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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Genesis 18:1 - 18:8
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Abraham welcomes the Lord and the Angels
v. 1. And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains, that is, the groves of terebinths, the oaks of Canaan, of Mamre, the Amorite, at Hebron. This was the sixth visit, or appearance, of the Lord to His servant. And he sat in the tent-door in the heat of the day, shortly before noon.
v. 2. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him. It was not a case of a slow approach, but of a sudden appearance. A moment before no one had been in sight, and now three men stood by him, looming over him as he reclined on his chair or couch. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself toward the ground. As the strangers were still a few steps away, Abraham, with true Oriental hospitality, ran forward to meet them, and since he recognized in one of them the Lord, he bowed down before them in worshipful homage. Two of the visitors were angels, Gen_19:1; the third was the Lord Himself, Heb_13:2, the Angel of the Lord in the peculiar sense of the word, as it is applied to the Son of God in the Old Testament.
v. 3. And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant.
v. 4. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;
v. 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. The entire invitation of Abraham shows that this was not a case of ordinary hospitality to passing strangers, but a work of love performed for the Lord. He wanted the favor of the Lord, of which he was sure by reason of the covenant, to abide with him; hence the urgency of the prayer. There is nothing lacking in the cordial nature of the invitation: Let a little water be taken, and wash your feet. The sandals of the travelers having been removed, the house-slaves provided the water for washing off the dust. Under the tree they were then to recline, resting upon their arms as supports, while Abraham hurried to have dinner prepared, the principal meal being eaten at noon, 1Ki_20:16. He spoke in a deprecating way of the small meal which he was able to offer them: a bit of bread. Yet he hoped that what he had to offer would be sufficient to refresh their hearts before continuing their journey. Thus the assurance that their entertainment would cause neither trouble nor expenditure was intended to remove any hesitation about accepting his hospitality. And they said, So do as thou hast said. They did not want him to go to any trouble; they accepted only with the condition that he would serve but a simple repast.
v. 6. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. With three seahs, about three pecks, or thirty liters, of the finest flour Sarah was quickly to bake round, unleavened cakes on the hot stones of the hearth.
v. 7. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. Abraham personally selected a young and tender calf from the corral and entrusted it to one of the house-boys, who was to see to its preparation.
v. 8. And he took butter 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. Although the meal was simple, it was plentiful. Abraham himself did not sit down with his guests, but stood in order to wait upon them and carry out their slightest wish. The eating of physical food on the part of the heavenly beings was a true partaking of the meal, something like that of the resurrected Christ, Luk_24:41 ff. ; but it remains a miracle to our comprehension. The entire incident pointed forward to the time when the Son of God visited His people, lived among them, and, above all, let them see His kindness and His love.