Genesis 18:31

31 And he said, "Please, now, I was bold to speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of the twenty."

Genesis 18:31 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 18:31

And he said, behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto
the Lord (See Gill on Genesis 18:27):

Peradventure there shall be twenty found there;
wouldest thou destroy it, such a number being in it; or, wouldest thou spare it for their sakes?

and he said, I will not destroy [it] for twenty's sake;
if there were no more in it, I would spare it for their sake.

Genesis 18:31 In-Context

29 And {once again he spoke} to him and said, "What if forty are found there?" And he answered, "I will not do [it] on account of the forty."

30 And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if thirty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not do [it] if I find thirty there."

31 And he said, "Please, now, I was bold to speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of the twenty."

32 And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. What if ten are found there?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of the ten."

33 Then Yahweh left, as he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Footnotes

• [a] Or "Perhaps"