וַיִּפְנ֤וּ מִשָּׁם֙ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ סְדֹ֑מָה וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם עוֹדֶ֥נּוּ עֹמֵ֖ד לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

The agents went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before GOD.*

*This label may refer to the remaining visitor, to indicate that this agent will be speaking in God’s name; cf. Rashbam, Luzzatto, and note at v. 13.

(The above rendering—and footnote—come from the RJPS translation, an adaptation of the NJPS translation.)


Here the participant reference (the name “GOD”) is probably not meant to be taken literally. Rather, the narrator seems to be employing a linguistic device that I call agency metonymy. On this device, see my comment at 17:22.