the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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Genesis 18:21
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I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know."
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to its [Sodom's] cry, which has come to me; and if not, I will know.
I will go down and see if they are as bad as I have heard. If not, I will know."
that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know."
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know.
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me. If not, I will know."
and schal se whether thei han fillid in werk the cry that cam to me, that Y wite whether it is not so.
I go down now, and see whether according to its cry which is coming unto Me they have done completely -- and if not -- I know;'
I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out."
Now I am going down to see for myself if those people really are that bad. If they aren't, I want to know about it."
that I will now go down and see whether their deeds warrant the outcry that has reached me; if not, I will know."
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
I will go down now, and see if their acts are as bad as they seem from the outcry which has come to me; and if they are not, I will see.
I wyll go downe nowe, and see whether they haue done altogether accordyng to that crye whiche is come vnto me: and yf not, I wyll knowe.
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know [it].
I will go and see if they are as bad as I have heard. Then I will know for sure."
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.'
I will goe downe now, and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come vnto me: and if not, I will know.
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
I will now go down and see if they have done as much wrong as the cry against them has told Me they have. And if not, I will know."
I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know."
Let me go down, pray, and let me behold, whether according to their outcry which hath come in unto me, they have done altogether, And if not. I must know!
I will goe downe nowe, and see whether they haue done altogether according to yt crie which is come vnto me: and if not, that I may knowe.
I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to their cry which has come before me; and if not, I will know.
I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true."
I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know.
I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which has come to me; and if not, I will know."
I will therefore go down and see, if they completely correspond with the cry which comes to me, and if not, that I may know.
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
I will go down to see if what they have done justifies the cry that has come up to me. If not, I will find out.”
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me. If not, I will know."
I will go down and I will see. Have they done altogether according to its cry of distress which has come to me? If not, I will know."
I will go down and see if they have at all done according to the cry coming to Me. And if not, I will know.
therfore will I go downe & se, whether they haue done all together, acordinge to that crye, which is come before me, or not, that I maye knowe.
"I will go down now and see whether they have done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know."
I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know."
I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know."
"I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know."
I will go down now and see whether they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
I will go down: This is spoken figuratively; and as the Jewish writers speak, according to the language of men. So eyes, ears, hands, and other members of the body are attributed to God, for effecting those things which men cannot accomplish without these members. Genesis 11:5, Genesis 11:7, Exodus 3:8, Exodus 33:5, Micah 1:3, John 6:38, 1 Thessalonians 4:16
see: Job 34:22, Psalms 90:8, Jeremiah 17:1, Jeremiah 17:10, Zephaniah 1:12, Hebrews 4:13
I will know: Exodus 33:5, Deuteronomy 8:2, Deuteronomy 13:3, Joshua 22:22, Psalms 139:1-24, Luke 16:15, 2 Corinthians 11:11
Reciprocal: Genesis 3:9 - General Genesis 6:5 - God Genesis 6:12 - God Exodus 2:23 - cry Exodus 3:7 - I know Numbers 11:17 - I will come Deuteronomy 9:13 - I have Job 24:1 - not see Psalms 14:2 - The Lord Psalms 78:59 - God Isaiah 3:9 - and they declare Jonah 1:2 - for Luke 16:2 - How Luke 17:28 - General Acts 7:34 - and am Revelation 18:5 - reached
Cross-References
Now the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
"Come, let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) go down and there confuse and mix up their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."
Now the LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees of Mamre [in Hebron], while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.
"Suppose there are fifty righteous [people] within the city; will You really sweep it away and not spare it for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?
"So I have come down to rescue them from the hand (power) of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a land [that is] good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty]—to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the sons of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked (stubborn, rebellious) people! If I should come among you for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, [penitently] take off your ornaments, so that I may know what to do with you.'"
"And you shall remember [always] all the ways which the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart (mind), whether you would keep His commandments or not.
you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and mind and all your soul [your entire being].
"The Mighty One, God, the LORD, the Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the LORD, do not save us this day!
