Genesis 18

This chapter belongs to the Abraham narrative in Genesis. It follows the covenant of circumcision and the promise of a son in Genesis 17, and here that promise is delivered directly to Sarah. The announcement of judgment on Sodom leads into the account of the city's destruction in Genesis 19.

Outline

• Verses 1–8 Around noon, Abraham is sitting at the door of his tent near the oaks of Mamre when three men appear and stand before him. Abraham brings water to wash their feet and, under a tree, serves them cakes made from three measures of fine meal, a prepared calf, and butter and milk.
• Verses 9–15 The visitor says that at the appointed time Sarah will have a son. Overhearing this from behind the tent door, Sarah laughs to herself, thinking of her old age. When the LORD says, "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" Sarah, afraid, denies that she laughed.
• Verses 16–21 The visitors set out toward Sodom, and Abraham walks with them to see them on their way. The LORD speaks of His purpose in choosing Abraham and says that He will go down to see whether the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is true.
• Verses 22–26 Abraham draws near to the LORD and asks whether He will destroy the righteous with the wicked. The LORD answers that if He finds fifty righteous people, He will spare the whole place.
• Verses 27–33 Humbling himself as one who is "but dust and ashes," Abraham asks again, lowering the number to forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, and finally ten. The LORD answers that He will not destroy the city even for the sake of ten, and then He departs, and Abraham returns to his place.

Key Verses

• Genesis 18:14 "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" These words make clear that the promise of a son to an elderly couple rests on the power of God.
• Genesis 18:25 "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" This is a classic verse raising the question of God's justice (His fair and upright rule).
• Genesis 18:32 "I will not destroy it for ten's sake." This marks the end of Abraham's intercession.

Characters and Places

• Abraham Welcomes and entertains the visitors, and intercedes with the LORD on behalf of Sodom.
• Sarah Abraham's wife. She laughs upon hearing the promise of a son.
• The LORD Appears in the form of three men and speaks.
• The three men The visitors who come to Abraham. In verse 22 some of them depart for Sodom, and Genesis 19:1 calls those who arrive at Sodom "two angels."
• The oaks of Mamre The place where Abraham pitched his tent. According to Genesis 13:18, it is in Hebron.
• Sodom and Gomorrah The cities whose outcry is described as great and whose sin is described as very grievous.

Points for Reflection

• The identity of the three visitors Interpretations differ. Some early Church Fathers (leaders of the early church) saw in the three visitors an allusion to the Trinity, and the Orthodox icon The Trinity by Andrei Rublev is known to depict this scene. Among Protestants, a widely held interpretation identifies one of the visitors as the LORD and the other two as angels. Within this view, some regard that one figure as the preincarnate Christ.
• Why Abraham interceded The text does not say why Abraham interceded for Sodom. Readers often connect his intercession with the fact that his nephew Lot lived in Sodom (Genesis 13:12; 14:12), but this is an inference drawn from the surrounding context.
• Anthropomorphic language about God The words of verse 21, "I will go down now, and see... and if not, I will know," describe God in human terms. Various explanations have been offered for how this language should be understood.
• Connections with the New Testament Hebrews 13:2, which speaks of those who "have entertained angels unawares," is commonly linked with this chapter. Romans 9:9 quotes the promise of Genesis 18:10 and 18:14. 1 Peter 3:6 mentions Sarah calling Abraham "lord," and the phrase "my lord" in Genesis 18:12 is cited as its basis. Although Sarah laughed, Hebrews 11:8–12 commends her faith.

In the Korean Church

Sermons frequently address Abraham's hospitality toward the visitors and his intercession for Sodom. Verses 22–33 in particular are often cited as a model of intercessory prayer (prayer offered on behalf of others).