Genesis 18-19

02 Jan 2026 - Theology

Genesis 18-19 - Abraham the Engager

Genesis 18

Eastern premium on hospitality. Abraham ran to greet the visitors (2), and again hastened and ran to prepare a meal (6,7).

Abraham doesn’t function out of his insecurity, but rushed to care for the needs of others, right after his circumcision in Genesis 17.

Say a little, do a lot:

“Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched…” (4)
“And I will fetch a morsel of bread” (5)

Three seahs = 60 pounds of flour = 432 eggs = about 80 loaves for three people!

Abraham sets butter, and milk, and the calf before the men to eat (8). What happened to all that bread?

One of the three men promises that Sarah will have a son. Sarah and Abraham were old and so Sarah laughed within herself out of incredulity (12). The word ‘Lord’ that Abraham uses in 18:3 to refer to the three men is Adonay or Adonai, which is the plural form of Adon or ’lord’ that Sarah uses to refer to her husband in 18:12. This is the same word that Abram has used in the past when he says ‘Lord God’, such as in Genesis 15:2.

The Hebrew for “appeared” in verse 1 and for “looked” in verse 2 are the same word ra’ah, meaning to see intelligibly, to experience. This implies more than just physically seeing something, but rather to see or hear with intelligent understanding, to perceive. Remember that Hagar calls the angel of the Lord, ‘the God who sees me’. This continues to be a theme.

Genesis 19

Three Different Characters:

Assimilator = Lot. Lot went to Sodom and sat in the city gates, showed hospitality to the two angels, offered his daughters to the men. He sees the men, stands and bows to them, unlike Abraham who ran to greet the visitors and hurried to show hospitality. Lot does not want to stand out amongst his peers in Sodom.
Insulator = Noah. God says He is going to destroy the world and Noah wants to know when he should have the ark built.
Engager = Abraham. Abraham has chutzpah, and is willing to dialogue with God to save the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah.

What does God want from us? Does he want blind obedience, or does He want someone who is going to dialogue with Him and show a little grit?

References

The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
The BEMA Podcast, Episode 11: Here I Am
The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)