Home / OT / Genesis / Chapter 18
GENESIS
CHAPTER 18
Abraham entertains three holy men—They promise that Sarah shall have a son—Abraham will command his children to do justice and judgment—The Lord appears to him—They discuss the destruction of sodom and Gomorrah.
[ The first verse of this chapter should read as follows: "And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre," That is a complete thought. The second part of this paragraph has nothing to do with the Lord's appearing to Abraham, and there should be another paragraph or sentence saying: "And he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him." These three men were mortals. They had bodies and were able to eat, to bathe, and sit and rest from their weariness. Not one of these three was the Lord. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:16.) I would also make note that they could also be translated beings as translated being can eat. Maybe that is what was meant here. ]
1 AND the LORD appeared unto him [ Abraham; event number one. ] in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; [ It was the hottest part of a very hot day, say the rabbis, with the sun beating down mercilessly. (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, 1:240). Abraham, however, was not focused on himself and his discomfort, compounded by his recent circumcision, but was worrying for travelers who might need assistance on a day like that. "Notwithstanding the intense heat and his own sickness he still sat there to invite any stray passer-by." (Kasher, Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, 3:5) This goes beyond just the fact that Abraham was practicing hospitality and looking to provide for weary travelers. That much is true... there is a wonderful story here about Abraham's hospitality, which was unmatched throughout history. In this passage alone, we have Abraham sitting in the door of his tent when the 3 True Messengers from God appear to him. Hugh Nibley tells a story of a moving scene from a Jewish apocryphal source. As the story goes about how Abraham is not only welcoming to the guest, he's out there, it's a terrible burning hot day, dusty, the wind blowing horrible. He (Abraham) is looking for stragglers in the desert. He says, I will not eat until I've helped some poor soul out here in the desert. And that's when, according to that Jewish apocrypha, that's when the three travelers come and he's given the gift of his son and so on. It's not just an arbitrary thing according to that story. It's rewarding Abraham for his faithfulness and his hospitality, his sheer goodness. But it's striking to hear Hugh tell that story, because he just chokes up. Means so much to him. "Faith of an Observer" about Hugh Nibley. So Abraham is 99 years old, it is just three days after he was circumcised, he has to still be in great pain and somewhat weak, and what is he doing - he is looking out over the plains to see if there is someone in need that he can help. ]
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: [ Rashi says that when Abraham caught sight of them, they appeared to be holding back, as if they did not want to approach and trouble him. (Rashi; cited in Miller, Abraham Friend of God, 95-96) Who Visited with Abraham? “We are not justified in teaching that our Heavenly Father, with other heavenly persons, came down, dusty and weary, and ate with Abraham. This is not taught in the 18th chapter of Genesis. The first verse of that chapter should read as follows: ‘And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre.’ That is a complete thought. The second part of this paragraph has nothing to do with the Lord’s appearing to Abraham . . . : ‘And he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him.’ These three men were mortals. They had bodies and were able to eat, to bathe, and sit and rest from their weariness. Not one of these three was the Lord.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:16.) One of the three men is named as the Lord Himself. But according to biblical scholar Claus Westermann, the text cannot intend to really mean what it says here; it must mean simply that the messenger speaking had been sent by the Lord. ("The text [of Genesis 18:13] cannot intend... that Yahweh [the Lord] is speaking... The explanation of the use of ['the Lord'] in this passage is that a messenger ... represents the one who sends him as he delivers his message; hence the one who gives the commission can be named in place of the one commissioned." Westermann, Genesis 12-36, 281) So it is also in the Joseph Smith Translation, which expressly identifies the three visitors as "angels of the Lord" (JST Gen. 18:13, and repeatedly thereafter), the three chosen ones, an identification also made by Jubilees (Jubilees 16:1-4, in VanderKam, Book of Jubilees, 94) and most rabbinic texts, (Miller, Mysterious Encounters at Mamre and Jabbok, 16) one of which calls the three men "ministering angels." (Kasher, Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, 3:20) The Joseph Smith Translation reports the angels as saying that the Lord had told them: "I will send you, and ye shall go down now" (JST Gen. 18:20) In the Joseph Smith Translation, Genesis 18:23 states definitely that “the