Genesis 18:7
in Genesis 18Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.
KJV
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
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This verse in Genesis 18
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf--Animal food is never provided, except for visitors of a superior rank when a kid or lamb is killed. A calf is still a higher stretch of hospitality, and it would probably be cooked as is usually done when haste is required--either by roasting it whole or by cutting it up into small pieces and broiling them on skewers over the fire.
This site's exposition
three seahs of fine flour
on Genesis 18:6-8
Three seahs of fine flour comes to something near a bushel. A tender and choice calf is the top of that table, so the bit of bread arrives as a feast. Sarah works the flour, a servant prepares the calf, and Abraham hurries twice in three verses. He stands by them under the tree while they eat, where a servant stands.
This site's exposition
a tender and choice calf
Abraham ran to the herd himself, selected the calf, and a servant hurried to prepare it. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that meat was prepared only for guests of high rank, and a calf was a greater honour than a kid or a lamb. Nothing was held back.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"But he ran," the text says, "to the cattle and took a calf." What kind of calf? Perhaps the first one he encountered? Not at all, but "a good and tender" calf. And although he would hasten in all things, nevertheless he knows that what is excellent and great should be offered to the Lord or to angels. He took therefore or chose from the herd a "good and tender" calf and delivered it to his servant. "The servant," the text says, "hastened to slaughter it." He himself runs, his wife hastens, the servant makes haste. No one is slow in the house of a wise man. He serves therefore a calf and at the same time with it bread and fine wheat flour, but also milk and butter. These were the courtesies of hospitality of Abraham and Sarah.
A calf is served; behold, another mystery. The calf itself is not tough but "good and tender." And what is so tender, what so good as that One who "humbled himself" for us "to death" and "laid down his life for his friends"? He is the "fatted calf" which the father slaughtered to receive his repentant son. "For he so loved this world, as to give his only Son" for the life of this world. Nevertheless the wise man is not ignorant of whom he has received. He runs to three men and adores one, and he speaks to the one saying, "Turn aside to your servant, and refresh yourself under the tree."
Lot too received men, but only two, not the whole Trinity; moreover in the evening, not at noon. What did he serve them? "He baked unleavened bread, and they ate."
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence · Written before 523.
proposed
Now although this meat is a burden unto the wise and prudent, yet was it given by promise unto Noah, and it was sent unto Elijah in a gift, and Abraham received God and His angels thereby, and Isaac was pleased to pour out blessings …
The bread and meat, which was in abundance, was not to satisfy the angels but rather so that the blessing might be distributed to all the members of his household.
4 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers2 voices
He received the three men and served them loaves out of three measures. Why is this, brothers, unless it means the mystery of the Trinity? He also served a calf; not a tough one, but a "good, tender one."
Nor was it useless, when he ran to the cattle, he took a tender and good calf, and placed it with milk. Finally, in Exodus, when Moses was declaring the Passover of the Lord, he said: The lamb without blemish, clean, complete, a yearling, male, shall be taken for you from sheep and goats. You shall take and kill him, said he, the whole assembly of the synagogue at evening. Hence, this is also described as midday, when Abraham offers hospitality to the Lord.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The tender and excellent calf that Abraham took from the herd signifies the Mediator between God and humans, whom the most merciful Father killed for his returning younger son, that is, the Gentile people, according to the parable of the Gospel.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Abraham ran unto the herd,....
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַבָּקָ֖ר | habakar | the herd | H1241 → | 183 times |
| רָ֣ץ | ratz | he ran | H7323 → | 103 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֑ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֨ח | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | a young one of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בָּקָ֜ר | bakar | [the] herd | H1241 → | 183 times |
| רַ֤ךְ | rakh | tender | H7390 → | 16 times |
| וָטוֹב֙ | vatov | and good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וַיִּתֵּ֣ן | vaiyiten | and he gave [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַנַּ֔עַר | hanaar | the servant | H5288 → | 239 times |
| וַיְמַהֵ֖ר | vaymaher | and he hurried | H4116 → | 68 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת | laasot | to prepare | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֹתֽוֹ׃ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
הַבָּקָ֖רthe herd
habakarH1241 →183 times
רָ֣ץhe ran
ratzH7323 →103 times
אַבְרָהָ֑םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
וַיִּקַּ֨חand he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
בֶּן־a young one of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
בָּקָ֜ר[the] herd
bakarH1241 →183 times
רַ֤ךְtender
rakhH7390 →16 times
וָטוֹב֙and good
vatovH2896 →538 times
וַיִּתֵּ֣ןand he gave [it]
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַנַּ֔עַרthe servant
hanaarH5288 →239 times
וַיְמַהֵ֖רand he hurried
vaymaherH4116 →68 times
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתto prepare
laasotH6213 →2628 times
אֹתֽוֹ׃<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 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
Malachi 1:14“But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the…
it leads to
- Acts 5:1–10
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
- Ecclesiastes 5:4–5
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
- 2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
- Psalms 76:12
He breaks the spirits of princes; He is feared by the kings of the earth.
- Malachi 1:8
When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased…
- Acts 5:1–10
Through
Luke 15:23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let us feast and celebrate.
it leads to
- Matthew 22:2–14
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
- Psalms 63:5
My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.
- Isaiah 25:6
On this mountain the LORD of Hosts will prepare a banquet for all the peoples, a feast of aged wine, of choice meat, of finely aged wine.
- Matthew 22:2–14
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 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 83.3; Caesarius of Arles, SERMON 83.4; Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 15:2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 4.1; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 4.2 and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence.