The Book of Genesis 33 Verses

Genesis 18

YAHWEH Visits Abraham at Mamre

Chapter 18 Overview · 33 Verses

1Then YAHWEH appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. 2And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Genesis 18:1–2 Commentary

No Man Has Seen the Father, Only the Word Has:

YAHWEH appears to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre in the form of a man, one of three visitors who arrive at his tent. This is the Word, the pre-incarnate Yeshua, appearing personally in human form, since Scripture is dead consistent that no man has ever seen the Father directly. Two millennia later in the Gospels, the Apostle John states it outright in John 1:18⁠: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.” In John 5:37⁠, Yeshua confirms the same truth from His own mouth: “You have never heard His voice nor seen His form.” And in John 6:46 He makes the positive distinction: “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.”

Every Visible Divine Appearance Reveals the Word:

The visible manifestation of YAHWEH as a man eating and speaking with Abraham directly anticipates the Word becoming flesh in Yeshua the Messiah (John 1:14)⁠. Two of the three visitors are created angels who will depart for Sodom in Genesis 18:22⁠, but the third visitor is YAHWEH Himself. Because Scripture maintains that no human has seen the Father directly (John 1:18⁠; 6:46⁠), every visible, tangible appearance of YAHWEH in human history is the pre-incarnate Word revealing the unseen God.

3“My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4Let a little water be brought, that all of you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh your hearts. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.”

6So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”

7Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.

Genesis 18:3–8 Commentary

Foot Washing Foreshadows Yeshua’s Service:

Abraham offers to have their feet washed, a servant’s duty and a basic expectation of hospitality throughout the ancient world. Two millennia later in the Upper Room, John 13:5 shows Yeshua Himself performing this humble task for His disciples: “He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet,” and that same practice carries directly into the New Testament Passover service He instituted at His last meal.

’A Morsel of Bread’ Is Idiom for a Full Meal:

Abraham refers to “a morsel of bread” (MSB: “a bit of bread”), a Hebrew idiom for a full meal, as the following verses make clear when an entire calf and freshly baked bread show up. “Breaking bread” carries this same idiomatic sense of eating together throughout biblical history, surfacing two millennia later in the apostolic church in Acts 2:46 (“to break bread from house to house”) and Acts 20:11 (“had broken bread and eaten”).

Ancient “Quickly” Still Took Serious Time:

“Quickly,” in this ancient setting, does not carry the instant, convenience-driven meaning modern readers assume — slaughtering, dressing, and cooking a calf, along with baking fresh bread, still required hours of hard labor, even done as fast as humanly possible.

Abraham Serves God Meat and Dairy:

Abraham serves curds, milk, and choice calf together, and this single detail settles a debate raised by later rabbinic tradition: the rabbinic prohibition against mixing dairy with meat is a man-made addition, since God Himself, appearing here in human form alongside two angels, eats exactly this combination without objection. Furthermore, both God and the angels accompanying Him are fully capable of eating and enjoying real food, manifesting bodily to consume a meal like any other guest — exactly as the risen Yeshua would do two millennia later in the Gospels (Luke 24:42–43)⁠, eating a piece of broiled fish in front of His disciples.

Exodus 23:19 Targeted Pagan Fertility Rites:

When the Law is given at Mount Sinai over six centuries later, Exodus 23:19⁠’s command, “You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk” almost certainly targets a specific pagan fertility ritual rather than a blanket prohibition against combining meat and dairy, since Genesis 18:8 records God Himself doing exactly that. And forty years later on the plains of Moab, Moses guards against adding to or taking away from God’s commands (Deuteronomy 4:2⁠; 12:32⁠) — “You must not add to or subtract from what I command you”; a manufactured dietary rule built on top of a single verse, applied far beyond its original context, is exactly the kind of addition those warnings were written to prevent.

Sarah Laughs at the Promise

9“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied.

10Then YAHWEH said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. 11And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13And YAHWEH asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ 14Is anything too difficult for YAHWEH? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”

15But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied YAHWEH, “but you did laugh.”

Genesis 18:9–15 Commentary

Appointed Times Anchor Prophetic History:

When YAHWEH announces His return at this exact “appointed time” (Hebrew mo'ed in verse 14 (Genesis 18:14)⁠), ancient Jewish tradition recognizes a direct link to the biblical feast calendar, holding that this divine visit and the rescue of Lot occurred during the season of Passover and Unleavened Bread — fitting Sarah baking fresh cakes in verse 6 (Genesis 18:6) and Lot serving unleavened bread in Genesis 19:3⁠. While holding tradition as human perspective rather than Scripture, the biblical principle of an appointed time remains foundational. The Feasts of YAHWEH cataloged under Moses over six centuries later in Leviticus 23 prophetically align across the whole of Scripture with major milestones in the Messiah’s life, death, resurrection, and future return. God’s promise to return at this exact mo'ed demonstrates that the divine calendar governs redemption history from the very beginning.

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.

