Genesis 18:2

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,

a. NLT: He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

b. NIV: Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

c. YLT: and he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself towards the earth,

d. Amplified Bible: He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood at a little distance from him. He ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the ground

e. Septuagint: And he lifted up his eyes and beheld, and lo! three men stood before him; and having seen them he ran to meet them fro the door of his tent, and did obeisance to the ground. 

f. Stone Edition Chumash: He lifted up his eyes and saw: Abd Behold! Three men were standing over him. He perceived, so he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and bowed toward the ground.

1. “And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him…”

a. he lift up [5375 * nasa’] [Strong: a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.

b. his eyes [5869 * ‘ayin] [Strong: probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, + think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, + displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble, knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please, presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, + think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).]

c. and looked [7200 * ra’ah] [Strong: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.]

d. three [7969 * shalowsh] [Strong: a primitive number; three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork, + often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.]

e. men [582 * ‘enowsh] [Strong: from 605; properly, a mortal (and thus differing from the more dignified 120); hence, a man in general (singly or collectively):--another, X (blood-)thirsty, certain, chap(-man); divers, fellow, X in the flower of their age, husband, (certain, mortal) man, people, person, servant, some ( X of them), + stranger, those, + their trade. It is often unexpressed in the English versions, especially when used in apposition with another word.]

f. stood by him [5324 * natsab] [Strong: a prim root; to station, in various applications (literally or figuratively):--appointed, deputy, erect, establish, X Huzzah (by mistake for a proper name), lay, officer, pillar, present, rear up, set (over, up), settle, sharpen, establish, (make to) stand(-ing, still, up, upright), best state.]

1). From the text it looks like the three individuals just “appeared”, in other words, Abraham didn’t see them walk up from a distance. He raised his eyes and they were there, he then ran to meet them.

2. “…and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,”

a. when he saw them [7200 * ra’ah] [Strong: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):--advise self, appear, approve, behold, X certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, X indeed, X joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, X be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), X sight of others, (e-)spy, stare, X surely, X think, view, visions.]

b. he ran [7323 * ruwts] [Strong: a primitive root; to run (for whatever reason, especially to rush):--break down, divide speedily, footman, guard, bring hastily, (make) run (away, through), post.]

c. to meet [7125 * qir’ah] [Strong: from 7122; an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite):--X against (he come), help, meet, seek, X to, X in the way.]

d. from the tent [168 * ‘ohel] [Strong: from 166; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance):--covering, (dwelling)(place), home, tabernacle, tent.]

e. door [6607 * pethach] [Strong: from 6605; an opening (literally), i.e. door (gate) or entrance way:--door, entering (in), entrance (-ry), gate, opening, place.]

f. and bowed [7812 * shachah] [Strong: a primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God):--bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.]

g. to the ground [776 * ‘erets] [Strong: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.]