18:1 Apparuit autem ei Dominus in convalle Mambre sedenti in ostio tabernaculi sui in ipso fervore diei.
*H And the Lord appeared to him in the vale of Mambre as he was sitting at the door of his tent, in the very heat of the day.
Ver. 1. Sitting, &c. that he might lose no opportunity of exercising hospitality.
A.M. 2107, A.C. 1897.
* Footnote
* Hebrews
13 : 2
And hospitality do not forget: for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels.
18:2 Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum : quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi, et adoravit in terram.
*H And when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near to him: and as soon as he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.
Ver. 2. Men in outward appearance, but angels indeed. Heb. xiii. 2. S. Aug. de C. D. xvi. c. 29. Some have supposed, that one of them was the Son of God, whom Abraham adored, and who bears throughout the chief authority. Tres vidit et unum adoravit. He saw three and adored one, as we read in the Church office. In the former supposition, which is generally adopted, this adoration was only a civil ceremony, if Abraham considered them as mere men; or it might be mixed with a degree of religious, though inferior veneration, if he imagined they were angels; or in fine, he adored God in his representatives. H.
18:3 Et dixit : Domine, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, ne transeas servum tuum :
And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant.
18:4 sed afferam pauxillum aquae, et lavate pedes vestros, et requiescite sub arbore.
*H But I will fetch a little water, and wash ye your feet, and rest ye under the tree.
Ver. 4. Wash ye, or let your feet be washed by me, or by my servants, laventur. M.
18:5 Ponamque buccellam panis, et confortate cor vestrum : postea transibitis : idcirco enim declinastis ad servum vestrum. Qui dixerunt : Fac ut locutus es.
*H And I will set a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart, afterwards you shall pass on: for therefore are you come aside to your servant. And they said: Do as thou hast spoken.
Ver. 5. Therefore, Providence has directed you hither. Abraham promises but little, and gives much, in the true spirit of generous hospitality. C.
18:6 Festinavit Abraham in tabernaculum ad Saram, dixitque ei : Accelera, tria sata similae commisce, et fac subcinericios panes.
*H Abraham made haste into the tent to Sara, and said to her: Make haste, temper together three measures of flour, and make cakes upon the hearth.
Ver. 6. Measures, or one epha; that is, three pecks and three pints, English corn measure. — Flour, of the finest quality, similæ. — Hearth, as being soonest ready.
18:7 Ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit, et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum, deditque puero : qui festinavit et coxit illum.
*H And he himself ran to the herd, and took from thence a calf, very tender and very good, and gave it to a young man, who made haste and boiled it.
Ver. 7. Himself. These rich and truly noble people, do not esteem it beneath them to wait on strangers. They provide abundance, but no dainties. H.
18:8 Tulit quoque butyrum et lac, et vitulum quem coxerat, et posuit coram eis : ipse vero stabat juxta eos sub arbore.
He took also butter and milk, and the calf which he had boiled, and set before them: but he stood by them under the tree.
18:9 Cumque comedissent, dixerunt ad eum : Ubi est Sara uxor tua ? Ille respondit : Ecce in tabernaculo est.
*H And when they had eaten, they said to him: Where is Sara thy wife? He answered: Lo she is in the tent.
Ver. 9. Eaten apparently. Tob. xii. 19. or perhaps they consumed the food, as fire may be said to eat. S. Justin's Dial.
18:10 Cui dixit : Revertens veniam ad te tempore isto, vita comite, et habebit filium Sara uxor tua. Quo audito, Sara risit post ostium tabernaculi.
*H And he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying, and Sara, thy wife, shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.
Ver. 10. Time, or season of the year ensuing, if I be alive; which he says after the manner of men, as he had assumed also the human form. H.
* Footnote
* Romans
9 : 9
For this is the word of promise: According to this time will I come. And Sara shall have a son.
18:11 Erant autem ambo senes, provectaeque aetatis, et desierant Sarae fieri muliebria.
Now they were both old, and far advanced in years, and it had ceased to be with Sara after the manner of women.
18:12 Quae risit occulte dicens : Postquam consenui, et dominus meus vetulus est, voluptati operam dabo ?
*H And she laughed secretly, saying: After I am grown old, and my lord is an old man, shall I give myself to pleasure?
Ver. 12. Laughed, as if the promise were incredible. — My lord, or husband, which title of respect, S. Peter i. C. iii. 6, commends. D.
* Footnote
* 1_Peter
3 : 6
As Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters you are, doing well and not fearing any disturbance.
18:13 Dixit autem Dominus ad Abraham : Quare risit Sara, dicens : Num vere paritura sum anus ?
*H And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sara laugh, saying: Shall I, who am an old woman, bear a child indeed?
Ver. 13. Indeed. This was the import of Sara's words. By thus revealing what was secretly done in the tent, he shewed himself to be more than man.
18:14 Numquid Deo quidquam est difficile ? juxta condictum revertar ad te hoc eodem tempore, vita comite, et habebit Sara filium.
*H Is there any thing hard to God? According to appointment I will return to thee at this same time, life accompanying, and Sara shall have a son.
Ver. 14. Hard. So Gabriel says to the blessed Virgin: there is nothing impossible to God.
