†. Gen 18:1a . .The Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of
Mamre;
The words for "Lord" are yhvh and/or yhwh; the Jews' most sacred name for
God. This appearance is extremely interesting because in it Yhvh visits
Abraham as a human being. This visit occurred very shortly after the last
one because Isaac wasn't born yet and his birth had been predicted in 17:21
to be little more than a year away.
Mamre's terebinths were a grove of oak trees situated near modern day
Hebron about 20 miles south of Jerusalem at an elevation of 3,050 feet
above sea level.
†. Gen 18:1b-2a . . he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the
day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him.
It wouldn't be accurate to think of Abraham's tent as something akin to a
hiker/camper's basic portable shelter. Bedouin sheiks lived in pavilions, since
they served as the family's home.
The entrance of the tent likely had a large canopy over it like a roofed porch
so that Abraham wasn't sitting out in the sun, but rather in the shade. Poor
guy's heart must have stopped when he looked up at these three guys just
standing there saying nothing. I'm not sure if Abraham was aware at this
point that one of those men was Yhvh. So his next reactions are very
interesting. They reveal just how hospitable this rich and famous sheik was
to total strangers.
†. Gen 18:2b-3a . . As soon as he saw them, he ran from the
entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he
said: My lords,
Abraham was 99 so I don't think he actually sprinted. The word ruwts
(roots) can mean either to run or just simply to hurry.
The word for "lords" is from 'adown (aw-done') and/or the shortened 'adon
(aw-done') which mean: sovereign, i.e. a master (human or divine). 'Adown
is a versatile word that commonly refers to anyone in charge and is often
used as a courteous title of respect for elders; and also in a manner like we
today use the words sir, mister, monsieur, and señor. Sarah used the very
same word of her husband in Gen 18:12 and Rachel addressed her dad by it
at Gen 31:5.
†. Gen 18:3b-5a . . if it please you, do not go on past your servant.
Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the
tree. 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.
There was a custom in the Olde American West that when travelers came by
your spread, it was considered neighborly to offer them a meal and some
tobacco, along with water and provender for their horses. This sometimes
was the only means of support for off-season, unemployed cowboys known
as drifters and saddle bums; but what the hey, you took the good with the
bad; no questions asked. Traveling was neither a tourist's vacation nor a
Sunday drive in Abraham's day. No cushy motels, no gas stations or
convenience stores. It was very far in between communities and few people
along the way so a community like Abraham's was a welcome sight in that
day.
You can imagine how refreshing it would be on a hot day to soak your feet in
a tub of cool water and recline in the shade of a big oak tree. In an era
without refrigeration, electric fans, and/or air conditioning, that was just
about the best there was to offer. Anyway it all just goes to show that
Abraham was a very hospitable man, and really knew how to make people
feel at home.
†. Gen 18:5b . .They replied: Do as you have said.
There is something here important to note. Although the text says "they"
replied, it doesn't mean all three men spoke at once, nor spoke in turn. If
only one in a group speaks, and the others are silent, it's understood to
mean the others are consensual; and that the one speaks for all if no one
objects or has anything to add.
†. Gen 18:6-8a . . Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said:
Quickly, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes! Then
Abraham hurried to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and
gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it. He took curds
and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before
them;
The word for "calf" is from baqar (baw-kawr') which means: beef cattle or an
animal of the ox family-- of either gender.
It's interesting that Abraham served beef. In the early days of olde
California; the Spanish Franciscans raised cows primarily for their hides and
tallow; and found a ready market for those products in the east. Tallow of
course was used for candles, soap, and lubricants; and the hides for leather
goods like shoes, gloves, saddles, reins, and hats. In those days, pork and
fowl were the preferred table meats. It was actually the change-over from
pork to relatively cheap Texas longhorn beef that fueled the cattle baron era
of the 1800's.
The word for "curds" is from chem'ah (khem-aw') which means: curdled
milk, or cheese. Later to come Kosher laws would forbid serving dairy and
meat together; but in Abraham's day it was okay.
The only ingredient listed for the cakes-- which, considering the time
constraints, were probably more like pancakes and tortillas rather than
muffins and biscuits --is choice flour. There's no mention of a leavening
agent so the dough could have been matzo; which takes less time to prepare
than regular bread so it's a good choice when you're in a hurry.
With a little imagination, one could confect a pretty decent deli sandwich
from what Abraham put on their plates. Anyway, all this took an appreciable
amount of time; like preparing a thanksgiving dinner from scratch; including
butchering the turkey. Plus, they cooked in those days by means of open
flame and/or wood-fired ovens so it's not like Abraham served the men
packaged meals heated up in a microwave.
†. Gen 18:8b . . and he waited on them under the tree as they ate.
Targum authors-- believing the men to be angels --couldn't believe spirit
beings would actually partake of food. According to them, the foods were
before them, but they didn't actually eat it.
T. and [Abraham] served before them, and they sat under the tree; and he
quieted himself to see whether they would eat. (Targum Jonathan)
In major English versions of the Hebrew Bible-- e.g. The JPS and the Stone
-Gen 18:8 is translated "they ate". It isn't translated that Abraham stood by
to see if they would eat, nor is it translated they pretended to eat, nor that
they appeared to eat. Genesis is quite clear: the men, of whom one was
Yhvh, actually dined on the food that Abraham set before them.