angels . . . were holy men, and were sent forth after the order of God.” The last time the phrase "order of God" was used in the Joseph Smith Translation was in association with the translated city of Enoch: "And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven" (JST Gen. 14:32). The term "holy men" is found in a revelation to Joseph Smith (D&C 49:8), where it means, according to Joseph Fielding Smith, translated beings. (Doxey, Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants, 2:141-42) ] and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, [ He runs to meet them. It is interesting here that the phrase "from his tent door" is included. When something happens at the door of your tent, it is a Temple experience, and there are covenant blessings involved. It was that way with Lehi, Lehi is faithful to covenants, and he receives blessings because of his faithfulness. And he receives them at the door of his tent, which is a Type for a Temple, or at least a Tabernacle. ] and bowed himself [ Abraham had once exhibited similar enthusiasm when he bowed in greeting before Melchizedek, (Combat of Adam and Eve with Satan 4:1, in Malan, Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan, 180) ] toward the ground, [ Abraham knows that these 3 messengers are more than just regular weary travelers. ]
3 And said, My Lord, [ JST - "brethrn" Nowhere else in the Abraham story does he use this form of address. But even without the benefit of the Joseph Smith Translation, the medieval Jewish sage Nachmanides held that when the three angels came to Abraham, he recognized them (Chavel, Ramban, 1:239)—a view held also in early Anglo-Saxon tradition. (Doane, The Saxon Genesis, 168-69). Or to address one of them as "My Lord," he addresses one of them as my Lord. He's not addressing as Yahweh or Jehovah. It's just a respectful term. "I will give you a key: It was natural for the English to translate, as in verse three, and say "My Lord" in referring to a distinguished individual, because that is the way they recognized distinguished characters; but you will notice that the word Lord in the third paragraph is spelled with one capital and three small letters which indicates that it was not The Lord that was meant. " (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:16.) ] if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: [ Now in verses 13, 14, 17-20, you will find all of the letters in capitals and that does refer to THE LORD. Prophet's revision of this scripture, the third verse reads as follows: "My brethren, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away I pray you from thy servant." (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:13.) Abraham's recognition of his visitors is indicated by both his words and his actions: nowhere else does Abraham call himself the "servant of men", as he refers to himself in JST Genesis when he first greets them, humbly calling himself "your servant" (JST Gen. 18:3). Here he will bow doen to them and runs to them - to me both of these gestures suggest that he recognizes them. ]
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, [ The Zohar states that the washing of the visitors' feet was done for the purpose of ritual purity. (See Miller, Mysterious Encounters at Mamre and Jabbok, 18-19; and Zohar, Vayera 102a-102b, in Sperling and Simon, Zohar, 1:327-29) And according to the Testament of Abraham -which, like the Joseph Smith Translation, calls Abraham's three visitors "holy men" (JST, Genesis 18:23; and Testament of Abraham (Recension A) 6:5, in Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 1:885) —it was Abraham himself who washed their feet. (Testament of Abraham (Recension A) 6:5-6, in Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, 1:885). That the angels' feet were washed by Abraham also indicates that it may well have been the priesthood ordinance described by Joseph Smith as "calculated to unite our hearts, that we may be one in feeling and sentiment, and that our faith may be strong, so that Satan cannot overthrow us, nor have any power over us here." (Smith, History of the Church, 2:309; and see discussion in McConkie, Mormon Doctrine,829-32) We have 3 holy men approaching. This is right out of the Temple drama where Peter, James, and John (THE First Presidency) come to visit Adam and Eve as True Messengers. Who are these three men? See verse 2. Were they Translated beings from Zion? Is Melchizedek still alive or has been translated already and is he one of them? We do know that they had bodies and were capable of eating. So they were not pre-mortal angels, nor were they resurrected beings. So our options are limited. Abraham rushes to them and offers to do what for them? Provide the Sacrament and the ordinance of Washing of the Feet. He offers them bread and water, and he offers to wash their feet. We've already seen that Abraham had built many Altars, and many traditions hold that he had a movable Tabernacle like Moses did. I don't think it is much of a stretch to say that this all took place in that tent, rather than his dwelling place... but the narrative does not say. ] and rest yourselves under the tree:< [ Hebrew: cedar-wood, which interesting enough was used in/for purifications. ]