18:15 Negavit Sara, dicens : Non risi, timore perterrita. Dominus autem : Non est, inquit, ita : sed risisti.
*H Sara denied, saying: I did not laugh: for she was afraid. But the Lord said: Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Ver. 15. Afraid; which does not entirely clear her of sin: for though she might innocently laugh, if she thought the person who spoke was only a man, yet she ought not to have told an untruth; and if she reflected, that he had disclosed what she supposed no one knew, and thereby manifested his superiority over man, her denial was still more inexcusable. But she was taken, as it were, by surprise; and therefore the Lord reproves her very gently. H.
18:16 Cum ergo surrexissent inde viri, direxerunt oculos contra Sodomam : et Abraham simul gradiebatur, deducens eos.
And when the men rose up from thence, they turned their eyes towards Sodom: and Abraham walked with them, bringing them on the way.
18:17 Dixitque Dominus : Num celare potero Abraham quae gesturus sum :
And the Lord said: Can I hide from Abraham what I am about to do:
18:18 cum futurus sit in gentem magnam, ac robustissimam, et benedicendae sint in illo omnes nationes terrae ?
Seeing he shall become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth shall be blessed?
18:19 Scio enim quod praecepturus sit filiis suis, et domui suae post se ut custodiant viam Domini, et faciant judicium et justitiam : ut adducat Dominus propter Abraham omnia quae locutus est ad eum.
For I know that he will command his children, and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, and do judgment and justice: that for Abraham's sake, the Lord may bring to effect all the things he hath spoken unto him.
18:20 Dixit itaque Dominus : Clamor Sodomorum et Gomorrhae multiplicatus est, et peccatum eorum aggravatum est nimis.
And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is multiplied, and their sin is become exceedingly grievous.
18:21 Descendam, et videbo utrum clamorem qui venit ad me, opere compleverint ; an non est ita, ut sciam.
*H I will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry that is come to me; or whether it be not so, that I may know.
Ver. 21. I will go down, &c. The Lord here accommodates his discourse to the way of speaking and acting amongst men: for he knoweth all things, and needeth not to go any where for information. — Note here, that two of the three angels went away immediately for Sodom; whilst the third, who represented the Lord, remained with Abraham.
18:22 Converteruntque se inde, et abierunt Sodomam : Abraham vero adhuc stabat coram Domino.
And they turned themselves from thence, and went their way to Sodom: but Abraham as yet stood before the Lord.
18:23 Et appropinquans ait : Numquid perdes justum cum impio ?
And drawing nigh, he said: Wilt thou destroy the just with the wicked?
18:24 si fuerint quinquaginta justi in civitate, peribunt simul ? et non parces loco illi propter quinquaginta justos, si fuerint in eo ?
If there be fifty just men in the city, shall they perish withal? and wilt thou not spare that place for the sake of the fifty just, if they be therein?
18:25 Absit a te ut rem hanc facias, et occidas justum cum impio, fiatque justus sicut impius, non est hoc tuum : qui judicas omnem terram, nequaquam facies judicium hoc.
*H Far be it from thee to do this thing, and to slay the just with the wicked, and for the just to be in like case as the wicked; this is not beseeming thee: thou who judgest all the earth, wilt not make this judgment.
Ver. 25. With the wicked. God frequently suffers the just to be here the most afflicted; designing to reward them abundantly hereafter. But this was not so common in the days of Abraham and Job. C.
18:26 Dixitque Dominus ad eum : Si invenero Sodomis quinquaginta justos in medio civitatis, dimittam omni loco propter eos.
And the Lord said to him: If I find in Sodom fifty just within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.
18:27 Respondensque Abraham, ait : Quia semel coepi, loquar ad Dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis.
And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.
18:28 Quid si minus quinquaginta justis quinque fuerint ? delebis, propter quadraginta quinque, universam urbem ? Et ait : Non delebo, si invenero ibi quadraginta quinque.
What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city: And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.
18:29 Rursumque locutus est ad eum : Sin autem quadraginta ibi inventi fuerint, quid facies ? Ait : Non percutiam propter quadraginta.
And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.
18:30 Ne quaeso, inquit, indigneris, Domine, si loquar : quid si ibi inventi fuerint triginta ? Respondit : Non faciam, si invenero ibi triginta.
Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
18:31 Quia semel, ait, coepi loquar ad Dominum meum : quid si ibi inventi fuerint viginti ? Ait : Non interficiam propter viginti.
Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord: What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.
18:32 Obsecro, inquit, ne irascaris, Domine, si loquar adhuc semel : quid si inventi fuerint ibi decem ? Et dixit : Non delebo propter decem.
*H I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten shall be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.
Ver. 32. Ten. Abraham's chief solicitude was for Lot; though, out of modesty, he does not mention him; trusting, however, in the divine goodness, that he would be preserved, unless he had forfeited his justice, he proceeds no farther. God thus challenges Jerusalem to produce one virtuous man, and the city shall be saved for his sake. Jer. v. 1. H.
18:33 Abiitque Dominus, postquam cessavit loqui ad Abraham : et ille reversus est in locum suum.
And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.