Genesis 18:27

²⁵ Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

²⁶ So the LORD replied, “If I find fifty righteous ones within the city of Sodom, on their account I will spare the whole place.”

Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—

²⁸ suppose the fifty righteous ones lack five. Will You destroy the whole city for the lack of five?” He replied, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.”

²⁹ Once again Abraham spoke to the LORD, “Suppose forty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the forty, I will not do it.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—
KJV: And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
WEB: Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.
ASV: And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:
DARBY: And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak unto the Lord; I, who am dust and ashes.
BLB: And Abraham answered and said, “Behold, please, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord, and I [am] dust and ash.

ÅB: Men Abraham tok igjen til orde og sa: Se, jeg har dristet meg til å tale til Herren, enda jeg er støv og aske;
OTB: Da talte Abraham igjen: “Nå som jeg har vært så dristig å tale til Herren, selv om jeg er intet annet enn støv og aske,
B1930: Men Abraham tok atter til orde og sa: Se, jeg har dristet mig til å tale til Herren, enda jeg er støv og aske;

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 6:5
Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
Read in context
Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground— because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Read in context
Luke 5:8
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.”
Read in context
Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
Read in context
Job 30:19
He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 15:47–48
The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 12:7
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Read in context
Genesis 2:7
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
Read in context