5 And 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.
6 And Abraham hastened [ It is worth noting, says biblical scholar Claus Westermann, "that no one is in a hurry elsewhere in the patriarchal stories; here it is haste in the service of others." (Westermann, Genesis 12-36, 277). ] into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. [ It's kind of like modern day pita bread, or almost like a tortilla on a flat stove. ]
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; [ According to Jewish tradition, was none other than Ishmael, whom Abraham was training in the ways of righteousness and service, not just by preaching to him but involving him. (See Kasher, Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, 3:19; and Miller, Abraham Friend of God, 101). ] and he hasted to dress it. [ Prepared it for cooking; butchered it. ]
8 And he took butter, [ "curds" in most modern translations, Which is probably leaven, which is really more like yogurt. They still use it in the Middle East for cooking and in stew and things like that. ] 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. [ Abraham and Sarah have prepared this fine meal and put it in front of them. A "rich fare," as Abraham "specifies the use of... the finest and choicest of wheat flour," then "selects the calf for the main dish, a rare delicacy and a sign of princely hospitality among pastoralists," and even includes milk, which "was highly esteemed in the ancient Near East and was offered to the gods." (Sarna, Genesis, 129) In the words of another scholar, "the 'little water' and 'morsel of bread' turn out to be a sumptuous feast" for the visitors. (Westermann, Genesis 12-36, 277) The fact that the visitors will actually eat is further indication of their translated status, for spirits (whether premortal or postmortal) could not have eaten, and at that time there were no resurrected beings on this earth. And since, as Joseph Smith explained, "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it" (D&C 130:5) ]
9 ¶ And they said unto him, [ Philo adds that the words spoken were actually "Abraham my friend." (On Sobriety 55-56, in Philo III, 473.) So if these were the words of the angel rather than God, the angel must have already been a friend of Abraham-suggesting the intriguing possibility that one of these holy men, these translated beings, might well have been Abraham's close friend Melchizedek, who now resided in Enoch's translated city of Zion. ] Where is Sarah thy wife? [ They already knew the answer. So why ask? The medieval Jewish scholar Rashi repeated a indeed, where our mother Sarah was, but they asked this question in order to call attention to her modesty and so to endear her all the more to her husband." (Soloveitchik, Man of Faith, 84, translating Rashi on Genesis 18:9) However; the question regarding Sarah's whereabouts was asked in a voice that she also could hear, apparently intentionally so; for what the angel is about to announce, he wants her to hear. According to the Joseph Smith Translation, one of the angels "blessed Abraham" (JST Gen. 18:9) and said, as recorded in Genesis: "I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!" (JPST Gen. 18:10). ] And he said, Behold, in the tent. [ "She's in the tent," which fits modern Middle Eastern ideas. The woman is sort of withdrawn. We see this in the west as sexism, but in the Middle East, it's often regarded as treating the woman as a kind of hidden treasure. She's not to be gawked at by ordinary strangers. ]
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; [ "I'll visit you again about this time next year, And Sarah, your wife, will have a son by then." ] and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. [ Interesting thing about this is that it shows how the Lord intervenes, not only on the massive cosmic scale, but also on very personal levels sometimes. This is about one man and one woman, having a baby. ] And Sarah heard it in the tent door, [ Sarah was standing just out of sight behind the tent door and heard every word. Not hard to hear thought the walls of a tent. This would have been customary as well. Not that she was eaves dropping but that she was trying to be mindful of what was needed by Abraham and his guests, so she was being diligent to her role. ] which was behind him.
