42 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Genesis 18 Another appearance of God to Abraham is here recorded; three persons are seen by him in an human form, whom he kindly invites to stop with him, and generously entertains them, Genesis 18:1; they inquire concerning Sarah his wife, and one of them renews the promise of her bearing a son to him, which occasions laughter in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre,.... That is, to Abraham; and very likely this appearance of God was quickly after the affair of the circumcision, to show his approbation of his ready obedience to his command; and at this time he was in the plains, or at the oaks of Mamre, the oaken grove there, as has been observed on...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
We have an account in this chapter of another interview between God and Abraham, probably within a few days after the former, as the reward of his cheerful obedience to the law of circumcision. Here is, I. The kind visit which God made him, and the kind entertainment which he gave to that visit, ver. 1-8. II. The matters discoursed of between...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he lifted up his eyes and looked,.... To see if he could observe any passengers coming that way: and, lo, three men stood by him; having perhaps descended at once from heaven upon the spot near where Abraham sat; for these, whoever they were, appeared in an human form, and they were took by Abraham at first sight to be men, and as such he...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet,.... Which was very refreshing to travellers in hot countries, who walked barefoot or in sandals; and this he proposes to be done by one of his servants, whose business it was, only desires they would give him leave to order it, 1 Samuel 25:41; and so it was usual in other countries,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And I will fetch a morsel of bread,.... A piece or a loaf of bread, as De Dieu shows the word signifies; bread being put for all the necessaries of life: and comfort ye your hearts; eat to refresh your spirits and renew your strength, that ye may be able to pursue your journey: and after that ye shall pass on your way; I will retard you no longer:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah,.... In order to acquaint her with his guests, and to give proper instructions for providing food for them; and this he hasted to do, being hearty in the entertainment of them, and that he might not keep them too long from their journey: and said, to Sarah his wife, make ready quickly three measures of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Abraham ran unto the herd,.... While Sarah and her maids were kneading the dough and making the cakes: and fetched a calf tender and good; a fine fat calf, which was reckoned very delicious food, and much in use with the ancients (q) and generally made a part in any grand entertainment, and was accounted fit for a king, see 1 Samuel 28:24: and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he took butter and milk,.... Jarchi says, it was the fat of the milk gathered from the top of it, he means cream, and is different both from butter and from milk: this was either Abraham himself, who took and brought these, as Sarah or her maidens might bring the cakes when baked; or else Abraham's young man, since it follows: and the calf...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they said unto him, where [is] Sarah thy wife?.... One of them put the question; and so the Septuagint version renders it, "and he said unto him", the principal of them, whom Abraham at first addressed and called him "my Lord", and was no other than the Son of God in an human form; and various things in the context show him to be a divine...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And he said,.... The same that put the question, Jehovah himself, as appears by what follows: I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; not by a personal appearance as now, but by the fulfilment of his promise which he had before given to Abraham, that he should have a son by Sarah, and now renews it; and this would be about...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old, [and] well stricken in age,.... The one being ninety nine years of age, and the other eighty nine; and which is observed to make it the more surprising that they should have a son at such an age; and what follows still makes it more so: [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women; her monthly...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself,.... Not for joy of a son, and as pleased with it, believing so it would be; but as disbelieving it, and perhaps deriding it, and confuting it with a laugh, which, though it did not appear in her countenance, was secretly in her heart: saying, not with her mouth, but in her mind, after I am waxed old, being...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord said unto Abraham,.... This discovers who the person was that had been conversing with Abraham, that he was a divine Person, as appears by his name "Jehovah", as well as by his knowledge of Sarah's behaviour; he did not turn himself to her, that it might be more manifest that it was not upon the sight of her he judged she laughed, but...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Is anything too hard for the Lord?.... Whose power is infinite; or "too wonderful" (x), so wonderful and beyond all belief, that it can never be thought it will be done by him; and why then should it be thought incredible or impossible that Sarah should have a child, though she is old? Or, is "anything hidden from the Lord" (y)? Nothing can be,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not,.... Some render the words, "Sarah lied" (z); and indeed it was no other than a lie, to say she did not laugh when she did; which she might be tempted to say in her confusion, partly because the back of the speaker was to her, and he could not see her, and partly because it was inward, and very little at...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the men rose up from thence,.... From their seats at Abraham's table under the tree, all three of them: and looked toward Sodom; set their faces and steered their course that way, by which it appeared they intended to go thither: the Targum of Jonathan says, that he that brought the news to Sarah went up, to the highest heavens, and two of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Lord said,.... Either unto Abraham himself, so leading on to what he was about to make known to him; and without supposing this it will be difficult to account for Abraham's intercession for Sodom upon this: or to the two angels with him; not as consulting them whether he should or no do what he next suggests, but to give to them Abraham's...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the...