"There is no darkness nor deep shadow Where the evildoers may hide themselves.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I will go down now,.... The Son of God in an human form now with Abraham, who proposes to go from the place where he was, which perhaps was on higher ground, to the plain in which Sodom and Gomorrah stood; and whither it seems certain he did go down, after he had done talking with Abraham, see Genesis 19:24:
and see whether they have done altogether; committed all the sins, and in such manner, and with such circumstances as reported; or, "have made a full end" c, have tilled up the measure of their iniquities, and so are ripe for ruin:
according to the cry of it which is come unto me; this is spoken after the manner of men; for otherwise God saw all their wickedness, and knew full well the nature and circumstances of it, and how general it was; but this method he proposes to take, to show the justice of his proceedings, and to instruct judges, and set an example to them, not to condemn any without thoroughly examining their cause:
and if not, I will know: the reason of this cry, and what is proper to be done. The note of Aben Ezra is,
"if they have so done (according to the cry) I will make a consumption among them (so he takes the sense of the word d we render "altogether"); but if not, "I will know", I will have mercy on them.''
c ×¢×©× ××× "fecerint consummationem", Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Drusius, Cocceius. d "Fecerint consumptionem", Piscator, Schmidt; so the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Visit of the Lord to Abraham
2. ×ש×ת××× vayıÌsÌtachuÌ âbow,â or bend the body in token of respect to God or man. The attitude varies from a slight inclination of the body to entire prostration with the forehead touching the ground.
6. ס×× se'ah a âseah,â about an English peck, the third part of an ephah. The ephah contained ten omers. The omer held about five pints.
This chapter describes Abrahamâs fellowship with God. On the gracious assurance of the Redeemer and Vindicator, âFear not, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward,â he ceased to fear, and believed. On the solemn announcement of the Conqueror of evil and the Quickener of the dead, âI am God Almighty; walk before me and be perfect,â he began anew to walk with God in holiness and truth. The next step is, that God enters into communion with him as a man with his friend Isaiah 41:8; John 14:23. Hitherto he has appeared to him as God offering grace and inclining the will to receive it. Now, as God who has bestowed grace, he appears to him who has accepted it and is admitted into a covenant of peace. He visits him for the twofold purpose of drawing out and completing the faith of Sarah, and of communing with Abraham concerning the destruction of Sodom.
Genesis 18:1-15
The Lord visits Abraham and assures Sarah of the birth of a son. Abraham is sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day, reposing. âThree men stood before him.â Whenever visitants from the celestial world appear to men, they have the form of man. This is the only form of a rational being known to us. It is not the design of God in revealing his mercy to us to make us acquainted with the whole of the nature of things. The science of things visible or invisible he leaves to our natural faculties to explore, as far as occasion allows. Hence, we conclude that the celestial visitant is a real being, and that the form is a real form. But we are not entitled to infer that the human is the only or the proper form of such beings, or that they have any ordinary or constant form open to sense. We only discern that they are intelligent beings like ourselves, and, in order to manifest themselves to us as such, put on that form of intelligent creatures with which we are familiar, and in which they can intelligibly confer with us. For the same reason they speak the language of the party addressed, though, for ought we know, spiritual beings use none of the many languages of humanity, and have quite a different mode of communicating with one another. Other human acts follow on the occasion. They accept the hospitality of Abraham and partake of human food. This, also, was a real act. It does not imply, however, that food is necessary to spiritual beings. The whole is a typical act representing communion between God and Abraham. The giving and receiving of a meal was the ground of a perpetual or inviolable friendship.
He ran to meet him. - This indicates the genuine warmth of unsophisticated nature. âBowed himself to the earth.â This indicates a low bow, in which the body becomes horizontal, and the head droops. This gesture is employed both in worship and doing obeisance.
Genesis 18:3-5
O Lord. - Abraham uses the word ××× × 'adonaÌy denoting one having authority, whether divine or not. This the Masorites mark as sacred, and apply the vowel points proper to the word when it signifies God. These men in some way represent God; for âthe Lordâ on this occasion appeared unto Abraham Genesis 18:1. The number is in this respect notable. Abraham addresses himself first to one person Genesis 18:3, then to more than one Genesis 18:4-5. It is stated that ââtheyâ said, So do Genesis 18:5, âtheyâ did eat Genesis 18:8, â theyâ said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wifeâ Genesis 18:9. Then the singular number is resumed in the phrase ââand he saidââ Genesis 18:10, and at length, âThe Lord said unto Abrahamâ Genesis 18:13, and then, âand he saidâ Genesis 18:15. Then we are told ââthe menâ rose up, and Abraham went with themâ Genesis 18:16. Then we have âThe Lord saidâ twice Genesis 18:17, Genesis 18:20. And lastly, it is said Genesis 18:22 ââthe menâ turned their faces and went toward Sodom, and Abraham was yet standing before the Lord.â From this it appears that of the three men one, at all events, was the Lord, who, when the other two went toward Sodom, remained with Abraham while he made his intercession for Sodom, and afterward he also went his way. The other two will come before us again in the next chapter. Meanwhile, we have here the first explicit instance of the Lord appearing as man to man, and holding familiar conversation with him.
