Genesis 18:31

Genesis 18:31

And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

a. NLT: Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?” And the LORD replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

b. NIV: Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

c. YLT: And he saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy it, because of the twenty.'

d. Amplified Bible: And [Abraham] said, Behold now, I have taken upon myself to speak [again] to the Lord. Suppose [only] twenty shall be found there. And [the Lord] replied, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

e. Septuagint: And he said, Since I am able to speak to the Lord, what if there should be found there twenty? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I should find there twenty.

f. Stone Edition Chumash: So he said, “Behold, now, I desired to speak to lmy Lord: What if twenty would be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy on account of the twenty.”

1. “And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord…”

a. he said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

b. I have taken upon me [2974 * ya’al] [Strong: a primitive root (probably rather the same as 2973 through the idea of mental weakness); properly, to yield, especially assent; hence (pos.) to undertake as an act of volition:--assay, begin, be content, please, take upon, X willingly, would.]

c. to speak [1696 * dabar] [Strong: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.]

d. the Lord [136 * ‘Adonay] [Strong: am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of God only):--(my) Lord.]

2. “…Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.”

a. shall be twenty [6242 * ‘esriym] [Strong: from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score, twenty(-ieth).]

b. found [4672 * matsa’] [Strong: a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present:--+ be able, befall, being, catch, X certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), X have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-)on, meet (with), X occasion serve, (be) present, ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.]

c. and he said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

d. I will not destroy it [7843 * shachath] [Strong: a primitive root; to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively):--batter, cast off, corrupt(-er, thing), destroy(-er, -uction), lose, mar, perish, spill, spoiler, X utterly, waste(-r).]

e. for twenty’s sake [6242 * ‘esriym] See “shall be twenty” above.

f. The commentary for the passage Genesis 18:23-33 follows the individual verse studies, or under Genesis 18:23-33.