Genesis 18
People in this chapter
Genesis 18 places hospitality, promise, justice, and prayer beside one another. The narrator says that the LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, then describes three men whom Abraham welcomes with water, rest, and a meal. Sarah hears a promise that she will bear a son; later, Abraham asks whether the Judge of all the earth will sweep the righteous away with the wicked.
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Genesis 18:1-8Visitors at Mamre
1And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3And said, My LORD, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
The narrator says that the LORD appeared to Abraham and describes three men near his tent. Abraham runs to welcome them with water, rest, and food; verse 8 says they eat. The chapter does not explain how the LORD relates to the visitors.
Genesis 18:9-15Sarah's Promised Son
9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Sarah hears that she will bear a son and laughs because she and Abraham are old. The LORD names the laugh, renews the promise, and asks, Is any thing too hard for the LORD? Genesis 18 does not settle her precise tone; Genesis 21 records Isaac's birth.
Genesis 18:16-22Justice and the Outcry of Sodom
16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
The LORD names a great outcry concerning Sodom and Gomorrah and calls their sin grievous. The chapter does not itemize every accusation. Going down to see presents careful judgment without saying that God lacks information.
Genesis 18:23-33Abraham's Appeal
23And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes: 28Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
Abraham asks whether the righteous will be swept away with the wicked and appeals to the Judge of all the earth. The LORD would spare the place for fifty righteous, then agrees to the lower numbers Abraham names, down to ten. The chapter does not explain why Abraham stops.
29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. 30And he said unto him, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. 32And he said, Oh let not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. 33And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Where this echoes in Scripture
Visitors at Mamre
- Genesis 13:18Abram came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.Earlier location of Abram near Mamre.
- Genesis 19:1And there came two angels to Sodom at even.The following chapter identifies two visitors as angels.
- Hebrews 13:2Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.A general exhortation about hospitality; it does not settle every question about Genesis 18.
Sarah's Promised Son
- Genesis 17:21My covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.Related timing for the promise of Isaac.
- Genesis 21:1-2Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.The fulfillment narrated in the next chapter.
- Luke 1:37For with God nothing shall be impossible.A close biblical echo at the announcement of Jesus' birth.
- Hebrews 11:11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed.A later reflection on Sarah; Genesis 18 itself does not narrate every stage of her response.
Justice and the Outcry of Sodom
- Genesis 12:3In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.The promise recalled in Genesis 18:18.
- Genesis 4:10The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.Another Genesis passage using the language of a cry reaching God; it does not define the charge in Sodom.
- Exodus 3:7-8I have surely seen the affliction of my people, and have heard their cry... and I am come down to deliver them.A later scene with similar cry-and-coming-down language in a different setting.
Abraham's Appeal
- Genesis 19:29God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow.The following chapter directly connects Abraham's remembrance with Lot's rescue without explaining every relation to the numerical appeal.
- 1 Timothy 2:1Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.A New Testament exhortation to pray for others.
- James 5:16The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.James commends prayer; it does not turn Genesis 18 into a formula for a particular result.