2438、“因为你还没有到那里，我不能作什么”表示在恶人受审判之前，那些处于对真理的情感之人必须得救。这从以下事实清楚可知：“我不能作什么”这句话是指对恶人的审判，稍后经上以所多玛和蛾摩拉的倾覆来描述这种审判；“你还没有到那里”这句话表示首先那些处于对真理的情感，在此由罗得来代表的人会得救。这也是“罗得到了琐珥”（19:23）所表示的。
圣言中的其它经文也清楚表明，在恶人和不义的人灭亡之前，善人和义人得救了。马太福音就有一处经文谈论了最后的审判，说绵羊与山羊分开；在山羊被告知他们要离开进入永火之前，绵羊被告知他们要进入主的国（马太福音25:32，34，41）。当以色列人离开埃及时，在埃及人淹死在红海之前，他们得救了（出埃及记14:19-30），这一事实也代表类似的事。
先知书经常提到的事所表相同，即：忠信的人从囚禁中被带回来，他们的仇敌要遭受惩罚和灭亡。这种事在来世经常发生，也就是说，首先有信的人得救，然后不信的人受到惩罚；或也可说，首先有信的人被主提入天堂，然后不信的人把自己扔进地狱。这两件事之所以不同时发生，是因为除非善人从恶人那里被抢走，否则恶人不断四处喷撒的像毒药一样的邪恶欲望和虚假说服很容易毁灭他们。但一般来说，在这种事发生之前，邪恶要与善人分离，良善要与恶人分离，以便善人可以通过他们的良善被主提入天堂，而恶人则通过他们的邪恶把自己扔进地狱。关于这个主题，蒙主的神性怜悯，容后再述（2449，2451节）。
Potts(1905-1910) 2438
2438. For I cannot do anything until thou be come thither. That this signifies that before the Judgment upon the evil they are to be saved who are in the affection of truth, is evident from the fact that the words "I cannot do anything," refer to the Judgment upon the evil, which is presently described by the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah; and that the words "until thou be come thither," signify that they are first to be saved who are in the affection of truth, and who are here represented by Lot; which also is what is meant by Lot's coming to Zoar (verse 23). [2] That the good and the just are saved before the evil and the unjust perish, is evident also elsewhere in the Word, as where the Last Judgment is treated of in Matthew, and it is said that the sheep were separated from the goats, and the sheep were told to enter into the Lord's kingdom before the goats were told to depart into eternal fire (25:32, 34, 41). The like was also represented in the exodus of the sons of Israel from Egypt-that they were saved before the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea. [3] The same is also signified by the declarations of the Prophets, that after the faithful had been brought back from captivity, their enemies should then undergo their punishments and perish. This is continually taking place in the other life, that is, the faithful are first saved, and then the unfaithful are punished; or what is the same, the faithful are elevated into heaven by the Lord, and the unfaithful then cast themselves down into hell. The reason why these two things do not take place at the same time is that unless the good were carefully withdrawn from the wicked, they would easily perish by the cupidities of evil and the persuasions of falsity, which the wicked continually scatter around like poisons. But in general, before this comes to pass, it is provided that evils should be separated from the good, and that goods should be separated from the evil, so that the former may by means of their goods be uplifted by the Lord into heaven, and the latter by means of their evils may cast themselves down into hell; concerning which subject of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter, at n. 2449, 2451.
Elliott(1983-1999) 2438
2438. 'For I cannot do anything until you come to it' means that before judgement is effected on the evil those with the affection for truth have to be saved. This becomes clear from the fact that the words 'I cannot do anything' mean the judgement effected on the evil, described shortly by the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and from the fact that the words 'until you come to it' mean the prior salvation of those with the affection for truth, whom Lot represents here. This is also what 'Lot's coming to Zoar' means, verse 23.
[2] That the salvation of good and righteous persons takes place before the destruction of the wicked and unrighteous is also clear from elsewhere in the Word, as in Matthew where the Last Judgement is the subject. There it is said that the sheep were separated from the goats; then the sheep were told to enter the Lord's kingdom before the goats were told to depart into eternal fire, Matt 25: 32, 34, 41. Something similar was also represented by the children of Israel, when they went out of Egypt, being saved before the Egyptians were drowned in the Sea Suph.
[3] The same is also meant by the statements made in various places in the Prophets to the effect that after the faithful had been brought back from captivity their enemies would undergo punishments and perish. This is constantly happening in the next life, that is to say, the faithful are saved first and then the faithless are punished, or what amounts to the same, the former are first raised up into heaven by the Lord and after that the latter hurl themselves into hell. The reason these events do not take place at one and the same time is that unless the good were snatched away from the evil, they would easily be destroyed by the evil desires and by the false persuasions which the evil constantly cast around like poisons. Generally however before any such thing happens, steps are taken with the good to separate evils, and with the evil to separate goods, so that the good may be lifted up by the Lord by means of goods into heaven and the evil cast themselves by means of evils down into hell. This matter will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed further on in 2449, 2451.
Latin(1748-1756) 2438
2438. `Quia non possum facere quicquam usque venire te illuc': quod significet quod antequam judicium super malos salvandi qui in affectione veri, constare potest ex eo quod `non facere possim quicquam' significet judicium super malos, quod describitur mox per eversionem Sodomae et Amorae, et quod `usque venire te illuc' significet quod prius salvandi qui in affectione veri, qui per `Lotum' hic repraesentantur, quod et intelligitur per quod `Lot venit Zoarem {1},' vers. 23. [2] Quod prius salventur boni et justi quam pereunt mali et injusti, constat etiam alibi {2} in Verbo, ut ubi agitur de ultimo judicio apud Matthaeum, Quod separatae sint oves ab hircis, et prius dictum ovibus quod intrarent in regnum Domini quam dictum hircis quod discederent in ignem aeternum, xxv 32, 34, 41. Simile etiam repraesentatum fuit per filios Israelis cum exirent Aegypto, quod illi prius salvati sint quam Aegyptii in mari Suph submersi. [3] Idem quoque significatur per illa, de quibus passim Prophetae, quod postquam a captivitate reducti sunt fideles, hostes eorum dein luerent poenas ac perirent: hoc etiam continue fit in altera vita, quod nempe primum salventur fideles et dein puniantur infideles, seu quod idem, illi in caelum a Domino eleventur, hi autem se dein in infernum praecipitent: quod non simul fiat, causa est (m)nisi boni surriperentur a malis, a cupiditatibus mali et persuasionibus falsi quae mali sicut venena continue circumspargunt, facile perirent; in genere autem, antequam {3} hoc fit,(n) ut apud bonos separentur mala, et apud malos separentur bona, ut {4} illi per bona attollantur in caelum a Domino, (c)et hi per mala se dejiciant in infernum, de qua re in sequentibus, ex Divina Domini Misericordia, ad n. 2449, 2451, dicetur. @1 ad Zoarem venit.$ @2 i passim.$ @3 Both A and I are obscure but it would seem that fit is understood before the second ut. The first ut will then introduce a final clause and the second a consecutive.$ @4 et.$