Genesis 18:4

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

Genesis 18:4 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 18:4

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your
feet
Which was very refreshing to travellers in hot countries, who walked barefoot or in sandals; and this he proposes to be done by one of his servants, whose business it was, only desires they would give him leave to order it, ( 1 Samuel 25:41 ) ; and so it was usual in other countries, and in later times, for servants to fetch water to wash the hands and feet of guests F12:

and rest yourselves under the tree;
before the tent door, under which doubtless were seats to sit down upon, where they might rest their weary limbs; it is very probable this was an oak tree, and which, and a turpentine tree the ancient writers speak of, continued unto the times of Constantine, (See Gill on Genesis 13:18); and the Jewish writers say F13, that now near the city (Hebron), between the vineyards, are the oaks of Mamre, where is the house of Abraham our father, on whom be peace, and the tree under which the angels ate, and the stone on which he (Abraham) sat when he was circumcised.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 "----- dant manibus famuli lymphas." --Virgil. Aeneid. l. 1.
F13 Cippi Hebr. p. 9. Ed. Hottinger.

Genesis 18:4 In-Context

2 And 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,
3 And said , My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away , I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched , and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And 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 .
6 And 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 .
The King James Version is in the public domain.