Genesis 18

Birth of Isaac Promised

1 Now 1the LORD appeared to him by the 2oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three 3men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth,
3 and said, "My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
4 "Please let a little water be brought and 4wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;
5 and I will 5bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since * * you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do, as you have said."
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour *, knead it and make bread cakes."
7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf * and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.
8 He took curds and milk and the calf * which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent."
10 He said, "6I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now 7Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was 8past childbearing *.
12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "9After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my 10lord being old also?"
13 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed * bear a child, when I am so old?'
14 "11Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the 12appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."
15 Sarah denied it however, saying, "I did not laugh "; for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."
16 Then 13the men rose up from there, and looked down toward * Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off.
17 14The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham 15what I am about to do,
18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him 16all the nations of the earth will be blessed?
19 "For I have 17chosen him, so that he may 18command his children and his household after him to 19keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham 20what He has spoken about him."
20 And the LORD said, "21The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.
21 "I will 22go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know."
22 Then 23the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before 24the LORD.
23 Abraham came near and said, "25Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 "Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?
25 "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not 26the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"
26 So the LORD said, "27If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account."
27 And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but 28dust and ashes.
28 "Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five * there."
29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty."
30 Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
31 And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty."
32 Then he said, "29Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten."
33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham 30the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

Genesis 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

The Lord appears to Abraham. (1-8) Sarah's unbelief reproved. (9-15) God reveals to Abraham the destruction of Sodom. (16-22) Abraham's intercession for Sodom. (23-33)

Verses 1-8 Abraham was waiting to entertain any weary traveller, for inns were not to be met with as among us. While Abraham was thus sitting, he saw three men coming. These were three heavenly beings in human bodies. Some think they were all created angels; others, that one of them was the Son of God, the Angel of the covenant. Washing the feet is customary in those hot climates, where only sandals are worn. We should not be forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares, ( Hebrews 13:2 ) ; nay, the Lord of angels himself; as we always do, when for his sake we entertain the least of his brethren. Cheerful and obliging manners in showing kindness, are great ornaments to piety. Though our condescending Lord vouchsafes not personal visits to us, yet still by his Spirit he stands at the door and knocks; when we are inclined to open, he deigns to enter; and by his gracious consolations he provides a rich feast, of which we partake with him, ( Revelation 3:20 ) .

Verses 9-15 Where is Sarah thy wife? was asked. Note the answer, In the tent. Just at hand, in her proper place, occupied in her household concerns. There is nothing got by gadding. Those are most likely to receive comfort from God and his promises, who are in their proper place, and in the way of their duty, Lu. 2:8 . We are slow of heart to believe, and need line upon line to the same purport. The blessings others have from common providence, believers have from the Divine promise, which makes them very sweet, and very sure. The spiritual seed of Abraham owe their life, and joy, and hope, and all, to the promise. Sarah thinks this too good news to be true; she laughed, and therefore cannot as yet find in her heart to believe it. Sarah laughed. We might not have thought there was a difference between Sarah's laughter and Abraham's, ch. 17:17 ; but He who searches the heart, saw that the one sprung from unbelief, and the other from faith. She denied that she had laughed. One sin commonly brings in another, and it is not likely we shall strictly keep to truth, when we question the Divine truth. But whom the Lord loves he will rebuke, convict, silence, and bring to repentance, and if they sin before him.

Verses 16-22 The two who are supposed to have been created angels went toward Sodom. The one who is called Jehovah throughout the chapter, continued with Abraham, and would not hide from him the thing he intended to do. Though God long forbears with sinners, from which they fancy that the Lord does not see, and does not regard; yet when the day of his wrath comes, he will look toward them. The Lord will give Abraham an opportunity to intercede with him, and shows him the reason of his conduct. Consider, as a very bright part of Abraham's character and example, that he not only prayed with his family, but he was very careful to teach and rule them well. Those who expect family blessings must make conscience of family duty. Abraham did not fill their heads with matters of doubtful dispute; but he taught them to be serious and devout in the worship of God, and to be honest in their dealings with all men. Of how few may such a character be given in our days! How little care is taken by masters of families to ground those under them in the principles of religion! Do we watch from sabbath to sabbath whether they go forward or backward?

