Genesis 18:8
in Genesis 18Then Abraham brought curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and he set them before the men and stood by them under the tree as they ate.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
KJV
And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
⋯
This verse in Genesis 18
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
An inquiry about his wife, so surprising in strangers, the subject of conversation, and the fulfilment of the fondly cherished promise within a specified time, showed Abraham that he had been entertaining more than ordinary travellers (Heb 13:2).
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
curds and milk
Curds and milk join the bread and the calf, the food of a household that lived off its herds. Adam Clarke passes on the Abbe Fleury's reading of the meal as a splendid entertainment from men whose daily fare was plain. The eating is told in one clause.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence · Written before 523.
proposed
But thou wilt not be able to stand in the freedom of spiritual beings until thou hast cast away entirely the bondage of carnal beings, for when thou hast cast away this bondage like a spiritual being and freeman thou mayest eat of every thing …
The Medieval Church2 voices
He also took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had cooked, and set it before them. By the milk, the beginnings and as it were the elements of the Mosaic law; by the butter, the perfection of evangelical doctrine; by the milk, the …
But he himself stood by them under the tree, because certainly we should so feed the Lord with the feasts of faith and virtues by good living, that is, delight Him, so that we always remember to stand in His presence, according to the saying …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he took butter and milk,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat - Nothing is more common in Hindostan than to see travelers and guests eating under the shade of trees. Feasts are scarcely ever held in houses. The house of a Hindoo serves for sleeping and cooking, and for shutting up the women; but is never considered as a sitting or dining room - Ward.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקַּ֨ח | vaiyikach | and he brought | H3947 → | 966 times |
| חֶמְאָ֜ה | chemah | curd<s> | H2529 → | |
| וְחָלָ֗ב | vechalav | and milk | H2461 → | |
| וּבֶן־ | uven- | and [the] young one of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַבָּקָר֙ | habakar | the herd | H1241 → | 183 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֔ה | ʾasah | he had prepared | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וַיִּתֵּ֖ן | vaiyiten | and he set [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם | lifneihem | <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְהֽוּא־ | vehu'- | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| עֹמֵ֧ד | ʾomed | [was] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם | ʾaleihem | with them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| תַּ֥חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הָעֵ֖ץ | haetz | the tree | H6086 → | 328 times |
| וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃ | vaiyokhelu | and they ate | H398 → | 810 times |
וַיִּקַּ֨חand he brought
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
חֶמְאָ֜הcurd<s>
chemahH2529 →
וְחָלָ֗בand milk
vechalavH2461 →
וּבֶן־and [the] young one of
uven-H1121 →4930 times
הַבָּקָר֙the herd
habakarH1241 →183 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֔הhe had prepared
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
וַיִּתֵּ֖ןand he set [it]
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם<to> before them
lifneihemH6440 →2123 times
וְהֽוּא־and he
vehu'-H1931 →1879 times
עֹמֵ֧ד[was] standing
ʾomedH5975 →521 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֛םwith them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
תַּ֥חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
הָעֵ֖ץthe tree
haetzH6086 →328 times
וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃and they ate
vaiyokheluH398 →810 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
Galatians 5:13For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 2:16
Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
- 1 Corinthians 9:19
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
- 1 Corinthians 8:9
Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
- Romans 15:1–2
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
- Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- 1 Peter 2:16
Through
Acts 10:41not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
it leads to
- John 14:22
Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?”
- Acts 10:39
We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
- John 14:22
Through
Luke 24:30While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.
it leads to
- Matthew 14:19
And He directed the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and…
- Matthew 14:19
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 11 -- On Abstinence.