Genesis 18

The LORD appeared to Abraham at the plains of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

1And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Note"The plains of Mamre": the Hebrew word means large trees, oaks or terebinths. Mamre was a place near Hebron, in the hill country south of Jerusalem, named after a local man who was Abraham's ally. "The heat of the day" is around midday, when work stopped and people rested in the shade.

2He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground.

2And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

NoteBowing to the ground was the ordinary courtesy shown to a superior or an honored guest, not necessarily an act of worship. Note that the visitors are described simply as "three men"; the narrative moves between speaking of them as three and speaking of a single "LORD," and the Hebrew leaves that shifting exactly as it stands.

3He said, "My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not pass by your servant.

3And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

NoteThe Hebrew word here can be pointed to read either "my lord" (a polite address to a human guest, the way one might say "sir") or "my Lord" (addressing God). The traditional Hebrew text reads it the second way; the ambiguity is in the text itself. The verb that follows is singular, though three visitors are present.

4Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

4Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

NoteTravelers wore open sandals on dusty roads, so water for the feet was the first thing a host offered. Providing it, rather than making the guest ask, was the standard mark of hospitality.

5I will bring a piece of bread, so you can refresh yourselves. After that you may go on your way. That is why you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said."

5And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

Note"A piece of bread" is polite understatement. A host customarily described a lavish meal in modest terms; what Abraham actually serves in the next verses is an enormous spread.

6Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quick, get three measures of fine flour ready. Knead it and bake loaves."

6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

Note"Three measures" translates three seahs, roughly twenty quarts, or about thirty-five to fifty pounds of flour, enough bread for a large crowd, not three guests. The "loaves" are flat round cakes baked quickly on hot stones or a griddle rather than in an oven.

7Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender, good calf, and gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it.

7And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

NoteMeat was rare in an ordinary diet; killing a young calf marked an occasion of high honor. Abraham personally selects it and has it slaughtered and cooked on the spot, which is why the meal takes hours despite all the hurrying.

8He took curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set it in front of them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate.

8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Note"Curds" is the KJV's "butter", a thick soured-milk food closer to yogurt or a soft cheese than to churned butter. The host standing while the guests eat, rather than joining them, was the expected posture of service.

9They said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" He said, "She is there, in the tent."

9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

10And he said, "I will surely come back to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.

10And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

NoteThe KJV's "according to the time of life" is an obscure Hebrew phrase, usually taken to mean "when this season comes round again" (that is, a year from now), though its exact sense is disputed.

11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, far along in years, and Sarah no longer had the monthly flow that women have.

11Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

12So Sarah laughed to herself and said, "Now that I am worn out, will I have this pleasure, and my master is old too?"

12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

NoteThe Hebrew verb for laugh, *tsachaq*, sounds like the name Isaac (*Yitzchaq*, "he laughs"), and the wordplay runs through these chapters. "My master" is the ordinary respectful way a wife referred to her husband; it is not a term of servitude.

13The LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?'

13And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

14Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the set time I will come back to you, about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

14Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

NoteThe Hebrew word behind "too hard" means extraordinary or beyond the ordinary run of things, rather than merely difficult.

15Then Sarah denied it and said, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. And he said, "No, but you did laugh."

15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

16The men got up from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham walked with them to see them on their way.

16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

NoteWalking a departing guest part of the way was the closing act of hospitality, as fixed a custom as washing his feet on arrival.

17And the LORD said, "Should I hide from Abraham what I am doing,

17And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

18since Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him?

18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

NoteThe Hebrew verb form is ambiguous and can mean either that the nations "will be blessed through him" or that they "will bless themselves by him": that is, will use his name as the standard when wishing good on someone. Translators have split on this since antiquity.

19For I know him: he will direct his children and his household after him, and they will keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what he has spoken about him."

19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Note"I know him" renders a Hebrew verb that here carries the sense of singling out or choosing, not merely being acquainted with. The pair of words behind "right and just" (*tsedaqah* and *mishpat*) is a standard Hebrew phrase for fair dealing, especially in court and toward the poor.

20And the LORD said, "The cry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very serious.

20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

NoteSodom and Gomorrah were cities on the plain near the Dead Sea, where Abraham's nephew Lot had settled. "The cry" translates a Hebrew word used for the shout of someone being wronged or oppressed, a victim's appeal for help, not general rumor about the city.

21I will go down now and see whether what they have done matches the cry against them that has come to me. And if not, I will know."

21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Note"I will go down and see" is the language of a judge conducting an investigation before passing sentence: the charge has been made, and the facts are to be examined on site.

22The men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the LORD.

22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

Note"The men" here means two of the three; chapter 19 has two arriving at Sodom. Ancient Jewish scribal tradition records that this line originally read "the LORD stood before Abraham," and was altered to the present wording because standing before someone suggests the lesser waiting on the greater.

23Abraham came closer and said, "Will you really destroy the righteous along with the wicked?

23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Note"Drew near" signals approaching someone in authority to make a plea. "Righteous" and "wicked" are courtroom words in Hebrew, closer to "innocent" and "guilty" than to descriptions of personal piety.

24Suppose there are fifty righteous people inside the city. Will you really destroy it and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people who are in it?

24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25Far be it from you to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous are treated like the wicked. Far be it from you. Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Note"Far be it from you" translates an exclamation of protest, roughly "unthinkable!", used when someone proposes something outrageous.

26And the LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people inside the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

26And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27Abraham answered and said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, though I am only dust and ashes.

27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:

Note"Dust and ashes" is a set Hebrew phrase for human frailty and lowliness, used when speaking to a superior; the two words rhyme in Hebrew (*aphar* and *epher*).

28Suppose the fifty righteous people are five short. Will you destroy the whole city because five are missing?" He said, "If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it."

28Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29Abraham spoke to him again and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He said, "For the sake of the forty I will not do it."

29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

30He said to him, "Please do not let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

30And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31He said, "See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He said, "For the sake of the twenty I will not destroy it."

31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

32He said, "Please do not let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just this once more. Suppose ten are found there." He said, "For the sake of the ten I will not destroy it."

32And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

33As soon as he had finished speaking with Abraham, the LORD went on his way, and Abraham returned to his place.

33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.