the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Wycliffe Bible
Genesis 18:30
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He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
And 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.
And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if thirty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me, but let me ask you this. If you find only thirty good people in the city, will you destroy it?" He said, "If I find thirty good people there, I will not destroy the city."
Then Abraham said, "May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak! What if thirty are found there?" He replied, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Then Abraham said [to Him], "Oh, may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak; suppose thirty [righteous people] are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Againe he said, Let not my Lord nowe be angry, that I speake, What if thirtie be founde there? Then he saide, I will not doe it, if I finde thirtie there.
Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Abraham said, "Please don't be angry, Lord , if I ask you what you will do if there are only thirty good people in the city." "If I find thirty," the Lord replied, "I still won't destroy it."
He said, "I hope A donai won't be angry if I speak. What if thirty are found there?" He said, "I won't do it if I find thirty there."
And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry that I speak! Perhaps there may be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.
Then Abraham said, "Lord, please don't be angry with me, but let me ask you this. If only thirty good people are in the city, will you destroy it?" The Lord said, "If I find thirty good people there, I will not destroy the city."
Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
Then Abraham said, Oh let not the LORD be displeased and I will speak: Suppose there shall thirty be found there? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find thirty there.
Abraham said, "Please don't be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?" He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty."
Then he said, “Let my lord not be angry, and I will speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?”
And he said, Please do not my Lord be angry, that I may speak; perhaps thirty will be found there. And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.
Abraham sayde: Oh let not my LORDE be angrie, that I speake yet more. Peradueture there might be thirtie founde therin. And he sayde: Yf I fynde thirtie therin, I will do nothinge vnto them.
And he said, 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.
And he said, Let not the Lord be angry with me if I say, What if there are thirty there? And he said, I will not do it if there are thirty.
He sayde vnto hym agayne: O let not my lord be angry that I speake: What yf there shall thirtie be founde there? And he sayde: I wyll do nothyng yf I fynde thirtie there.
And he said: '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.'
And he said vnto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speake: Peraduenture there shall thirtie bee found there. And he said, I will not doe it, if I find thirtie there.
And he said, Will there be anything against me, Lord, if I shall speak? but if there be found there thirty? And he said, I will not destroy it for the thirty’s sake.
And he said, 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.
Then Abraham said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?" He answered, "If I find thirty there, I will not do it."
And he saith, `Let it not be, I Pray thee, displeasing to the Lord, and I speak: peradventure there are found there thirty?' and He saith, `I do [it] not, if I find there thirty.'
And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there will thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there.
He said, "Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?" He said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
"Please don't be angry, my Lord," Abraham pleaded. "Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?" And the Lord replied, "I will not destroy it if I find thirty."
Then Abraham said, "O may the Lord not be angry, and I will speak. What if only thirty are found there?" The Lord said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Then he said, "Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
And he said Let it not, I pray thee, be vexing to My Lord, but let me speak, Peradventure there may be found there - thirty And be said, I will not to it, if I find there - thirty.
Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there."
And he said, Oh don't let the Lord be angry, and I will speak: perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
He said, "Master, don't be irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?" "No, I won't do it if I find thirty."
Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Genesis 44:18, Judges 6:39, Esther 4:11-16, Job 40:4, Psalms 9:12, Psalms 10:17, Psalms 89:7, Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah 55:8, Isaiah 55:9, Hebrews 12:28, Hebrews 12:29
Reciprocal: Genesis 18:27 - I have Genesis 18:32 - Oh Job 42:4 - Hear Ecclesiastes 5:2 - not rash Jeremiah 30:21 - engaged
Cross-References
and he took botere, and mylk, and the calf which he hadde sode, and settide bifore hem; forsothe Abraham stood bisidis hem vndur the tre.
And whanne thei hadden ete, thei seiden to hym, Where is Sare thi wijf? He answerde, Lo! sche is in the tabernacle.
Forsothe bothe weren olde, and of greet age, and wommans termes ceessiden to be maad to Sare.
Therfor whanne the men hadden risen fro thennus, thei dressiden the iyen ayens Sodom; and Abraham yede to gidre, ledynge hem forth.
what if lesse than fifti iust men bi fyue ben, schalt thou do a wey al the cite for fyue and fourti? And the Lord seide, Y schal not do a wei, if I schal fynde fyue and fourti there.
And eft Abraham seide to hym, But if fourti ben there, what schalt thou do? The Lord seide, Y schal not smyte for fourti.
