Genesis 18:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.

NIV: Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.

NASB: Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.

CSB: Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it.

NLT: Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it.

KJV: And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

NKJV: And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.

The text here makes clear that Abraham is hurrying. Having convinced three unexpected visitors, including God in human form, to stay and allow Abraham to provide them water and a bit of bread, Abraham now rushes to provide them with a feast.

In the previous verse, Abraham told Sarah to quickly make cakes of bread for them. He specified that she should use more than five gallons, some 21 liters, of fine flour; this would have made a very large banquet of bread. Now, the wealthy and powerful Abraham hurries to his herd of cattle and grabs a tender calf to give to a young male servant to quickly prepare for the meal.

Abraham is both eager to serve the Lord and eager for them not to leave. Abraham behaves as the Lord's servant, exhibiting both the warm hospitality of a good host and an attitude of submission. His passion is revealed in the terms used in this passage: Abraham "went quickly" (Genesis 18:6), he "ran," and the young man prepared the meat "quickly."

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 5/10/2024 9:25:47 AM