11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; [ This point is brought front and center and before going any further, Genesis provides an explanatory preamble. "Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing" (NKJV Gen. 18:11), or, as another translation has it, she "had stopped having the periods of women" (JPST Gen. 18:11). In the words of the medieval Jewish grammarian David Kimhi, "old age now weighed heavily upon them." (Kasher, Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, 3:24) No wonder that despite Sarah's faith and faithfulness, and in the face of her biological reality, as an Islamic source observes, "by then her heart had lost hope of giving birth to a son." (Al-Rabghuzi, Stories of the Prophets, 2:133) ] and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. [ Sarah was past the age of bearing children - her cycle was over. As a matter of fact it never started with her. She was proclaimed barren. ]
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, [ It was not a loud laugh, but it was loud enough that the Lord knew that she had laughed. This does not have to mean that she distrusts the angel. Have you ever wanted something and prayed for it for so long and then ended up that you quit praying for it to happen only to find that it did come to pass much later in life. Only to have a chuckle within yourself - now! right! ] saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, [ The Hebrew word comes from the root "Eden". Delight, luxury, something amazing, marital intimacy. ] , my lord [ The word "lord" is rendered "master" in NIV. ] being old also?
13 And the LORD [ "the angel of the Lord" (JST) ] said unto Abraham, Wherefore [ Why. ] did Sarah laugh, [ It is the angel who notes that Sarah laughed. The visitor's disclosure of what no mortal could have heard is thereby a disclosure of his own identity as a powerful messenger of God. It was most likely just an internal expression of Sarah; one she made too herself. He knew Sarah had laughed, and he knew that she knew it, so why point it out? Was it perhaps to demonstrate to her his own divine power so as to increase Sarah's faith in the blessing he had come to bestow? Perhaps it was, as Ephrem the Syrian maintained, "a sign specifically to her who had not asked for a sign."(Ephrem the Syrian, Commentary on Genesis 15.3, in Oden, Ancient Christian Commentary, 2:67) Sarah personally has not interacted with these men according to custom. She would not know, that they were the angels sent from God. Additionally at this point Abraham has not told her of the promise that God made to her just before he was circumcised. Perhaps Abraham had decided that it was better to let Sarah discover it as it unfolded, or more likely, he been directed not to disclose it. Perhaps Abraham had decided that it was better to let Sarah discover it as it unfolded, or more likely, he been directed not to disclose it. ] saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? [ Sarah says "After I'm waxed old." Come on really? ]
14  Is any thing too hard for the LORD? [ The Lord hears it and responds “Is anything too hard [ Surpassing or extraordinary, beyond comprehension. ] for the Lord? In answer to Sarahs question. Do you really not think that there is anything that I can do that will help you find pleasure in this life? Other translations render the angel's words as: "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14, in NASB, Wenham, Genesis 16-50, 34) "Is anything impossible for the Lord?" (REB Gen. 18:14). "Is anything beyond the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14, in Alter, Genesis, 79; Fox,Five Books of Moses, 76 ("... beyond YHWH?")) "Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?" (Genesis 18:14, in Vawter, On Genesis, 227; Mitchell, Genesis, 33 (omitting "to do")) "Is anything too wondrous for the Lord?" (IPST Gen. 18:14). "Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?" (NRSV Genesis 18:14). (So also Letellier, Day in Mamre, Night in Sodom, 102: "Could anything be too wonderful for YHWH?" Munk, Agaydat Yitzchag 1:119: "Is anything too wonderful for G'd?) The words refer not only to the miracle for Abraham and Sarah, according to the Zohar, but also to that future day when the Lord will miraculously bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, the great renewal. (Kasher, Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, 3:28) But the words also refer, according to Christian scripture, to the birth of Him who would make the Resurrection possible. Many centuries after the angel spoke to Sarah, another angel would speak to another beautiful Hebrew woman, Mary, about the miraculous birth of her son, and would then mention the imminent birth of John to her relative Elizabeth, an old and barren woman. "For with God," the angel would declare to Mary, "nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37)-an intentional allusion, say scholars, to Mary's ancestor Sarah and her miraculous birth. (Fitzmeyer, Gospel According to Luke 1-9, 352) ] At the time appointed I will return unto thee, [ Is this a renewing of their bodies... another covenant blessing (D&C 84:33) so that they are able to concieve. ] according to the time of life, [ Since you are old, beyond the childbearing years, but I will make you sure according to your menstral cycle. I don't think that this is the LORD saying that He will return to visit them... because there is no mention of his return in the narrative. You would think that they would have made mention of the fulfilling of this promise, if that were the case... But I think that the LORD is saying that He will return unto them their youthfulness, which has long since left them. It is their "time of life" that has gone and that will be returned. And this is