17And YAHWEH said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 19For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of YAHWEH by doing what is right and just, in order that YAHWEH may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”

Genesis 18:16–19 Commentary

The Genesis 12:3 Blessing Reconfirmed:

God reiterates the promise first given all the way back in Genesis 12:3⁠, that all the nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham. The same covenant, confirmed and reconfirmed at nearly every major turn of Abraham’s story. In verse 19 (Genesis 18:19)⁠, God says of Abraham, “For I have chosen him” — where the underlying Hebrew word is yada (“known him”), carrying the sense of intimate covenant knowledge and deliberately singling someone out, the same weighted use already seen back in Genesis 4:1⁠.

“The Way of YAHWEH” Predated Sinai:

In verse 19 (Genesis 18:19)⁠, God says He chose Abraham so that he would command his children and household after him to keep “the way of YAHWEH” by doing what is right and just. That is law-keeping, centuries before Sinai. Abraham teaches a way, his household keeps it, and YAHWEH ties the fulfillment of His promises to that obedience. as an upcoming chapter in Genesis 26:5 will confirm: Abraham obeyed YAHWEH’s voice and kept His charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His laws. The way of YAHWEH didn’t start at Sinai. Sinai wrote it down.

20Then YAHWEH said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous, 21I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”

Genesis 18:20–21 Commentary

Sexual Immorality, Pride, Violence, and Open Corruption:

“The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is so grievous.” Scripture never specifies exactly who is crying out — victims within the cities, Lot himself, or angelic witnesses reporting what they’ve seen. Their sin, as later Scripture makes explicit, involved severe sexual immorality, including homosexuality, alongside pride, violence, and open corruption. Nearly fifteen centuries down the prophetic corridor, the prophet Ezekiel broadens the indictment in Ezekiel 16:49–50⁠: “Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent... and committed abominations before Me” And two millennia later in the apostolic epistles, Jude 1:7 confirms that Sodom and Gomorrah “indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh.”

Auditing Evidence Before Dropping the Gavel:

Every time God “comes down” in Genesis, judgment follows — but notice the divine procedure. YAHWEH already knows the truth, yet He audits the situation in historical time, establishing an airtight legal record before pronouncing sentence.

Pursuing “Other Flesh” Links Sodom to Genesis 6:

Fast-forward two millennia to the apostolic epistles and look at the Greek behind Jude 1:7⁠. The phrase translated “strange flesh” in the MSB is literally Sarkos Heteras, “other flesh,” and Jude says Sodom and the cities around it did this in a similar way to the angels he has just described in verse 6 (Jude 1:6)⁠, the ones who left their proper dwelling. Jude is lining up two episodes: angels who crossed a boundary back in Genesis 6, and a city that went after flesh of a different kind in the upcoming account of Genesis 19. Sodom’s sexual sin was real and grievous on its own terms, and Jude adds that it sits in the same family as the sin of the sons of God. Hold on to that as you reach Genesis 19, where the visitors who arrive at the gate are angels.

22And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before YAHWEH.

Genesis 18:22 Commentary

Two Angels Depart, YAHWEH Stays Behind:

The wording shifts to the plural as two of the three visitors turn and head toward Sodom, leaving YAHWEH Himself standing face to face with Abraham.

Jewish Tradition Claims a Scribal Reversal:

In Jewish tradition, Genesis 18:22 is one of the verses the scribes are said to have adjusted out of reverence, a Tiqqun Soferim, “correction of the scribes.” The tradition says the original read “YAHWEH was still standing before Abraham,” and that it was flipped to “Abraham was still standing before YAHWEH” because the first sounded like God was waiting on a man. Whether you take the tradition as history or not, it fits the scene perfectly: the two angels leave for Sodom, and YAHWEH stays behind with Abraham, still speaking with him.

23Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? 25Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

26So YAHWEH replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”

27Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes— 28suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”

29Once again Abraham spoke to YAHWEH: “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered: “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”

30Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”

31And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”

32Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”

33When YAHWEH had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.

Genesis 18:23–33 Commentary

Abraham’s Intercession for Sodom’s Righteous Remnant:

In Genesis 18:23⁠, Abraham steps into the gap with extraordinary boldness, asking YAHWEH point-blank: “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” The Almighty immediately affirms His justice, granting mercy for the sake of the righteous — prompting Abraham to boldly negotiate the required quorum downward from fifty righteous souls all the way down to ten.

True Prophets Intercede for the Undeserving:

Abraham will be explicitly designated a prophet two chapters ahead in Genesis 20:7⁠, and part of that calling is interceding not only for the faithful, but for entire cities and communities that do not deserve it on their own merits. Prophets in Scripture do not merely predict the future; they stand in the council of YAHWEH and plead for mercy on behalf of the broken.

God Welcomes Every Round of Pleading:

His patience through this entire exchange is remarkable, absorbing round after round of Abraham’s negotiation without a hint of impatience or irritation. Two millennia later, James 2:23 would celebrate that Abraham was called “a friend of God,” and right here in Genesis 18 you see what friendship with the Creator actually looks like: bold, reverent intercession. It models the ultimate intercessory work of the Messiah Himself, whom the author of Hebrews would proclaim two millennia later in Hebrews 7:25 “is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.”

