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Genesis
18:1-8. ENTERTAINMENT OF ANGELS.
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Verse 1. the Lord
appeared--another manifestation of the divine
presence, more familiar than any yet narrated; and more
like that in the fulness of time, when the Word was made
flesh.
plains of
Mamre--rather, terebinth or oak of Mamre; a
tall-spreading tree or grove of trees.
sat in the tent door--The tent itself
being too close and sultry at noon, the shaded open
front is usually resorted to for the air that may be
stirring.
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Verse 2. lift up his eyes
. . . and, lo, three men--Travellers in
that quarter start at sunrise and continue till midday
when they look out for some resting-place.
he ran to meet them--When the
visitor is an ordinary person, the host merely rises;
but if of superior rank, the custom is to advance a
little towards the stranger, and after a very low bow,
turn and lead him to the tent, putting an arm round his
waist, or tapping him on the shoulder as they go, to
assure him of welcome.
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Verse 3. My Lord, if now I have
found favor--The hospitalities offered are just of
the kind that are necessary and most grateful, the
refreshment of water, for feet exposed to dust and heat
by the sandals, being still the first observed among the
pastoral people of Hebron.
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Verse 5. for therefore are ye
come--No questions were asked. But Abraham knew
their object by the course they took--approaching
directly in front of the chief sheik's tent,
which is always distinguishable from the rest and thus
showing their wish to be his guests.
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Verse 6. Abraham hastened
. . . unto Sarah . . . make cakes
upon the hearth--Bread is baked daily, no more than
is required for family use, and always by the women,
commonly the wife. It is a short process. Flour mixed
with water is made into dough, and being rolled out into
cakes, it is placed on the earthen floor, previously
heated by a fire. The fire being removed, the cakes are
laid on the ground, and being covered over with hot
embers, are soon baked, and eaten the moment they are
taken off.
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Verse 7. Abraham ran unto the herd,
and fetched a calf--Animal food is never provided,
except for visitors of a superior rank when a kid or
lamb is killed. A calf is still a higher stretch of
hospitality, and it would probably be cooked as is
usually done when haste is required--either by roasting
it whole or by cutting it up into small pieces and
broiling them on skewers over the fire. It is always
eaten along with boiled corn swimming in butter or
melted fat, into which every morsel of meat, laid upon a
piece of bread, is dipped, before being conveyed by the
fingers to the mouth.
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Verse 8. milk--A bowl of
camel's milk ends the repast.
he stood by them under the tree--The host
himself, even though he has a number of servants, deems
it a necessary act of politeness to stand while
his guests are at their food, and Abraham evidently did
this before he was aware of the real character of his
visitors.
Genesis
18:9-15. REPROOF OF SARAH. An inquiry about his wife, so
surprising in strangers, the subject of conversation,
and the fulfilment of the fondly cherished promise
within a specified time, showed Abraham that he had been
entertaining more than ordinary travellers (Heb
13:2).
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Verse 10. Sarah heard it in the
tent door, which was behind him--The women's
apartment is in the back of the tent, divided by a thin
partition from the men's.
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Verse 12. Therefore Sarah laughed
within herself--Long delay seems to have weakened
faith. Sarah treated the announcement as incredible, and
when taxed with the silent sneer, she added falsehood to
distrust. It was an aggravated offense (Ac
5:4), and nothing but grace saved her (Ro
9:18).
Genesis
18:16-22. DISCLOSURE OF SODOM'S DOOM.
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Verse 16. the men rose
. . . Abraham went with them--It is
customary for a host to escort his guests a little
way.
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Verse 17. the Lord said, Shall I
hide--The chief stranger, no other than the Lord,
disclosed to Abraham the awful doom about to be
inflicted on Sodom and the cities of the plain for their
enormous wickedness.
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Verse 21. I will go down
. . . and see--language used after the
manner of men. These cities were to be made examples to
all future ages of God's severity; and therefore ample
proof given that the judgment was neither rash nor
excessive (Eze
18:23; Jer 18:7).
Genesis
18:23-33. ABRAHAM'S INTERCESSION.
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Verse 23. Abraham drew near, and
said, &c.--The scene described is full of
interest and instruction--showing in an unmistakable
manner the efficacy of prayer and intercession. (See
also Pr
15:8; Jas 5:16). Abraham reasoned justly as to the
rectitude of the divine procedure (Ro
3:5, 6), and many guilty cities and nations have
been spared on account of God's people (Mt
5:13; 24:22).
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Verse 33. the Lord . . .
left communing . . . and Abraham returned unto
his place--Why did Abraham cease to carry his
intercessions farther? Either because he fondly thought
that he was now sure of the cities being preserved (Lu
13:9), or because the Lord restrained his mind from
further intercession (Jer
7:16; 11:14). But there were not ten "righteous
persons." There was only one, and he might without
injustice have perished in the general overthrow (Ec
9:2). But a difference is sometimes made, and on
this occasion the grace of God was manifested in a
signal manner for the sake of Abraham. What a blessing
to be connected with a saint of
God!
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Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic
edition prepared from text scanned by Woodside Bible
Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-Brown
Commentary is in the public domain and may be freely
used and distributed.
Bibliography
Information
Jamieson, Robert,
D.D. "Commentary on Genesis 18". "Commentary Critical and
Explanatory
on the Whole Bible".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/jfb/view.cgi?book=ge&chapter=18>.
1871.
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