how they will be able to have a son. That phrase "time of life" is only used four times in all of the scriptures... twice here with Abraham and Sarah (vv. 10, 14), and twice with Elisha and the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4: 16-17), and both times have to do with conceiving and bearing a son. So I think that rather than saying "I'm going to come back and visit you, and you'll have a son", the LORD is saying "I'm going to give you back your child-bearing abilities that have long since left you. So the faithful Abraham and Sarah have a marvelous Temple experience here with these 3 holy men while they were in the door of their tents, and they are blessed with the covenant blessings that they have longed for. ] and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; [ When she discovers to her surprise... that her secret thoughts and emotions have been exposed, she "bursts forth from the tent" (Vawter, On Genesis, 227) to exclaim, "I did not laugh." Maybe to say that I was not laughing at the plausibility but laughing at or chuckling at the timing of things. Now; at this time of life? Seriously! ] for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. [ And the Lord responds, ah but you did laugh. A casual reading of this story in Genesis may leave the impression that the visitor is simply insisting on being right and decides to argue the point and have the last word. But a different impression comes if we consider that the identity of these visitors as those hailing from the city of Enoch, that pristine place pulsating with perfect love (Moses 7:18). This is a visitor not prone to argue and who has no reason to insist on being right or having the last word. Why then does he correct Sarah? Perhaps again to convince her faith in the priesthood blessing he has come to give Abraham. Because he did state earlier in verse 14 that "Is anything too hard for the Lord?". The blessing left on Abraham and Sarah was thus an affirmation of their eternal marriage covenant, which is of more than historical interest to Latter-day Saints who enter into that same covenant with the same promises. For as George Q. Cannon, member of the First Presidency, reminded the Latter-day Saints in general conference, God has ... promised us that we shall sit upon thrones, that we shall have crowns, and that we shall have a posterity as numerous as the stars in heaven, as countless as the sand upon the sea shore; for, said He, "I seal upon you the blessings of kingdoms, of thrones, of principalities, of powers, and of dominions. I seal upon you the blessings of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. I seal upon you the promise that you shall come forth in the morning of the first resurrection clothed with glory, immortality and eternal lives." These are the promises that are made to the Latter-day Saints... The Lord promised unto Abraham that as the stars of heaven were innumerable in multitude, and as the sand on the sea shore was countless, so his seed should be. That same promise has been sealed upon your heads, ye Latter-day Saints who have been faithful. (Stuy, Collected Discourses, 1:233) ]
16 ¶ And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward sodom: [ The attention now turns toward sodom where his nephew Lot resides. Emphasizing the distinct difference between the Zion of Abraham, the pure, pristine environment which the three men were just preparing to leave." (Hirsch, T'rumath Tzvi, 90) ] and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
17 And the LORD [ Again the JST renders it as "the angel of the Lord" - or one of the Holy Men. So the dialogue is still between Abraham and one of the angels. ] said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; [ It is as if the Lord is talking to himself. How does the writer seem to know the thoughts of the Lord here? This is Gods secret, but we also know that God does not hide his secrets from the prophets. The LORD counsels with Abraham about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, very much in keeping with Amos 3:7. So Abraham needs to know. (JST "the Lord will do for him"). the Lord says, you know what? I'm not going to hide what I intend to do from Abraham, because Abraham's going to be a great nation. I trust him. All the nations of the earth will be blessed in him. I'm going to tell him. I know that he'll command his children to live my commandments. So the Lord says, I've been hearing complaints from sodom and Gomorrah about oppression and wickedness. ]
18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, [ How does this phrase play into the determination by the Lord to tell Abraham everything? This will be a teaching opportunity for God to teach Abraham the consequences of things, of disobedience. ] and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
19 For I know him, [ The Lord knew Abraham - but Abraham did not fully know Abraham. What do you think that Abraham learned about himself from this experience? Share a little insight that I received this week Abraham like or unlike us was willing to offer up Isaac or anything else to the Lord because he really believed that everything that he had or would receive was all because the Lord had decided to give it to him...he had really done nothing himself to make it his. The ability to give something back to the Lord is much simpler I think if you really believe in the first place it is not really yours anyway. In our lives we work very hard sometimes for what we feel is very little...when we finally get it we are proud that we have earned it...then to give something like that up is extremely difficult....but if we still viewed it as the Lord has given it to us we would be able to give it up easier...no? What are your thoughts? The Lord tells us that we