“Judge of All the Earth” Is the Word:

Abraham’s question in verse 25 (Genesis 18:25) is, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” — and notice who he is asking. Two millennia later, the Gospels confirm that the Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son (John 5:22, 27)⁠, and the Apostle Peter affirms in Acts 10:42 that the Messiah is the One appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. The One standing in front of Abraham is the Word, the same One who will judge every human being. So when Abraham bargains for Sodom, he is pleading with the One who will one day hold the gavel over all of humanity, and who is, as this whole scene shows, determined to do what is right.

Genesis 18 Footnotes

Genesis 18 · Footnote 484 (John 1:18): John 1:18 — No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 485 (John 5:37): John 5:37 — And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form,

Genesis 18 · Footnote 486 (John 6:46): John 6:46 — not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 487 (John 1:14): John 1:14 — The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 488 (Genesis 18:22): Genesis 18:22 — And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before YAHWEH.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 489 (John 1:18): John 1:18 — No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 490 (John 6:46): John 6:46 — not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 491 (John 13:5): John 13:5 — After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 492 (Acts 2:46): Acts 2:46 — With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart,

Genesis 18 · Footnote 493 (Acts 20:11): Acts 20:11 — Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 494 (Luke 24:42–43): Luke 24:42–43 — 42So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, 43 and He took them and ate them in front of them.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 495 (Exodus 23:19): Exodus 23:19 — Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of YAHWEH your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 496 (Genesis 18:8): Genesis 18:8 — Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 497 (Deuteronomy 4:2): Deuteronomy 4:2 — You must not add to or subtract from what I command you, so that you may keep the commandments of YAHWEH your God that I am giving you.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 498 (Deuteronomy 12:32): Deuteronomy 12:32 — See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 499 (Genesis 19:3): Genesis 19:3 — But Lot insisted so strongly that they followed him into his house. He prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 500 (Genesis 12:3): Genesis 12:3 — I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 501 (Genesis 4:1): Genesis 4:1 — And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of YAHWEH I have brought forth a man,” she said.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 502 (Genesis 26:5): Genesis 26:5 — because Abraham listened to My voice and kept My charge: My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 503 (Ezekiel 16:49–50): Ezekiel 16:49–50 — 49Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 504 (Jude 1:7): Jude 1:7 — In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 505 (Jude 1:7): Jude 1:7 — In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 506 (Genesis 18:22): Genesis 18:22 — And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before YAHWEH.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 507 (Genesis 18:23): Genesis 18:23 — Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

Genesis 18 · Footnote 508 (Genesis 20:7): Genesis 20:7 — Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 509 (James 2:23): James 2:23 — And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 510 (Hebrews 7:25): Hebrews 7:25 — Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 511 (John 5:22, 27): John 5:22, 27 — 22Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 27 And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 512 (Acts 10:42): Acts 10:42 — And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1223 (Genesis 18:14): Genesis 18:14 — Is anything too difficult for YAHWEH? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1224 (Genesis 18:6): Genesis 18:6 — So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1225 (Genesis 18:19): Genesis 18:19 — For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of YAHWEH by doing what is right and just, in order that YAHWEH may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1226 (Genesis 18:19): Genesis 18:19 — For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of YAHWEH by doing what is right and just, in order that YAHWEH may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1227 (Jude 1:6): Jude 1:6 — And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1228 (Genesis 18:25): Genesis 18:25 — Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1369 (Genesis 18:1–2): Genesis 18:1–2 — 1Then YAHWEH appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. 2And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1370 (Genesis 18:3–8): Genesis 18:3–8 — 3“My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4Let a little water be brought, that all of you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5And I will bring a bit of bread so that you may refresh your hearts. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. After that, you may continue on your way.” “Yes,” they replied, “you may do as you have said.” 6So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Prepare three seahs of fine flour, knead it, and bake some bread.” 7Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1371 (Genesis 18:9–15): Genesis 18:9–15 — 9“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked. “There, in the tent,” he replied. 10Then YAHWEH said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. 11And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” 13And YAHWEH asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’ 14Is anything too difficult for YAHWEH? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.” 15But Sarah was afraid, so she denied it and said, “I did not laugh.” “No,” replied YAHWEH, “but you did laugh.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1372 (Genesis 18:16–19): Genesis 18:16–19 — 16When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off. 17And YAHWEH said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 19For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of YAHWEH by doing what is right and just, in order that YAHWEH may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1373 (Genesis 18:20–21): Genesis 18:20–21 — 20Then YAHWEH said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great. Because their sin is so grievous, 21I will go down to see if their actions fully justify the outcry that has reached Me. If not, I will find out.”

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1374 (Genesis 18:22): Genesis 18:22 — And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before YAHWEH.

Genesis 18 · Footnote 1375 (Genesis 18:23–33): Genesis 18:23–33 — 23Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? 25Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” 26So YAHWEH replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.” 27Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes— 28suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.” 29Once again Abraham spoke to YAHWEH: “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered: “On account of the forty, I will not do it.” 30Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.” 31And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.” 33When YAHWEH had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.