Genesis 18:2

18:2 Abraham 1  looked up 2  and saw 3  three men standing across 4  from him. When he saw them 5  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low 6  to the ground. 7 

Genesis 18:8

18:8 Abraham 8  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food 9  before them. They ate while 10  he was standing near them under a tree.

Genesis 24:31

24:31 Laban said to him, 11  “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! 12  Why are you standing out here when I have prepared 13  the house and a place for the camels?”

Genesis 24:43

24:43 Here I am, standing by the spring. 14  When 15  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

2 tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

3 tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.

4 tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.

5 tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

6 tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).

7 sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the Lord and two angels (see Gen 19:1). It is not certain how soon Abraham recognized the true identity of the visitors. His actions suggest he suspected this was something out of the ordinary, though it is possible that his lavish treatment of the visitors was done quite unwittingly. Bowing down to the ground would be reserved for obeisance of kings or worship of the Lord. Whether he was aware of it or not, Abraham’s action was most appropriate.

8 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

9 tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

10 tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

11 tn Heb “and he said.” The referent (Laban) has been specified and the words “to him” supplied in the translation for clarity.

12 sn Laban’s obsession with wealth is apparent; to him it represents how one is blessed by the Lord. Already the author is laying the foundation for subsequent events in the narrative, where Laban’s greed becomes his dominant characteristic.

13 tn The disjunctive clause is circumstantial.

14 tn Heb “the spring of water.”

15 tn Heb “and it will be.”