Verses 23-33 Here is the first solemn prayer upon record in the Bible; and it is a prayer for the sparing of Sodom. Abraham prayed earnestly that Sodom might be spared, if but a few righteous persons should be found in it. Come and learn from Abraham what compassion we should feel for sinners, and how earnestly we should pray for them. We see here that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Abraham, indeed, failed in his request for the whole place, but Lot was miraculously delivered. Be encouraged then to expect, by earnest prayer, the blessing of God upon your families, your friends, your neighbourhood. To this end you must not only pray, but you must live like Abraham. He knew the Judge of all the earth would do right. He does not plead that the wicked may be spared for their own sake, or because it would be severe to destroy them, but for the sake of the righteous who might be found among them. And righteousness only can be made a plea before God. How then did Christ make intercession for transgressors? Not by blaming the Divine law, nor by alleging aught in extenuation or excuse of human guilt; but by pleading HIS OWN obedience unto death.

Cross References 30

  • 1. Genesis 12:7; Genesis 17:1
  • 2. Genesis 13:18; Genesis 14:13
  • 3. Genesis 18:16, 22; Genesis 32:24; Joshua 5:13; Judges 13:6-11; Hebrews 13:2
  • 4. Genesis 19:2; Genesis 24:32; Genesis 43:24
  • 5. Judges 6:18, 19; Judges 13:15, 16
  • 6. Genesis 21:2; Romans 9:9
  • 7. Genesis 17:17; Romans 4:19
  • 8. Hebrews 11:11
  • 9. Genesis 17:17; Luke 1:18
  • 10. 1 Peter 3:6
  • 11. Jeremiah 32:17, 27; Zechariah 8:6; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37; Romans 4:21
  • 12. Genesis 17:21; Genesis 18:10
  • 13. Genesis 18:2, 22; Genesis 19:1
  • 14. Gen 18:22, 26, 33; Amos 3:7
  • 15. Genesis 18:21; Genesis 19:24
  • 16. Genesis 12:3; Genesis 22:18; Acts 3:25; Galatians 3:8
  • 17. Nehemiah 9:7; Amos 3:2
  • 18. Deuteronomy 6:6, 7
  • 19. Genesis 17:9
  • 20. Genesis 12:2, 3
  • 21. Genesis 19:13; Ezekiel 16:49, 50
  • 22. Genesis 11:5; Exodus 3:8; Psalms 14:2
  • 23. Genesis 18:16; Genesis 19:1
  • 24. Genesis 18:1, 17
  • 25. Exodus 23:7; Numbers 16:22; 2 Samuel 24:17; Psalms 11:4-7
  • 26. Deuteronomy 1:16, 17; Deuteronomy 32:4; Job 8:3, 20; Psalms 58:11; Psalms 94:2; Isaiah 3:10, 11; Romans 3:5, 6
  • 27. Jeremiah 5:1
  • 28. Genesis 3:19; Job 30:19; Job 42:6
  • 29. Judges 6:39
  • 30. Genesis 17:22; Genesis 35:13

Footnotes 25

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 18

Another appearance of God to Abraham is here recorded; three persons are seen by him in an human form, whom he kindly invites to stop with him, and generously entertains them, Ge 18:1-8; they inquire concerning Sarah his wife, and one of them renews the promise of her bearing a son to him, which occasions laughter in her, for which she is reproved, Ge 18:9-15; upon their departure the Lord thought fit, for reasons given, to make known to Abraham his intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Ge 18:16-22; when Abraham intercedes for the preservation of those cities in a most importunate and affectionate manner, Ge 18:23-33.

Genesis 18 Commentaries

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