are not so different from Abraham in the trials that we will have to go through... Read D&C 101:4 ] that he will command his children and his household after him, [ Abraham is a model for us in other important ways. For example, Abraham’s faithfulness in all things qualified him to receive revelation for his family; indeed, he often spoke with the Lord “face to face.” (Abr. 3:11.) The blessing of revelation is one that all should seek for. Righteous men and women find that they have the spirit of revelation to direct their families and to aid them in their other responsibilities. But, like Abraham, we must seek to qualify for such revelation by setting our lives in order and by becoming acquainted with the Lord through frequent and regular conversations with him. Abraham’s desire to do God’s will in all things led him to preside over his family in righteousness. Despite all his other responsibilities, he knew that if he failed to teach and exemplify the gospel to his children he would have failed to fulfill the most important stewardship he had received. "The example of Abraham" Ensign June 1975. ] 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. [ If I am ever to be able to get Abraham to fulfill his gand destiny then he needs to understand that the covenants and promises made are real and carry with them real blessings or destruction. To see the opposition in things will be a teaching opportunity as well will shortly see. God is teaching that he needs to do justice from time to time. ]
20  And the LORD said, [ Again the Angel according to the JST. Even though it is the angel speaking, he does so with authority from the One who sent him. ] Because the cry of sodom and Gomorrah is great, [ Man is naturally pulled in that direction. ] and because their sin is very grievous;
21  I will go down now, and see [ Good example of an effective leader. He does not just listen to one side of the story but investigates further, gets all the facts before making a decision. ] whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; [ The tears and suffering of those effected by the sin. The prayers of those who are punished as a result of the actions of others. This is what pulls God down to see for himself. ] and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. [ Interesting that Abraham is standing with the Lord. Abraham's not just some slave. He has status. And Abraham here, may in a way, with the three visitors and God, be made a member of the Divine Council (sod). The Divine Council is at that tent in the desert, in the southern part of Israel. In Amos 3:7, when it says, "Surely, the Lord God will doeth with nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants, the prophets," the word secret is sôd, which is richer than just secret. It means something discussed in a secret council. It's like the prophets are invited into the council. They at least get bits from the council that they can then reveal to people on earth. Oh, I think that's what Abraham is getting here. He is a member of the council. He's involved in a discussion with God about the decision of the council. Abraham himself wrote the Book of Abraham expressly "for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me" (Abr. 1:31). ]
23 ¶ And Abraham drew near, [ So Abraham follows the path the three angels who had gone on ahead, Abraham "drew near to Sodom," apparently reaching the height near Hebron where he could see Sodom and all the valley below, and, as the Joseph Smith Translation makes clear, began praying to Him who had sent the angels (JST Gen. 18:25). The Joseph Smith Translation affirms in the chapter's opening verse that "And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;" This verse only says that it happened. It is a statement of fact, not meant to be chronoligical. So when did the Lord so appear to Abraham? It would make the most sense in the context of this chapter context that the Lord's appearance in the Joseph Smith Translation would have been when Abraham has began to pray over the fate of the Sodomites. Here we have a dialogue with God when Abraham questions the Almighty and even negotiates with him over the fate of the Sodomites. Abraham was much exercised, and God not only paid attention, but went to the trouble of coming to earth to hear his friend Abraham in person. "Our heavenly father is more liberal in his views," stated Joseph Smith, "and boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive. He will be inquired of by his children." (Galbraith and Smith, Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 289) Far from being angry at Abraham's pleading, the Lord allowed Himself to be interrogated. In fact, He listened patiently to Abraham and "heard him out" (Hobbs, Sermons of Henry King, 93) and answered his questions. ] and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?< [ Abraham asks: Are you just going to treat everyone in the city the same way? Having determined to confide in Abraham, the angel then proceeded to explain that part of their mission was to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (JST Gen. 18:19-23)] [ See JST. ]
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: [ Abraham starts to bargain with the Lord by asking What if I can find 50 righteous in sodom. Will you not destroy them? There will end up being 6 rounds of bartering here. But it appears as if the bartering is all just Abraham making new suggestions, and the Lord just says yes. This is an example of just how merciful God is. He will give every opportunity available and to show mercy. ] wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? [ The tone of Abraham's message shows decisiveness and courage, and emphasizes the inconceivability of God's doing anything uncharacteristic of perfect justice. ]
