Genesis 18:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.”

NIV: Where is your wife Sarah?' they asked him. 'There, in the tent,' he said.

NASB: Then they said to him, 'Where is your wife Sarah?' And he said, 'There, in the tent.'

CSB: "Where is your wife Sarah? " they asked him."There, in the tent," he answered.

NLT: Where is Sarah, your wife?' the visitors asked. 'She’s inside the tent,' Abraham replied.

KJV: And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

NKJV: Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.”

In the prior verses, Abraham arranged a large meal for three unexpected visitors. His actions exhibit generosity, humility, and grace. Whether or not Abraham knew these men were God and two angels in human form is unknown. However, that fact will become obvious as they continue their conversation.

Starting here, in verse 9, Abraham's visitors have finished the meal, and begin to reveal the purpose of their visit. Their first question shows they know more about Abraham than they have let on. They know of his wife Sarah, and they ask where she is. Abraham replies that Sarah is in the tent. We will soon learn that she is listening intently to this interaction.

As with other questions asked by God or His messengers, the purpose is not to gain information. God and His companions know exactly where Sarah is. And yet, just as parents often "ask" children questions in order to clarify ideas, God has a habit of using questions, rather than statements, in order to force man to acknowledge his situation (Genesis 3:9; Acts 9:4).

Genesis 18:9–15 describes the moment when Sarah overhears a prediction that she will soon bear a child. Given that she is 90 years old, and her husband is approaching 100, Sarah's first response to this is to laugh in disbelief. The person speaking, however, is actually God in human form, and He gently reminds her that such things are well within His awesome power.

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 5/13/2024 3:21:10 PM