1A ka puta ano a Ihowa ki a ia i nga oki o Mamere, i a ia e noho ana i te kuwaha o te teneti i te tikakatanga o te ra; 2A ka anga ake ona kanohi, ka titiro, na ko nga tangata tokotoru e tu ana i tona taha: a, no tona kitenga atu, ka rere atu ia i te kuwaha o te teneti ki te whakatau i a ratou, a ka piko ki te whenua, 3Ka mea, E toku Ariki, ki te mea he pai toku ki tau titiro, kaua ra e kapea tau pononga: 4Kia tikina koa tetahi wai, ka horoi i o koutou waewae, a ka okioki koutou i raro i te rakau: 5A maku e tiki tetahi wahi taro hei oranga mo o koutou ngakau; hei muri ra ka haere ai koutou: he mea hoki kua tae mai nei koutou ki ta koutou pononga. A ka mea ratou, Penatia me tau i ki na. 6Na ka hohoro a Aperahama ki te teneti ki a Hara, a ka mea, Kia hohoro te pokepoke i tetahi paraoa pai, kia toru nga mehua, ka hanga i etahi keke. 7Na ka rere a Aperahama ki te kahui, a hopukia ana e ia tetahi kuao kau, he kiri ngawari, he mea pai, a hoatu ana e ia ki tetahi taitamariki; a hohoro ana ia te taka i taua mea. 8Na ka tikina e ia he pata, he waiu, me te kuao i raweketia e ia, a whakatakotoria ana ki to ratou aroaro; me te tu ano ia i to ratou taha i raro i te rakau, a ka kai ratou. 9Na ka mea ratou ki a ia, Kei hea a Hara, tau wahine? A ka mea ia, Ara, kei te teneti. 10Na ka mea ia, He pono ka hoki mai ano ahau ki a koe a te huringa mai ano o te wa; a ka whai tama tau wahine, a Hara. Na ka rongo atu a Hara i te kuwaha o te teneti, i muri i a ia. 11Na, kua koroheke rawa a Aperahama raua ko Hara, kua maha o raua ra; kua mutu a Hara te pera me etahi wahine. 12Na ka kata a Hara i roto i a ia, ka mea, Ka ruruhitia nei ahau, a tera ranei ahau e whai koa, he koroheke nei ano hoki toku ariki? 13Na ka mea a Ihowa ki a Aperahama, He aha a Hara i kata ai, i mea ai, He pono, ka whanau tamariki ranei ahau, he ruruhi nei hoki ahau? 14He pakeke rawa ranei tetahi mea ki a Ihowa? Kei te taima i whakaritea, kei te hurihanga mai o te wa, ka hoki mai ahau ki a koe, a ka whai tamaiti a Hara. 15Na ka whakawareware a Hara, ka mea, Kihai ahau i kata: i wehi hoki ia. A ka mea ia, Kahore; i kata tonu koe. 16Na ka whakatika atu nga tangata ra i reira, a ka titiro ki te ritenga mai o Horoma: i haere ano a Aperahama i a ratou, ki te tuku i a ratou kia haere. 17A ka mea a Ihowa, Me huna ranei e ahau i a Aperahama taku e mea ai; 18Ka meinga nei hoki a Aperahama hei iwi nui, hei iwi kaha, a mana ka manaakitia ai nga iwi katoa o te ao? 19E mohio ana hoki ahau ki a ia, hei mea kia whakahaua iho ai e ia ana tama, me tona whare, i muri i a ia, a kia whakaritea e ratou te ara o Ihowa, ka mahi hoki i te tika, i te whakawa; a kia kawea mai ai e Ihowa ki runga ki a Aperahama nga mea ka toa i korerotia e ia mona. 20Na ka mea a Ihowa, i te mea he nui te karanga o Horoma, o Komora, he taimaha rawa hoki o raua kino; 21Me haere tenei ahau kia kite he mea rite ranei ta raua mahi ki tona karanga kua tae ake nei ki ahau; a ki te kahore, ka mohio ahau. 22Na ka tahuri nga tangata ra i reira, a ka ahu ki Horoma: ko Aperahama ia i tu tonu i te aroaro o te Atua. 23Na ka whakatata a Aperahama, ka mea, Ka whakangaromia ano hoki e koe te tangata tika raua ko te tangata kino? 24Akuanei pea e rima tekau nga tangata tika i roto i te pa: ka whakangaromia ranei e koe, e kore ranei koe e tohu i taua wahi mo nga tangata tika e rima tekau i roto? 25Kaua ra tena e waiho hei tikanga mo tau mahi, te whakamate ngatahi i te tangata tika raua ko te tangata kino; penei ka rite te tangata tika ki te tangata kino; kaua ra koe e pera: e kore ranei e tika te mahi a te Kaiwhakawa o te whenua katoa? 26Na ka mea a Ihowa, Ki te kitea e ahau i Horoma e rima tekau nga tangata tika i roto i te pa, ka tohungia e ahau tena wahi katoa, ka whakaaro hoki ki a ratou. 27Na ka whakahoki a Aperahama, ka mea, Na, kua timata nei ahau te korero ki te Ariki; he puehu nei ahau, he pungarehu: 28Tera pea e kore te tokorima o te rima tekau o nga tangata tika ka kore te tokorima, e whakangaro ranei koe i te pa katoa? Ka mea ia, E kore e whakangaromia e ahau ki te mea ka kitea e ahau i reira nga tangata e wha tekau ma rima. 29Na ka korero atu ano ia ki a ia, ka mea, Tera pea e kitea e wha tekau kei reira. Ka mea ia, Ka whakaaro ahau ki te wha tekau, a e kore e meatia e ahau. 30Ano ra ko ia, Kaua ra e riri te Ariki, a ka korero ahau: Tera pea e kitea e toru tekau kei reira. Ka mea ia, E kore e meatia e ahau, ki te kitea e ahau e toru tekau kei reira. 31A ka mea ia, Na, kua whakapakari nei ahau ki te korero ki te Ariki: Tera pea e kitea e rua tekau kei reira. Ka mea ia, Ka whakaaro ahau ki nga tekau e rua, a e kore e whakangaromia e ahau. 32Na ka mea ia, Kaua e riri te Ariki ki te korero ahau, heoi ano ko tenei korerotanga: Tera pea e kitea kotahi tekau kei reira. Ka mea ia, Ka whakaaro ahau ki te tekau kotahi, a e kore e whakangaromia e ahau. 33Na ka haere a Ihowa i te mutunga o tana korero ki a Aperahama: a hoki ana a Aperahama ki tona wahi.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 ENTERTAINMENT OF ANGELS. (
Gen 18:1-
Gen 18:8)
the Lord appeared--another manifestation of the divine presence, more familiar than any yet narrated; and more like that in the fulness of time, when the Word was made flesh.
