, a form meaning “please,” “if it pleases you.” This may also be rendered “I beg you” or “please” followed by an invitation. In languages that do not have words like “please,” the invitation should be expressed in humble and courteous terms; for example, “You two have come, now let us [inclusive] go along to my house.”
Your servant’s house: Lot’s expression is aimed to present himself as humble and lowly, honored to be of service to his guests. Bible en français courant says “Do me the honor of coming to my house.” Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje says “Sirs, I am here to serve you, please accept my invitation and come lodge in my home.”
Spend the night translates a verb meaning to spend, sleep, or pass a night, with the expectation that the guests will continue their journey in the morning.
Wash your feet is the same as in 18.4. See there for explanation of this custom. Note that washing the feet would be done before spending the night, and Good News Translation has placed them in that order.
Then you may rise up early and go on your way: Lot’s offer of hospitality is to refresh the travelers and provide them with safety so that they can go on their way in the morning.
The strangers appear to turn down Lot’s offer of hospitality. This is not to be understood as a rejection but as a conventional manner of accepting by degrees. A too quick acceptance of hospitality was considered in Middle Eastern cultures as impolite and ungrateful. Many societies have similar refusal forms that actually show that a polite response of acceptance is being given.
They said, “No; we will spend the night in the street”: street is an inadequate rendering of the Hebrew words referring to the town square or open place. It is used in Judges 19.15, 17, 20; Isa 59.14; Jer 9.21; Amos 5.16, and it refers generally to the area where Lot was sitting as the men arrived. Note that New Revised Standard Version has changed from street to “square.” Good News Translation has “the city square,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “in the open.” The verb translated spend the night is the same as in the first part of this verse. The form of this reply should take into account local idiom and custom. One translation, for example, says “No, it’s all right. We’ll just go and sleep in the park.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .