Genesis 18:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.”

NIV: So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. 'Quick,' he said, 'get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.'

NASB: So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, 'Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes.'

CSB: So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick! Knead three measures of fine flour and make bread."

NLT: So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, 'Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.”

When God assumes a temporary human form, it is referred to as a theophany. This incident is an example: God, appearing as a man, has arrived with two angels—who also appear to be human—near Abraham's tent. Abraham has responded by bowing before them and urging them to stay while he provides some water and a "morsel of bread" for their refreshment. Abraham's behavior might be the usual ancient eastern approach to hospitality. Or, possibly, he quickly realized that the men he was speaking to were not ordinary men.

Now he runs back to the tent and tells Sarah to quickly make cakes, meaning loaves of bread, for the three visitors. However, he tells her to use with three seahs of fine flour. In modern measurements, this would be approximately 21 quarts or liters! That would make an extravagant amount of bread for just three men. But the cakes / loaves are just the beginning. Abraham is engineering a royal feast.

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.

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.

God appeared to Abraham in the previous chapter revealing, in part, that Sarah would bear Abraham a son within a year's time. Now the Lord appears again, this time in human form and accompanied by two disguised angels. He reveals to Sarah the same promise. She laughs, and the Lord insists that even her age isn't too hard for Him to overcome. Next the Lord reveals to Abraham that He will investigate the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham receives the Lord's promise not to destroy Sodom (where Abraham's nephew lives) if He finds 10 righteous people in the city. Unfortunately, the city is beyond saving, and the next chapter details its utter destruction.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/12/2024 5:35:52 AM