Genesis 18:9

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

Genesis 18:9 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 18:9

And they said unto him, where [is] Sarah thy wife?
&c.] One of them put the question; and so the Septuagint version renders it, "and he said unto him", the principal of them, whom Abraham at first addressed and called him "my Lord", and was no other than the Son of God in an human form; and various things in the context show him to be a divine Person, particularly his promise of return next year, and Sarah should have a son: and the question here put by him was not out of ignorance, for he who knew the name of Abraham's wife, knew where she was; but this was asked in order to lead on to say something more concerning her, and that, hearing her name, she might draw nearer and listen to what was said of her: and he said, behold, in the tent;
for in those times they dwelt in tents, and this was either the tent common to the family, or rather was Sarah's own tent, ( Genesis 24:67 ) ; Sarah was where she should be, in her own apartment, attending to the business of her family, and answered to the description the apostle gives of a good housewife, a keeper at home, ( Titus 2:5 ) ;

Genesis 18:9 In-Context

7 And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf tender and good, and gave [it] to the attendant; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took thick and sweet milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.
9 And they said to him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return to thee at [this] time of the year, and behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent-door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old [and] advanced in age: it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.