Genesis 18:3

3 Then he said, "My lord,^[a] if I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.

Genesis 18:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 18:3

And said, my Lord
He addressed himself to one of them who appeared to him to be the greatest and most honourable, either by the appearance of his countenance, or by his dress, or by the situation in which he was between the other two, and by their carriage and behaviour to him:

if now I have found favour in thy sight;
signifying he should esteem it an honour done him, that he and his companions would vouchsafe to stop and refresh themselves:

pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant;
they might seem, by some motion they made, as if they were going another way, and declined turning in to him.

Genesis 18:3 In-Context

1 Then the Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting in the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.

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

3 Then he said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.

4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.

5 I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant's [way]. Later, you can continue on." "Yes," they replied, "do as you have said."

Footnotes

• [a]. Or My Lord, or The Lord