Genesis 18:31
in Genesis 18And 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.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 the twenty’s sake.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Genesis 18
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Suppose thirty are found there
on Genesis 18:30-32
Thirty, then twenty, then ten, and God agrees at every number. Jerome notes the Hebrew of the last plea is plainer than the Greek, a straight request that the Lord not be angry at the speaking. Wesley asked why Abraham stopped at ten, and the text leaves it open.
This site's exposition
suppose twenty are found there
Abraham has again ventured to speak to the Lord, and now he asks about twenty. John Wesley held that God, unlike a man, is pleased when He is wrestled with in prayer. Each answer comes back in the same shape.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he said, behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord,.... See Gill on Gen 18:27, Peradventure there shall be twenty found there; wouldest thou destroy it, such a number being in it; or, wouldest thou spare it for their sakes? and he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake; if there were no more in it, I would spare it for their sake.
He is the Lord of glory, we are worms of the earth. [3.] The access we have to the throne of grace, and the freedom of speech allowed us, are just matter of humble wonder, 2 Sam. vii.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הִנֵּֽה־ | hineh- | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נָ֤א | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ | hoalti | I have undertaken | H2974 → | |
| לְדַבֵּ֣ר | ledaber | to speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֔י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| אוּלַ֛י | ʾulai | perhaps | H194 → | 45 times |
| יִמָּצְא֥וּן | yimatzeun | they will be found ! | H4672 → | 455 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עֶשְׂרִ֑ים | ʾesrim | twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אַשְׁחִ֔ית | ʾashchit | I will destroy [it] | H7843 → | 146 times |
| בַּעֲב֖וּר | baavur | for sake of | H5668 → | 49 times |
| הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ | haesrim | the twenty | H6242 → | 315 times |
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
הִנֵּֽה־here!
hineh-H2009 →843 times
נָ֤אplease
na'H4994 →404 times
הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙I have undertaken
hoaltiH2974 →
לְדַבֵּ֣רto speak
ledaberH1696 →1141 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנָ֔י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
אוּלַ֛יperhaps
ʾulaiH194 →45 times
יִמָּצְא֥וּןthey will be found !
yimatzeunH4672 →455 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
עֶשְׂרִ֑יםtwenty
ʾesrimH6242 →315 times
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
אַשְׁחִ֔יתI will destroy [it]
ʾashchitH7843 →146 times
בַּעֲב֖וּרfor sake of
baavurH5668 →49 times
הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים׃the twenty
haesrimH6242 →315 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 7:7Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
it leads to
- Matthew 21:22
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
- 1 John 3:22
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- John 15:7
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
- Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
- Psalms 145:18–19
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.
- Matthew 21:22
Through
Matthew 7:11So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
it leads to
- Luke 11:11–13
What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
- James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.
- Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Luke 11:11–13
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.