Genesis 18:22

22 The men turned away from there and went toward S'dom, but Avraham remained standing before ADONAI.

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 ADONAI said, "The outcry against S'dom and 'Amora is so great and their sin so serious
21 that I will now go down and see whether their deeds warrant the outcry that has reached me; if not, I will know."
22 The men turned away from there and went toward S'dom, but Avraham remained standing before ADONAI.
23 Avraham approached and said, "Will you actually sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 Maybe there are fifty righteous people in the city; will you actually sweep the place away, and not forgive it for the sake of the fifty righteous who are there?
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.