Genesis 18:2

ESV He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth

NIV Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

NASB When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground,

CSB He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, bowed to the ground,

NLT He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

KJV And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

NKJV So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

What does Genesis 18:2 mean?

Abraham, sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day, looks up and suddenly notices three men standing nearby. He seems startled to see them. Given who these three men are, it's possible they appeared out of thin air. Or, more simply, they were simply not noticed until they'd gotten fairly close. In any case, Abraham had not noticed them before.

This passage indicates that these men are God, in a temporary human form, as well as two angels (Genesis 18:1). This kind of physical appearance of God is referred to as a theophany. It's not clear whether Abraham immediately understood one of these men to be the Lord or simply saw them as strangers. He hurried toward them and bowed low, a sign of great respect, especially coming from a wealthy and important man. Whomever he thought these men to be, Abraham saw it as his responsibility to greet them warmly and offer them hospitality.

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Context Summary
Genesis 18:1–8 describes Abraham's initial reaction to three unexpected guests at this tent. These men are actually God, in a temporary human form, and two similarly-formed angels. Abraham rushes to offer an extravagant meal of bread, meat, and cheeses. Whether Abraham is merely expressing common Bedouin hospitality, or knows that he is in the presence of God, his actions are both humble and gracious. In the next passage, the identity of his visitors will become clear.

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Chapter Context
Abraham hurries to offer respect and hospitality to three men who appear near his tent. Over the course of the chapter, the men reveal themselves to be the Lord and two angels in human form. As He had told Abraham in the previous chapter, the Lord now reveals to Sarah that she will have a son within the year. Later, the Lord poetically says He will investigate the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham's nephew Lot lives. Abraham asks, and the Lord agrees, not to destroy Sodom if God finds 10 righteous people there.

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