Genesis 18:1

And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre,.... That is, to Abraham; and very likely this appearance of God was quickly after the affair of the circumcision, to show his approbation of his

And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; The Lord appeared.

GENESIS CHAPTER 18 The Lord appears to Abraham, . He sees three men, ; invites them, . They accept it, . He prepares for them a calf, &c.; they eat, . The promise of a son by Sarah renewed; the time appointed, ,10. Sarah, being old, laughs, ,12. God reproves her, ; and confirms the promise, . Her denial, and God’ s reply, . The men go towards Sodom, . God resolves to show Abraham his purpose to destroy Sodom, . The reason of it, . God’ s testimony of him, . God reveals his purpose to him, . Abraham’ s intercession for Sodom oft repeated, and God’ s condescension, . 1898 Waiting for strangers which might pass that way; for whom no public places being provided in those times and places, virtuous persons used to entertain them in their houses. See . In the heat of the day, the time when travellers, especially in those hot contries, used to divert and refresh themselves.

Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;Ver. 1. And the Lord appeared unto him.] 1. Ut proeludium incarnationis . 2. Ex philanthropia ;" his delight" is "in the habitable part of" God’ s "earth". And he sat in the tent-door.] He dwelt in a tent (let us be content, though we dwell not to our minds), yet kept a good house. A very hearty householder he was. In the heat of the day.] The usual time of rest and repast, when travellers wax faint and hungry.

XVIII. VISIT OF ANGELS TO ABRAHAM AT MAMRE; AND OF SODOM.(1) And the Lord (Jehovah) appeared unto him.—No new section could begin in this way, but evidently this is a continuation of the narrative of the circumcision. We thus find a Jehovistic section coupled in the closest way with one which is Elohistic (comp. Genesis 17:22-23); and even here it is Elohim who for Abraham’s sake delivers Lot (Genesis 19:29). Far more important, however, is it to notice that this familiar intercourse, and clear revelation of Jehovah to Abraham, follows upon his closer relation to God by virtue of the sacrament of circumcision. Jewish tradition adds that this visit was made to Abraham on the third day after the rite had been performed, and was for the purpose of healing him from the painful consequences of it. It was on this account, as they think, that Abraham was resting at home, instead of being with his herds in the field. The plains (Heb., the oaks) of Mamre.—(See Genesis 13:18; Genesis 14:13.) The tent door.—Heb., the opening of the tent, formed by looping back one of the curtains. The heat of the day.—The time of noon, when Orientals rest from labour (comp. Genesis 3:8). As the air in the tent would be sultry, Abraham sits in the shade on the outside. So in Genesis 18:8 the meal is spread under a tree.

CHAPTER XVIII The Lord appears unto Abraham in Mamre, 1. Three angels, in human appearance, come towards his tent, 2. He invites them in to wash and refresh themselves, 3-5; prepares a calf, bread, butter, and milk, for their entertainment; and himself serves them, 6-8. They promise that within a year Sarah shall have a son, 9, 10. Sarah, knowing herself and husband to be superannuated, smiles at the promise, 11, 12. One of the three, who is called the LORD or Jehovah, chides her, and asserts the sufficiency of the Divine power to accomplish the promise, 13, 14. Sarah, through fear, denies that she had laughed or showed signs of unbelief, 15. Abraham accompanies these Divine persons on their way to Sodom, 16; and that one who is called Jehovah informs him of his purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, because of their great wickedness, 17-21. The two former proceed toward Sodom, while the latter (Jehovah) remains with Abraham, 22. Abraham intercedes for the inhabitants of those cities, entreating the Lord to spare them provided fifty righteous persons should be found in them, 23-25. The Lord grants this request, 26. He pleads for the same mercy should only forty-five be found there; which is also granted, 27, 28. He pleads the same for forty, which is also granted, 29; for thirty, with the same success, 30; for twenty, and receives the some gracious answer, 31; for ten, and the Lord assures him that should ten righteous persons be found there, he will not destroy the place, 32. Jehovah then departs, and Abraham returns to his tent, 33. NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII Verse 1. And the Lord appeared] See Clarke on Genesis 15:1. Sat in the tent door] For the purpose of enjoying the refreshing air in the heat of the day, when the sun had most power. A custom still frequent among the Asiatics.

1–15. Visit of three Angels to Abraham, and the Promise of a Son to Sarah (J) 1. the Lord appeared] The personal Theophany of Jehovah (cf. Genesis 16:13) was evidently at first not recognized by Abraham. the oaks of Mamre] Better, as R.V. marg., terebinths. See note on Genesis 13:18. Mamre is here the name of a place, not of a chieftain (Genesis 14:24). in the heat of the day] i.e. at noontide, as in 2 Samuel 4:5. Cf. 1 Samuel 11:9, “by the time the sun is hot”; Nehemiah 7:3. For “the cool of the day,” see Genesis 3:8.

- The Visit of the Lord to Abraham 2. השׂתחיה vayı̂śtachû “bow,” or bend the body in token of respect to God or man.

ANGELS, Genesis 18:1-15. 1. The Lord appeared — This is the sixth revelation of promise to Abraham. 1) The call and promise while yet in his father’s house. Genesis 12:1 to Genesis 3:2) At the oak of Moreh. Genesis 12:7.