And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
3. My lord ] R.V. marg. O Lord. The Heb. word so rendered has received three different translations.
(1) “O Lord,” as in Gen 18:27 ; Gen 18:30-32, Adoni, addressed to God. So the Massoretic Heb. text, adding the word “holy,” as a note, to safeguard the meaning and the pronunciation.
(2) “my lords,” adoni, as if Abraham addressed his three visitors together: compare the plural in Gen 18:4-5.
(3) “my lord” (with change of vocalization), adn (cf. Gen 23:6; Gen 23:11). The sing. is used in Gen 18:3 (“ thy servant”). This third rendering seems the most probable: ( a) there is no sign of Abraham’s recognizing the real character of the strangers; ( b) it would seem probable that he instinctively recognized one of them as the superior in position, though he does not perceive in him the manifestation of Jehovah until after Gen 18:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. And said, My Lord, &c.] The word is Adonai, not Yehovah, for as yet Abraham did not know the quality of his guests. For an explanation of this word, See Clarke on Gen 15:8.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He directeth his speech to one, who, by the majesty of his countenance, and the respect which the other two showed him, seemed to be the chief of them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. My Lord, if now I have foundfavorThe hospitalities offered are just of the kind that arenecessary and most grateful, the refreshment of water, for feetexposed to dust and heat by the sandals, being still the firstobserved among the pastoral people of Hebron.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And said, my Lord,…. He addressed himself to one of them who appeared to him to be the greatest and most honourable, either by the appearance of his countenance, or by his dress, or by the situation in which he was between the other two, and by their carriage and behaviour to him:
if now I have found favour in thy sight; signifying he should esteem it an honour done him, that he and his companions would vouchsafe to stop and refresh themselves:
pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant; they might seem, by some motion they made, as if they were going another way, and declined turning in to him.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3. Pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant In asking thus meekly, and even suppliantly, there is no doubt that Abraham does it, moved by the reason which I have stated. For if he had slaughtered calves for all kinds of travelers, his house would soon have been emptied by his profuse expenditure. He, therefore, did honor to their virtue and their excellent endowments, lest he should pour contempt upon God. Thus, neither was he so liberal as to invite wanderers, or other men of all kinds, who herd together; nor did ambition induce him to deal thus bountifully with these three persons, but rather his love and affection for those gifts of God, and those virtues which appeared in them. As to his offering them simply a morsel of bread, he makes light of an act of kindness which be was about to do, not only for the sake of avoiding all boasting, but in order that they might the more easily yield to his counsel and his entreaties, when they were persuaded that they should not prove too burdensome and troublesome to him. For modest persons do not willingly put others to expense or trouble. The washing of feet, in that age, and in that region of the world, was very common, perhaps, because persons traveled with naked feet, under burning suns: and it was the great remedy for the alleviation of weariness, to wash the feet parched with heat.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) My lord.Heb. donai, a term of simple respect, just as the bowing towards the earth is exactly what an Arab sheik would do now to a passing traveller. Abrahams conduct is marked by all that stately courtesy usual among Orientals. He calls himself their slave: regards it as a favour that they should partake of his hospitality; speaks slightingly of the repast prepared as a mere morsel of bread; and treats it as a providential act that they had come into his neighbourhood. It was only afterwards that he knew that he was entertaining angels unawares (Heb. 13:2). While, moreover, he addresses the chief traveller first, as courtesy required, he immediately afterwards changes to the plural, lest he should seem wanting in hospitable welcome to his companions.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. My Lord , Adonai, not Jehovah, as the Targum of Onkelos here reads . The patriarch thus seems to address himself to one of the three messengers, as if in him he recognised at once the Angel who had visited him before . But we may translate it as plural, my lords . Comp . Gen 19:2; Gen 19:18. The passage in Heb 13:1, “Some have entertained angels unawares,” is generally supposed to refer to this event and that of Gen 19:2. We may believe that, at the first, Abraham was not aware that his guests were angels, but that gradually the fact became known to him; or he may have been impressed at once with the feeling that the one was Jehovah’s Angel, while he did not perceive that the others were angels also.
If now I have found favour Abraham’s language throughout is a genuine and lifelike example of the manner of a hospitable and generous Oriental chief.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he said, “My lord, if now I have found favour in your sight, pass not away I beg you from your servant. Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and you can comfort your heart, after that you shall pass on; because you have come to your servant”.’
Abraham addresses one of them, who clearly stands out from the others as their superior, with full Eastern courtesy. In contrast with Sodom his thought is only for the visitors’ welfare.
“My lord”. A customary way of greeting. ‘A little water — a morsel of bread’. What is being offered is understated with true humility. It is a typical Eastern understatement. He intends to give them the best.
“Rest under a tree”. In contrast with Sodom they are quite safe from molestation here. His total concern is for their welfare.
“Wash your feet”. The washing of feet was a recognised luxury for the weary traveller whose feet were dirty and sand ridden, and probably very sweaty even in their sandals.
Gen 18:5 b
‘And they said, “So do as you have said”.’
His offer is accepted in the spirit in which it is given. Their assurance here contrasts with the certainty they have in Sodom of mistreatment. But the brief reply, in contrast with Abraham’s effusiveness, brings out the supreme authority of the party. They represent themselves as superiors dealing with an inferior.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 18:3. My Lord, if now, &c. It follows from the manner of Abraham’s address, that one of these three persons appeared the principal; though it is probable that, at first sight, he took them for mere men only. See Heb 13:2. The good patriarch’s forwardness to perform the benevolent offices of hospitality is manifest from the whole of his behaviour. The phrase, if now I have found favour in thy sight, is a Hebraism signifying, if I am acceptable to you; the Latins have the same way of speaking:
Si gratia, dixit, Ulla mea est. OVID.
If I have ever favour found.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
I beg the Reader to remark with me, the change of person in this verse to the former. There the appearance was spoken of as three men. Here Abraham addresses but one, and calls him Lord. Compare this with Gen 18:12 , then read Gen 18:15 ; and compare that again with Joh 5:22 . Let the Reader duly consider that feature of character peculiarly belonging to the Lord Jesus Christ; and let him determine (for I don’t presume) whether this be not the Christ?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 18:3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
Ver. 3. My Lord. ] He directs his speech to one of them, in whom appeared to be most majesty; and whom he afterwards knew to be the Lord by an excellency.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
LORD = Jehovah, not Adonai. See App-32. But plural throughout Genesis 19 of the two.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
favour: Gen 32:5
Reciprocal: Gen 30:27 – favour Gen 34:11 – General Gen 39:4 – Joseph Gen 47:25 – let us Gen 50:4 – found grace Jdg 6:18 – bring Jdg 13:15 – let us Luk 19:5 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 18:3-4. And he said, My Lord He addressed himself to one of the three, who seemed to have the pre-eminence, probably because of some peculiar majesty which appeared in his countenance, or the respect which the other two paid him. Let a little water be fetched As in those hot climates people went bare-footed, or wore only sandals, washing the feet often was both customary and necessary.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
18:3 And said, My {b} Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
(b) Speaking to the one who appeared to be most majestic, for he thought they were men.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Abraham’s hospitality reflects oriental custom as practiced in his day and, in some respects, even today in the Middle East. He was behaving more wisely than he realized since he did not yet know that his guests were divine visitors (Gen 18:8). "Where is Sarah?" (Gen 18:9) recalls God’s earlier questions about Adam (Gen 3:9) and Abel (Gen 4:9).