Genesis 18:1-15 (Fox)
as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent at the heat of the day.
here, three men standing over against him.
[When] he saw them, he ran to meet them from the entrance to his tent and bowed low to the earth
My lords,
pray if I have found favor in your eyes,
pray do not pass by your servant!
then afterward you may pass on—
for you have, after all, passed your servant’s way!
They said:
Do thus, as you have spoken.
Make haste! Three measures of choice flour! Knead it, make bread-cakes!
fetched a young ox, tender and fine, and gave it to a serving-lad, that he might hasten to make it ready;
Now he stood over against them under the tree while they ate.
Where is Sara your wife?
He said:
Here in the tent.
I will return, yes, return to you when time revives,
and Sara your wife will have a son!
Now Sara was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.
the path of women had ceased for Sara.
After I have become worn, is there to be pleasure for me? And my lord is old!
Now why does Sara laugh and say: Shall I really give birth, now that I am old?
At that set-time I will return to you, when time revives, and Sara will have a son.
No, I did not laugh.
For she was afraid.
But he said:
P. Vayera
YHVH appeared to him - sets up the expectation for what's coming.
וַיֵּרָ֤א - Niphal (passive) imperfect 3pms (רָאָה - to see) - (he) was visible
אֵלָיו֙ - To him. El here is the preposition (towards).
Terebinth - אֵלָה (notice El). Great tree. Pl alon, Pl construct alonei.
Terebinth = turpentine tree. Or oak.
Some kind of large tree that was used as a geographical marker.
Sitting by the entrance of the tent. A place where important stuff happens.
"He lifted his eyes and looked and behold! three men where standing above him."
I take "above" to mean they were standing while he was sitting.
Three men - shloshim anashim.
Traditionally believed to be angels, but they are not called angels. Some say one was YHVH and the other two were angels.
v. 22: the men went to Sodom, but Abraham still stood in the presence of YHVH.
19:1: the two angels came to Sodom.
At this point in the story, all we know is YHVH appeared to Abraham as three dudes.
Was Abraham aware it was YHVH? When did Abraham become aware? (see below)
Some Rashi for the fun of it
Cure Abraham of what? Previously he says:
To me, Genesis 18 seems to be a retelling of Genesis 17, or Genesis 17 was a rewriting of Genesis 18 without the folk tale characteristics.
Notice how both chapters start with a vision of YHVH.
Two stories that were put together by the editor.
He says: "Adonai!"
Which, conveniently, is plural, so it could be referring to the three anashim ("sirs!"), or to YHVH ("my Lord!").
Servant: eved (slave).
Abraham's hospitality
The text is (deliberately?) ambiguous, so at this point we don't know if Abraham knew he was receiving YHVH.
Hospitality was a sacred duty in the old world and a mitzvah in Judaism.
Hebrews 13:2 (Christian bible): "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it." -- a clue that early Christians (and probably Jews too) considered Genesis 18 as a proof passage for hospitality as a mitzvah. This text probably dates around the year 100 CE, or, the period immediately after the destruction of the Second Temple.
Hayipalê M-YHVH dabhar?
הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א - Niphal imp 3ms - is-too-hard
מֵיְהוָ֖ה - for Adonai
דָּבָ֑ר - (any/this) thing?
At the appointed/right time
I will return to you
When time revives, (Spring?)
and, to Sarah, a son!
chatGPT:
List all the times when God appeared to Abraham.
In the Hebrew Bible, there are several instances where God appears to Abraham. Here is a list of those appearances:
1. Genesis 12:1-9 - God appears to Abram (as he was then called) and tells him to leave his homeland and go to a land that God will show him. God promises to bless Abram and make him into a great nation.
2. Genesis 15:1-21 - God appears to Abram in a vision and promises him that he will have a son and his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. God also promises to give Abram and his descendants the land of Canaan.
3. Genesis 17:1-22 - God appears to Abram (now called Abraham) and establishes a covenant with him, promising to make him the father of many nations and to give him and his descendants the land of Canaan. God also changes Abram's name to Abraham and commands him to circumcise himself and all the males in his household as a sign of the covenant.
4. Genesis 18:1-33 - God appears to Abraham in the form of three men (often interpreted as a theophany), who tell him that his wife Sarah will have a son. Abraham provides hospitality to the men and intercedes on behalf of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
5. Genesis 22:1-19 - God tests Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac. As Abraham is about to do so, an angel of the Lord intervenes and stops him, and God provides a ram for the sacrifice instead.
These are the main instances where God appears to Abraham in the Hebrew Bible. It's worth noting that there are also a few other references to God speaking to Abraham or appearing to him in dreams, but these are the most significant and detailed accounts.
Quick check:
- Gen 12: "YHVH said to Avram, go out from your land" (auditory)
- Gen 15: "Devar YHVH came to Avram in a vision" (auditory, ecstatic). Nightmarish mood.
- Gen 17: "YHVH was seen by Avram and said to him I am El-Shaddai" (again words only) -> name change and circumcision
- Gen 18: "YHVH was seen by Avraham - he lifted up his eyes and hineh! three dudes". This is the only one where the "seeing" is actually visual.
- Gen 22 (Aqeda): "Elohim tested Avraham and said to him". Words only, but lots of "seeing". Angel voice. "YHVH who sees"
Gen 15, 17, and 18 are tellings of the Covenant story.