plains of Mamre--rather, terebinth or oak of Mamre; a tall-spreading tree or grove of trees.
sat in the tent door--The tent itself being too close and sultry at noon, the shaded open front is usually resorted to for the air that may be stirring.
2 lift up his eyes . . . and, lo, three men--Travellers in that quarter start at sunrise and continue till midday when they look out for some resting-place.
he ran to meet them--When the visitor is an ordinary person, the host merely rises; but if of superior rank, the custom is to advance a little towards the stranger, and after a very low bow, turn and lead him to the tent, putting an arm round his waist, or tapping him on the shoulder as they go, to assure him of welcome.
3 My Lord, if now I have found favor--The hospitalities offered are just of the kind that are necessary and most grateful, the refreshment of water, for feet exposed to dust and heat by the sandals, being still the first observed among the pastoral people of Hebron.
5 for therefore are ye come--No questions were asked. But Abraham knew their object by the course they took--approaching directly in front of the chief sheik's tent, which is always distinguishable from the rest and thus showing their wish to be his guests.
6 Abraham hastened . . . unto Sarah . . . make cakes upon the hearth--Bread is baked daily, no more than is required for family use, and always by the women, commonly the wife. It is a short process. Flour mixed with water is made into dough, and being rolled out into cakes, it is placed on the earthen floor, previously heated by a fire. The fire being removed, the cakes are laid on the ground, and being covered over with hot embers, are soon baked, and eaten the moment they are taken off.
7 Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf--Animal food is never provided, except for visitors of a superior rank when a kid or lamb is killed. A calf is still a higher stretch of hospitality, and it would probably be cooked as is usually done when haste is required--either by roasting it whole or by cutting it up into small pieces and broiling them on skewers over the fire. It is always eaten along with boiled corn swimming in butter or melted fat, into which every morsel of meat, laid upon a piece of bread, is dipped, before being conveyed by the fingers to the mouth.
8 milk--A bowl of camel's milk ends the repast.
he stood by them under the tree--The host himself, even though he has a number of servants, deems it a necessary act of politeness to stand while his guests are at their food, and Abraham evidently did this before he was aware of the real character of his visitors.
10 REPROOF OF SARAH. An inquiry about his wife, so surprising in strangers, the subject of conversation, and the fulfilment of the fondly cherished promise within a specified time, showed Abraham that he had been entertaining more than ordinary travellers (
Heb 13:2). (
Gen 18:9-
Gen 18:15)
Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him--The women's apartment is in the back of the tent, divided by a thin partition from the men's.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself--Long delay seems to have weakened faith. Sarah treated the announcement as incredible, and when taxed with the silent sneer, she added falsehood to distrust. It was an aggravated offense (
Acts 5:4), and nothing but grace saved her (
Rom 9:18).
16 DISCLOSURE OF SODOM'S DOOM. (
Gen 18:16-
Gen 18:22)
the men rose . . . Abraham went with them--It is customary for a host to escort his guests a little way.
17 the Lord said, Shall I hide--The chief stranger, no other than the Lord, disclosed to Abraham the awful doom about to be inflicted on Sodom and the cities of the plain for their enormous wickedness.
21 I will go down . . . and see--language used after the manner of men. These cities were to be made examples to all future ages of God's severity; and therefore ample proof given that the judgment was neither rash nor excessive (
Ezek 18:23;
Jer 18:7).
23 ABRAHAM'S INTERCESSION. (
Gen 18:23-
Gen 18:33)
Abraham drew near, and said, &c.--The scene described is full of interest and instruction--showing in an unmistakable manner the efficacy of prayer and intercession. (See also
Pro 15:8;
Jas 5:16). Abraham reasoned justly as to the rectitude of the divine procedure (
Rom 3:5-
Rom 3:6), and many guilty cities and nations have been spared on account of God's people (
Matt 5:13;
Matt 24:22).
33 the Lord . . . left communing . . . and Abraham returned unto his place--Why did Abraham cease to carry his intercessions farther? Either because he fondly thought that he was now sure of the cities being preserved (
Luke 13:9), or because the Lord restrained his mind from further intercession (
Jer 7:16;
Jer 11:14). But there were not ten "righteous persons." There was only one, and he might without injustice have perished in the general overthrow (
Eccl 9:2). But a difference is sometimes made, and on this occasion the grace of God was manifested in a signal manner for the sake of Abraham. What a blessing to be connected with a saint of God!