(א) וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃
(1) The LORD appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.
What is going on here?
What do we expect to hear next?
(ב) וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רׇץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃
(2) Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground,
What is happening here? Is it relevant to the verse above and if so, how?
(ג) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃
(3) he said, “My lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant.
Look at the Hebrew. Do you agree with this English translation? Could the verse mean something else?
(ד) יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃ (ה) וְאֶקְחָ֨ה פַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְסַעֲד֤וּ לִבְּכֶם֙ אַחַ֣ר תַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן עֲבַרְתֶּ֖ם עַֽל־עַבְדְּכֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֵּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃
(4) Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. (5) And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on—seeing that you have come your servant’s way.” They replied, “Do as you have said.”
Note the verb forms (singular vs plural) in these verses and the one above. Is there a discrepancy? (Much clearer in the Hb)
Verses 6-8. Abraham hosted the guests and fed them.
Verses 9-15. The guests announced that Sarah would have a child.
What is happening here?
How can Abraham remain standing before the LORD; last we heard he was walking to show the visitors out vs.16?
(ז) וַיִּפְנוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים (בראשית יח, כב), הֲדָא אָמְרָת אֵין עֹרֶף לַמַּלְאָכִים. (בראשית יח, כב): וַיֵּלְכוּ סְדֹמָה וְאַבְרָהָם עוֹדֶנּוּ עֹמֵד לִפְנֵי ה', אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן תִּקּוּן סוֹפְרִים הוּא זֶה, שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה הָיְתָה מַמְתֶּנֶת לְאַבְרָהָם.
“[The angels] went to Sodom and Abraham remained standing before the Lord” – Rabbi Simon says: “This is a correction of the scribes (tikkun soferim ), for the presence of God was waiting for Abraham.”
:The first printing of Rashi’s Torah commentary, reads
והלא לא הלך לעמוד לפניו אלא הב”ה בא אצלו ואמר לו זעקת סדום ועמורה והיה לו לכתוב וה’ עודנו עומד על אברהם אלא תיקון סופרים הוא זה שהפכוהו רבותי’ לכתוב כן.
Actually Abraham did not go to stand before God. God came to him to tell him that “the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen 18:20-21]. . ..”[12] So the text should have read “God was still awaiting Abraham.” But this [= our biblical text] is [the result of] a scribal correction. The rabbis reversed the phrase to write it this way. (emphasis added)
Scribal correction?
verses 23-32. Abraham demands justice of the LORD.