Genesis 18:2

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
up	וַיִּשָּׂ֤א vai.yi.Sa'	H5375	to lift · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
eyes	עֵינָיו֙ 'ei.Nav	H5869	an eye (literally or figuratively) · noun, common feminine dual construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
looked	וַיַּ֔רְא vai.Yar'	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
three	שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה she.lo.Shah	H7969	three · cardinal number, both genders singular absolute
men	אֲנָשִׁ֔ים 'a.na.Shim	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · noun, common masculine plural absolute
stood	נִצָּבִ֖ים ni.tza.Vim	H5324	to station · verb, niphal active participle, masculine plural absolute
saw	וַיַּ֗רְא vai.Yar'	H7200	to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
ran	וַיָּ֤רָץ vai.Ya.rotz	H7323	to run (for whatever reason · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
meet	קִרְאָה qirʼâh	H7125	an encountering
tent	הָאֹ֔הֶל ha.'O.hel	H168	a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
door	מִפֶּ֣תַח mi.Pe.tach	H6607	an opening (literally) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
bowed	וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ vai.yish.Ta.chu	H7812	to depress · conjunction + verb, sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
ground	אָֽרְצָה 'A.re.tzah	H776	the earth (at large · noun, common feminine singular absolute + directional suffix

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself…
Judges 13:3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive,…
Genesis 23:7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
Genesis 18:16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
Genesis 43:26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves to him to the earth.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 18:1-8

The appearance of God to Abraham seems to have had in it more of freedom and familiarity, and less of grandeur and majesty, than those we have hitherto read of; and therefore more resembles that great visit which, in the fullness of time, the Son of God was to make to the world, when the Word would be flesh, and appear as one of us. Observe here, I. How Abraham expected strangers, and how richly his expectations were answered (Gen 18:1): He sat in the tent-door, in the heat of the day; not so much to repose or divert himself as to seek an opportunity of doing good, by giving entertainment to strangers and travellers, there being perhaps no inns to accommodate them. Note, 1. We are likely to…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 18:2

lift up his eyes . . . and, lo, three men--Travellers in that quarter start at sunrise and continue till midday when they look out for some resting-place. he ran to meet them--When the visitor is an ordinary person, the host merely rises; but if of superior rank, the custom is to advance a little towards the stranger, and after a very low bow, turn and lead him to the tent, putting an arm round his waist, or tapping him on the shoulder as they go, to assure him of welcome.

Adam Clarke on Genesis 18:2

Three men stood by him - נצבים עליו nitstsabim alaiv, were standing over against him; for if they had been standing by him, as our translation says, he needed not to have "run from the tent door to meet them." To Abraham these appeared at first as men; but he entertained angels unawares, see Heb 13:2.

John Gill on Genesis 18:2

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 treated them: some have taken these to be the three divine Persons, as some of the ancients; of which opinion was Dr. Lightfoot, who expressly says (h),"three months after this, (i.e. the institution of the circumcision,) the three Persons in the Trinity dine with Abraham, and foretell the birth of Isaac; again, the Son and the Holy Ghost go down to So…

The Church Fathers

"Three men came to Abraham and stood over him." Observe how it is that they come upon him but not against him. He had subjected himself to God's will, and for this reason God is said to stand over him. "They stood over him," not against him to repulse him but over him for protection.
— Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 83.4

But let us now for the present pursue what Abraham does with the three men who "stood over him." See this very thing, what kind of thing it is, that they come "over him," not against him. For he had subjected himself to the will of God, and therefore God is said to stand "over him."
— Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 4.2

Now let us see how each one receives. "Abraham saw," it says, "and ran to meet them." Consider at once how tireless and eager Abraham is in his duties. He himself runs to meet them, and when he had met them: "he hastens back," it says, "to the tent and says to his wife: hasten to the tent." See in each detail how great is the eagerness of the one receiving. There is haste in everything, everything is urged on, nothing is done in leisure.
— Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 4.1

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Adoration — The acts and postures by which the Hebrews expressed adoration bear a great similarity to those still in use among Oriental nations. To rise up and suddenly prostrate the body was the most simple…
Angel — A word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a “messenger,” and hence employed to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his purposes. It is used of an ordinary messenger (Job 1:14: 1 Sam.…
Angels — By the word “angels” (i.e. “messengers” of God) we ordinarily understand a race of spiritual beings of a nature exalted far above that of man, although infinitely removed from that of God—whose…
Cook — A person employed to perform culinary service. In early times among the Hebrews cooking was performed by the mistress of the household (Gen. 18:2-6; Judg. 6:19), and the process was very…
Abraham · Angels appear to — Angels appear to
Communion · .Abraham — .Abraham
Condescension Of God · Enters into covenant with Abraham — Enters into covenant with Abraham
God · .To Abraham — .To Abraham
Guest · Sa — Sa
Hospitality · .Abraham to the angels — .Abraham to the angels
Isaac · 1. The miraculous — 1. The miraculous
Mamre · .Entertains three angels, and is promised a — .Entertains three angels, and is promised a
Manners

Genesis 18:2

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 18:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 18:2

Adam Clarke on Genesis 18:2

John Gill on Genesis 18:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 18:2

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 18:1-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 18:2

Adam Clarke on Genesis 18:2

John Gill on Genesis 18:2

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 18:2

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 18:1-5

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 18:2-8