Genesis 18:22

22 The men turned away and walked toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the LORD.

Genesis 18:22 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 18:22

And the men turned their faces from thence
From the place to which Abraham brought them on; these were only two of them, for the third continued with Abraham: and went towards Sodom;
and are the two angels said to come thither at evening, ( Genesis 19:1 ) : but Abraham stood yet before the Lord;
before the third person, whom Abraham now began to know more clearly; he stood before him with all reverence and humility, to hear what he had further to say to him, as well as to say something to him himself; he stood "yet", he continued to stand after the departure of the two angels that were gone to Sodom. Onkelos and Jonathan paraphrase it,

``he ministered in prayer before the Lord.''

Genesis 18:22 In-Context

20 Then the LORD said, "The cries of injustice from Sodom and Gomorrah are countless, and their sin is very serious!

21 I will go down now to examine the cries of injustice that have reached me. Have they really done all this? If not, I want to know."

22 The men turned away and walked toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the LORD.

23 Abraham approached and said, "Will you really sweep away the innocent with the guilty?

24 What if there are fifty innocent people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not save the place for the sake of the fifty innocent people in it?

Footnotes

• [a]. Some ancient manuscripts read but the LORD remained standing in front of Abraham.