Genesis 18:30
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.”
Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
31 And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32 Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy 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 said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
- KJV
- And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
- WEB
- He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
- ASV
- And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
- DARBY
- And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry that I speak! Perhaps there may be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.
- BLB
- And he said, “Please, may the Lord not be hot, and I will speak. Suppose there should be found thirty.” And He said, “I will not do [it] if I find there thirty.”
- ÅB
- Men han sa: Herre, bli ikke vred om jeg taler! Kanskje det finnes tretti. Han svarte: Jeg skal ikke gjøre det dersom jeg finner tretti der.
- OTB
- Da sa han, “Måtte Herren ikke bli sint, men la meg tale; anta at det finnes tretti der?” Han svarte, “Jeg vil ikke gjøre det hvis jeg finner tretti der.”
- B1930
- Men han sa: Herre, bli ikke vred om jeg taler! Kanskje det finnes tretti. Han svarte: Jeg skal ikke gjøre det dersom jeg finner tretti der.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Psalms 10:17
You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,
Read in contextJob 40:4
“Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth.
Read in contextIsaiah 55:8–9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Read in contextHebrews 12:28–29
Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
Read in contextPsalms 89:7
In the council of the holy ones, God is greatly feared, and awesome above all who surround Him.
Read in contextPsalms 9:12
For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
Read in contextEsther 4:11–16
“All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.”
Read in contextIsaiah 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