25 That 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?
26 And the LORD said, If I find in sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: [ The bartering with the Lord continues what if I can find 45 will you still destroy the city? ] 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.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. [ How about 40 will you not destroy it if I find 40? ] And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.
30 And 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. [ How about 30? ]
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. [ Now how about 20? ] And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. [ Can we go down to 10? The standard is getting pretty low here. Abraham must have not had a lot of confidence either - ten righteous people in the entire city. We have this wonderful bargaining session between Abraham and the Lord. And I don't think it's so much that the Lord really is being bargained down, but I think he's allowing Abraham to demonstrate his compassion. That Abraham is the father of the faithful, as he's often called, and the friend of God, and he's a righteous man. So God says ok, he would not destroy the place if fifty righteous could be found. Then the negotiation begins in earnest. And again Abraham persisted. What if there were lacking just five of the fifty? Again God agreed. And, continued Abraham, what if forty righteous souls could be found? Once again God relented. And so it continued, with Abraham aggressively lowering the number and God agreeing, as they went down to thirty, and twenty, and finally to ten (Gen. 18:23-33), whereupon, as the Joseph Smith Translation tells, the Lord "ceased speaking with Abraham" (JST Gen. 18:40). ] And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. [ The Lord grants him with the number 10 - to which Abraham quits asking for a lower number....Surely there are 10 righteous people in the city right? Abraham was an example of what Joseph Smith taught, "the nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs." (Galbraith and Smith, Scriptural Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 270) THe net result however was that there were not 10 righteous souls in Sodom. As a result, the Lord "annihilated those cities and the entire Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation of the ground" (JPST Gen. 19:24-25). What had been the most lush and fertile of all places was violently "overthrown as in a moment" (Lam. 4:6), suddenly transformed into an utterly harsh and hostile landscape. ]
33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. [ We can gain comfort in the knowledge from Abraham in the future destruction that awaits in our day. Abraham himself wrote the Book of Abraham expressly "for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me" (Abr. 1:31). President Gordon B. Hinckley said "all of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah haunt our society." (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Living in the Fulness of Times," Ensign, November 2001, 6) And if the final fiery destruction of the wicked is foreshadowed by Sodom, then Abraham came forth unscathed though just miles away-surely foreshadows those of his righteous posterity who follow his example in paying a faithful tithe (as he had done with Melchizedek), for as stated in modern day revelation, those that are tithed shall not be burned at the Lord's coming (D&C 64:23). The rest of the story. While Genesis does not provide more detail of what the angel knew the Lord would do for Abraham, and does not relate the fulfillment of the angel's promise to return to Abraham in a year. However in Jubilees, it talks of the angels return: We went to meet Abraham... , and we appeared to him as we had told Sarah that we would return to her.... And we returned ... and found Sarah with child before our eyes, and we blessed him and told him everything that had been decreed concerning him-that he should not die till he was the father of yet more/ sons... and that he should see them before he died, but that it was through Isaac that his true descent would be traced... and one of Isaac's sons would become a holy seed, and not be reckoned with the Gentiles: he would become the Most High's portion, and all his descendants settled in that land which belongs to God, so as to be the Lord's special possession, chosen out of all nations, and to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. And we went our way and repeated to Sarah all we had told him; and they were both overjoyed. (Jubilees 16:15-19, in Sparks, Apocryphal Old Testament, 58) ]