The narrative affords a pleasing instance of the primitive manners of the East. The hospitality of the pastoral tribes was spontaneous and unreserved. The washing of the feet, which were partly at least uncovered in walking, the reclining under the tree, and the offer of refreshment, are indicative of an unchanging rural simplicity. The phrases âa little water, a morsel of bread,â flow from a thoughtful courtesy. âTherefore are ye come.â In the course of events it has so fallen out, in order that you might be refreshed. The brief reply is a frank and unaffected acceptance of the hospitable invitation.
Genesis 18:6-8
Abraham hastened. - The unvarying customs of Eastern pastoral life here come up before us. There is plenty of flour and of live cattle. But the cakes have to be kneaded and baked on the hearth, and the calf has to be killed and dressed. Abraham personally gives directions, Sarah personally attends to the baking, and the boy or lad - that is, the domestic servant whose business it is - kills and dresses the meat. Abraham himself attends upon his guests. âThree seahs.â About three pecks, and therefore a superabundant supply for three guests. An omer, or three tenths of a seah, was considered sufficient for one man for a day Exodus 16:16. But Abraham had a numerous household, and plentifulness was the character of primitive hospitality. âHearth cakes,â baked among the coals. âButterâ - seemingly any preparation of milk, cream, curds, or butter, all of which are used in the East.
Genesis 18:9-15
The promise to Sarah. The men now enter upon the business of their visit. âWhere is Sarah thy wife?â The jealousy and seclusion of later times had not yet rendered such an inquiry uncourteous. Sarah is within hearing of the conversation. âI will certainly return unto thee.â This is the language of self-determination, and therefore suitable to the sovereign, not to the ambassador. âAt the time of life;â literally the living time, seemingly the time of birth, when the child comes to manifest life. âSarah thy wife shall have a son.â Sarah hears this with incredulous surprise, and laughs with mingled doubt and delight. She knows that in the nature of things she is past child-bearing. âIs anything too hard for the Lord?â Sarah laughed within herself, within the tent and behind the speaker; yet to her surprise her internal feelings are known to him. She finds there is One present who rises above the sphere of nature. In her confusion and terror she denies that she laughed. But he who sees what is within, insists that she did laugh, at least in the thought of her heart. There is a beautiful simplicity in the whole scene. Sarah now doubtless received faith and strength to conceive.
Verse 16-33
The conference concerning Sodom. The human manner of the interview is carried out to the end. Abraham convoys his departing guests. The Lord then speaks, apparently debating with himself whether he shall reveal his intentions to Abraham. The reasons for doing so are assigned. First. Abraham shall surely become a nation great and mighty, and therefore has the interest of humanity in this act of retribution on Sodom. All that concerns man concerns him. Second. Blessed in him shall be all the nations of the earth. Hence, he is personally and directly concerned with all the dealings of mercy and judgment among the inhabitants of the earth. Third. âI have known him.â The Lord has made himself known to him, has manifested his love to him, has renewed him after his own image; and hence this judgment upon Sodom is to be explained to him, that he may train his household to avoid the sins of this doomed city, âto keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; and all this to the further intent that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him.â The awful judgments of the Lord on Sodom, as before on the antediluvian world, are a warning example to all who are spared or hear of them. And those who, notwithstanding these monuments of the divine vengeance, will cease to do justice and judgment, may be certain that they will not continue to enjoy the benefits of the covenant of grace. For all these reasons it is meet that the secret of Lord be with him Psalms 25:11.
Genesis 18:20-22
The Lord now proceeds to unfold his design. There is justice in every step of the divine procedure. He comes down to inquire and act according to the merits of the case. The men now depart on their errand; but Abraham still stands before the Lord.
Genesis 18:23-33
Abraham intercedes for Sodom. His spiritual character is unfolded and exalted more and more. He employs the language of a free-born son with his heavenly Father. He puts forward the plea of justice to the righteous in behalf of the city. He ventures to repeat his intervention six times, every time diminishing the number of the righteous whom he supposes to be in it. The patience of the Lord is no less remarkable than the perseverance of Abraham. In every case he grants his petition. âDust and ashes.â This may refer to the custom of burning the dead, as then coexistent with that of burying them. Abraham intimates by a homely figure the comparative insignificance of the petitioner. He is dust at first, and ashes at last.
This completes the full and free conversation of God with Abraham. He accepts his hospitable entertainment, renews his promise of a son by Sarah, communicates to him his counsel, and grants all his requests. It is evident that Abraham has now fully entered upon all the privileges of the sons of God. He has become the friend of God James 2:23.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Genesis 18:21. I will go down now, &c. — A lesson to magistrates, teaching them not to judge according to report, but accurately to inquire into the facts themselves. - Jarchi.