Sotheli Judas neiyede neer, and seide tristili, My lord, Y preye, thi seruaunt speke a word in thin eeris, and be thou not wrooth to thi seruaunt; for aftir Farao thou art my lord.
and he seide eft to the Lord, Thi strong veniaunce be not wrooth ayens me, if Y asaie, `that is, axe a signe, yit onys, and seke a signe in the flees; Y preye, that the flees aloone be drie, and al the erthe be moist with deew.
and seide, What may Y answere, which haue spoke liytli? Y schal putte myn hond on my mouth.
God foryetith not the cry of pore men; for he hath mynde, and sekith the blood of hem.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And he said unto him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak,.... He feared, through his importunity, he should be wearisome to him and incur his displeasure; this being often the case among men, especially when inferiors are soliciting their superiors, and, not content with one favour, are pressing for more:
Peradventure there shall thirty be found there; the abatement is larger than before; he only made an abatement of five at a time, now ten at once, and so he proceeds;
and he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there; not destroy the place for their sake.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Visit of the Lord to Abraham
2. ×ש×ת××× vayıÌsÌtachuÌ âbow,â or bend the body in token of respect to God or man. The attitude varies from a slight inclination of the body to entire prostration with the forehead touching the ground.
6. ס×× se'ah a âseah,â about an English peck, the third part of an ephah. The ephah contained ten omers. The omer held about five pints.
This chapter describes Abrahamâs fellowship with God. On the gracious assurance of the Redeemer and Vindicator, âFear not, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward,â he ceased to fear, and believed. On the solemn announcement of the Conqueror of evil and the Quickener of the dead, âI am God Almighty; walk before me and be perfect,â he began anew to walk with God in holiness and truth. The next step is, that God enters into communion with him as a man with his friend Isaiah 41:8; John 14:23. Hitherto he has appeared to him as God offering grace and inclining the will to receive it. Now, as God who has bestowed grace, he appears to him who has accepted it and is admitted into a covenant of peace. He visits him for the twofold purpose of drawing out and completing the faith of Sarah, and of communing with Abraham concerning the destruction of Sodom.
Genesis 18:1-15
The Lord visits Abraham and assures Sarah of the birth of a son. Abraham is sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day, reposing. âThree men stood before him.â Whenever visitants from the celestial world appear to men, they have the form of man. This is the only form of a rational being known to us. It is not the design of God in revealing his mercy to us to make us acquainted with the whole of the nature of things. The science of things visible or invisible he leaves to our natural faculties to explore, as far as occasion allows. Hence, we conclude that the celestial visitant is a real being, and that the form is a real form. But we are not entitled to infer that the human is the only or the proper form of such beings, or that they have any ordinary or constant form open to sense. We only discern that they are intelligent beings like ourselves, and, in order to manifest themselves to us as such, put on that form of intelligent creatures with which we are familiar, and in which they can intelligibly confer with us. For the same reason they speak the language of the party addressed, though, for ought we know, spiritual beings use none of the many languages of humanity, and have quite a different mode of communicating with one another. Other human acts follow on the occasion. They accept the hospitality of Abraham and partake of human food. This, also, was a real act. It does not imply, however, that food is necessary to spiritual beings. The whole is a typical act representing communion between God and Abraham. The giving and receiving of a meal was the ground of a perpetual or inviolable friendship.
He ran to meet him. - This indicates the genuine warmth of unsophisticated nature. âBowed himself to the earth.â This indicates a low bow, in which the body becomes horizontal, and the head droops. This gesture is employed both in worship and doing obeisance.
Genesis 18:3-5
O Lord. - Abraham uses the word ××× × 'adonaÌy denoting one having authority, whether divine or not. This the Masorites mark as sacred, and apply the vowel points proper to the word when it signifies God. These men in some way represent God; for âthe Lordâ on this occasion appeared unto Abraham Genesis 18:1. The number is in this respect notable. Abraham addresses himself first to one person Genesis 18:3, then to more than one Genesis 18:4-5. It is stated that ââtheyâ said, So do Genesis 18:5, âtheyâ did eat Genesis 18:8, â theyâ said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wifeâ Genesis 18:9. Then the singular number is resumed in the phrase ââand he saidââ Genesis 18:10, and at length, âThe Lord said unto Abrahamâ Genesis 18:13, and then, âand he saidâ Genesis 18:15. Then we are told ââthe menâ rose up, and Abraham went with themâ Genesis 18:16. Then we have âThe Lord saidâ twice Genesis 18:17, Genesis 18:20. And lastly, it is said Genesis 18:22 ââthe menâ turned their faces and went toward Sodom, and Abraham was yet standing before the Lord.â From this it appears that of the three men one, at all events, was the Lord, who, when the other two went toward Sodom, remained with Abraham while he made his intercession for Sodom, and afterward he also went his way. The other two will come before us again in the next chapter. Meanwhile, we have here the first explicit instance of the Lord appearing as man to man, and holding familiar conversation with him.
