Genèse 18:17

17 Et l'Éternel dit: Cacherai-je à Abraham ce que je vais faire,

Genèse 18:17 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 18:17

And the Lord said
Either unto Abraham himself, so leading on to what he was about to make known to him; and without supposing this it will be difficult to account for Abraham's intercession for Sodom upon this: or to the two angels with him; not as consulting them whether he should or no do what he next suggests, but to give to them Abraham's just character, and the reasons of his using him in such a friendly manner: or it may be, to the other divine Persons, the Father and Spirit, one with the Son of God, and always present with him: shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do?
which he was about to do, namely, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: the Jewish writers


FOOTNOTES:

F1 observe, that these cities were given in the grant of the whole land to Abraham, and therefore it was right to acquaint him with it first: but other and better reasons are given in the next words; Abraham was a friend of the Lord, and he had showed himself friendly to him, not only now, but heretofore, and therefore will treat him as his friend, by imparting his secrets to him.
F1 Targ. Jerus. & Jarchi in loc.

Genèse 18:17 In-Context

15 Et Sara nia, en disant: Je n'ai point ri; car elle eut peur. Mais il dit: Non, car tu as ri.
16 Et ces hommes se levèrent de là, et regardèrent vers Sodome; et Abraham allait avec eux, pour les reconduire.
17 Et l'Éternel dit: Cacherai-je à Abraham ce que je vais faire,
18 Quand Abraham doit devenir une nation grande et puissante, et que toutes les nations de la terre seront bénies en lui?
19 Car je l'ai connu, afin qu'il commande à ses enfants, et à sa maison après lui, de garder la voie de l'Éternel, pour faire ce qui est juste et droit; afin que l'Éternel fasse venir sur Abraham ce qu'il a dit de lui.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.