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Yahweh Appears to Abraham

18 Then (A)Yahweh appeared to him by the [a](B)oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three (C)men were standing nearby; he saw, and he ran from the tent door to meet them, and he bowed himself to the earth, and he said, “[b]My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not [c]pass Your servant by. Please let a little water be brought and (D)wash your feet, and [d]rest yourselves under the tree; and let me [e](E)bring a piece of bread, that you may [f]refresh your hearts; after that you may pass on, since in such a manner you have passed by your servant.” And they said, “So you shall do, as you have said.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “[g]Hurry, prepare [h]three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes.” Abraham also ran to the herd and took a tender and [i]choice calf and gave it to his young man, and he hurried to prepare it. Then 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, and they ate.

Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10 And He said, “(F)I will surely return to you [j]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 (G)Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was (H)past [k]childbearing. 12 And Sarah laughed [l]to herself, saying, “(I)After I am worn out, shall I have pleasure, my (J)lord being old also?” 13 And Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed [m]bear a son, when I am so old?’ 14 (K)Is anything too [n]difficult for Yahweh? At the (L)appointed time I will return to you, [o]at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Then Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 18:1 Or terebinths
  2. Genesis 18:3 Or O Lord
  3. Genesis 18:3 Lit pass away from Your servant
  4. Genesis 18:4 Lit support
  5. Genesis 18:5 Lit take
  6. Genesis 18:5 Lit sustain your heart
  7. Genesis 18:6 Lit Hasten 3 measures
  8. Genesis 18:6 Approx. 21 qt. or 23 l, a seah was approx. 7 qt. or 7.7 l
  9. Genesis 18:7 Lit good
  10. Genesis 18:10 Lit when the time revives
  11. Genesis 18:11 Lit the manner of women
  12. Genesis 18:12 Lit within
  13. Genesis 18:13 Lit surely bear
  14. Genesis 18:14 Or marvelous
  15. Genesis 18:14 Lit when the time revives

Three Men Meet Abraham

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he was sitting by the door to his tent during the heat of the day. Abraham looked up, and he saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord,[a] if I have now found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. Now let me get a little water so that all of you can wash your feet and rest under the tree. Let me get some bread so that you can refresh yourselves. After that you may go your way. That is why you have come to your servant.”

They said, “Yes, do as you have said.”

Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly prepare twenty quarts[b] of fine flour, knead it, and make some loaves of bread.” Abraham ran to the herd, brought a good, tender calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to prepare it. He took cheese curds, milk, and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate.

They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?”

He said, “She is over there in the tent.”

10 One of the men said, “I will certainly return to you when this season comes around next year. Then Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Sarah was listening to this from the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well into old age. Sarah was past the age for childbearing.[c] 12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, will I have pleasure, since my lord is also old?”

13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really give birth to a child though I am old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the set time next year I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.”

15 Then Sarah denied it and said, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid.

The Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 18:3 Or my Lord. The Hebrew writes this word as Adonai. That would make this a divine name, Lord, but did Abraham already recognize that the man was God?
  2. Genesis 18:6 Or thirty-six pounds. Hebrew three seahs. This is a huge amount.
  3. Genesis 18:11 Literally the way of women had ceased for Sarah