The narrative affords a pleasing instance of the primitive manners of the East. The hospitality of the pastoral tribes was spontaneous and unreserved. The washing of the feet, which were partly at least uncovered in walking, the reclining under the tree, and the offer of refreshment, are indicative of an unchanging rural simplicity. The phrases âa little water, a morsel of bread,â flow from a thoughtful courtesy. âTherefore are ye come.â In the course of events it has so fallen out, in order that you might be refreshed. The brief reply is a frank and unaffected acceptance of the hospitable invitation.
Genesis 18:6-8
Abraham hastened. - The unvarying customs of Eastern pastoral life here come up before us. There is plenty of flour and of live cattle. But the cakes have to be kneaded and baked on the hearth, and the calf has to be killed and dressed. Abraham personally gives directions, Sarah personally attends to the baking, and the boy or lad - that is, the domestic servant whose business it is - kills and dresses the meat. Abraham himself attends upon his guests. âThree seahs.â About three pecks, and therefore a superabundant supply for three guests. An omer, or three tenths of a seah, was considered sufficient for one man for a day Exodus 16:16. But Abraham had a numerous household, and plentifulness was the character of primitive hospitality. âHearth cakes,â baked among the coals. âButterâ - seemingly any preparation of milk, cream, curds, or butter, all of which are used in the East.
Genesis 18:9-15
The promise to Sarah. The men now enter upon the business of their visit. âWhere is Sarah thy wife?â The jealousy and seclusion of later times had not yet rendered such an inquiry uncourteous. Sarah is within hearing of the conversation. âI will certainly return unto thee.â This is the language of self-determination, and therefore suitable to the sovereign, not to the ambassador. âAt the time of life;â literally the living time, seemingly the time of birth, when the child comes to manifest life. âSarah thy wife shall have a son.â Sarah hears this with incredulous surprise, and laughs with mingled doubt and delight. She knows that in the nature of things she is past child-bearing. âIs anything too hard for the Lord?â Sarah laughed within herself, within the tent and behind the speaker; yet to her surprise her internal feelings are known to him. She finds there is One present who rises above the sphere of nature. In her confusion and terror she denies that she laughed. But he who sees what is within, insists that she did laugh, at least in the thought of her heart. There is a beautiful simplicity in the whole scene. Sarah now doubtless received faith and strength to conceive.
Verse 16-33
The conference concerning Sodom. The human manner of the interview is carried out to the end. Abraham convoys his departing guests. The Lord then speaks, apparently debating with himself whether he shall reveal his intentions to Abraham. The reasons for doing so are assigned. First. Abraham shall surely become a nation great and mighty, and therefore has the interest of humanity in this act of retribution on Sodom. All that concerns man concerns him. Second. Blessed in him shall be all the nations of the earth. Hence, he is personally and directly concerned with all the dealings of mercy and judgment among the inhabitants of the earth. Third. âI have known him.â The Lord has made himself known to him, has manifested his love to him, has renewed him after his own image; and hence this judgment upon Sodom is to be explained to him, that he may train his household to avoid the sins of this doomed city, âto keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; and all this to the further intent that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him.â The awful judgments of the Lord on Sodom, as before on the antediluvian world, are a warning example to all who are spared or hear of them. And those who, notwithstanding these monuments of the divine vengeance, will cease to do justice and judgment, may be certain that they will not continue to enjoy the benefits of the covenant of grace. For all these reasons it is meet that the secret of Lord be with him Psalms 25:11.
Genesis 18:20-22
The Lord now proceeds to unfold his design. There is justice in every step of the divine procedure. He comes down to inquire and act according to the merits of the case. The men now depart on their errand; but Abraham still stands before the Lord.
Genesis 18:23-33
Abraham intercedes for Sodom. His spiritual character is unfolded and exalted more and more. He employs the language of a free-born son with his heavenly Father. He puts forward the plea of justice to the righteous in behalf of the city. He ventures to repeat his intervention six times, every time diminishing the number of the righteous whom he supposes to be in it. The patience of the Lord is no less remarkable than the perseverance of Abraham. In every case he grants his petition. âDust and ashes.â This may refer to the custom of burning the dead, as then coexistent with that of burying them. Abraham intimates by a homely figure the comparative insignificance of the petitioner. He is dust at first, and ashes at last.
This completes the full and free conversation of God with Abraham. He accepts his hospitable entertainment, renews his promise of a son by Sarah, communicates to him his counsel, and grants all his requests. It is evident that Abraham has now fully entered upon all the privileges of the sons of God. He has become the friend of God James 2:23.