If this event is examined without interference from either the Talmud or the
Targums, it soon becomes very apparent that these three visitors are
actually male homo sapiens (Hebrew 'iysh). The Hebrew word for angels is
mal'ak (mal-awk') and used nowhere in this entire chapter. And not only are
the men human beings, but one of them is Yhvh. Abraham never called one
of them that, but he did eventually switch from the informal 'adown to the
formal 'Adonay which is a title reserved for God only.
Cont.
/
Mamre;
The words for "Lord" are yhvh and/or yhwh; the Jews' most sacred name for
God. This appearance is extremely interesting because in it Yhvh visits
Abraham as a human being. This visit occurred very shortly after the last
one because Isaac wasn't born yet and his birth had been predicted in 17:21
to be little more than a year away.
Mamre's terebinths were a grove of oak trees situated near modern day
Hebron about 20 miles south of Jerusalem at an elevation of 3,050 feet
above sea level.
†. Gen 18:1b-2a . . he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the
day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him.
It wouldn't be accurate to think of Abraham's tent as something akin to a
hiker/camper's basic portable shelter. Bedouin sheiks lived in pavilions, since
they served as the family's home.
The entrance of the tent likely had a large canopy over it like a roofed porch
so that Abraham wasn't sitting out in the sun, but rather in the shade. Poor
guy's heart must have stopped when he looked up at these three guys just
standing there saying nothing. I'm not sure if Abraham was aware at this
point that one of those men was Yhvh. So his next reactions are very
interesting. They reveal just how hospitable this rich and famous sheik was
to total strangers.
†. Gen 18:2b-3a . . As soon as he saw them, he ran from the
entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he
said: My lords,
Abraham was 99 so I don't think he actually sprinted. The word ruwts
(roots) can mean either to run or just simply to hurry.
The word for "lords" is from 'adown (aw-done') and/or the shortened 'adon
(aw-done') which mean: sovereign, i.e. a master (human or divine). 'Adown
is a versatile word that commonly refers to anyone in charge and is often
used as a courteous title of respect for elders; and also in a manner like we
today use the words sir, mister, monsieur, and señor. Sarah used the very
same word of her husband in Gen 18:12 and Rachel addressed her dad by it
at Gen 31:5.
†. Gen 18:3b-5a . . if it please you, do not go on past your servant.
Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the
tree. 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.
There was a custom in the Olde American West that when travelers came by
your spread, it was considered neighborly to offer them a meal and some
tobacco, along with water and provender for their horses. This sometimes
was the only means of support for off-season, unemployed cowboys known
as drifters and saddle bums; but what the hey, you took the good with the
bad; no questions asked. Traveling was neither a tourist's vacation nor a
Sunday drive in Abraham's day. No cushy motels, no gas stations or
convenience stores. It was very far in between communities and few people
along the way so a community like Abraham's was a welcome sight in that
day.
You can imagine how refreshing it would be on a hot day to soak your feet in
a tub of cool water and recline in the shade of a big oak tree. In an era
without refrigeration, electric fans, and/or air conditioning, that was just
about the best there was to offer. Anyway it all just goes to show that
Abraham was a very hospitable man, and really knew how to make people
feel at home.
†. Gen 18:5b . .They replied: Do as you have said.
There is something here important to note. Although the text says "they"
replied, it doesn't mean all three men spoke at once, nor spoke in turn. If
only one in a group speaks, and the others are silent, it's understood to
mean the others are consensual; and that the one speaks for all if no one
objects or has anything to add.
†. Gen 18:6-8a . . Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said:
Quickly, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes! Then
Abraham hurried to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and
gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it. He took curds
and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before
them;
The word for "calf" is from baqar (baw-kawr') which means: beef cattle or an
animal of the ox family-- of either gender.
It's interesting that Abraham served beef. In the early days of olde
California; the Spanish Franciscans raised cows primarily for their hides and
tallow; and found a ready market for those products in the east. Tallow of
course was used for candles, soap, and lubricants; and the hides for leather
goods like shoes, gloves, saddles, reins, and hats. In those days, pork and
fowl were the preferred table meats. It was actually the change-over from
pork to relatively cheap Texas longhorn beef that fueled the cattle baron era
of the 1800's.
The word for "curds" is from chem'ah (khem-aw') which means: curdled
milk, or cheese. Later to come Kosher laws would forbid serving dairy and
meat together; but in Abraham's day it was okay.
The only ingredient listed for the cakes-- which, considering the time
constraints, were probably more like pancakes and tortillas rather than
muffins and biscuits --is choice flour. There's no mention of a leavening
agent so the dough could have been matzo; which takes less time to prepare
than regular bread so it's a good choice when you're in a hurry.
With a little imagination, one could confect a pretty decent deli sandwich
from what Abraham put on their plates. Anyway, all this took an appreciable
amount of time; like preparing a thanksgiving dinner from scratch; including
butchering the turkey. Plus, they cooked in those days by means of open
flame and/or wood-fired ovens so it's not like Abraham served the men
packaged meals heated up in a microwave.
†. Gen 18:8b . . and he waited on them under the tree as they ate.
Targum authors-- believing the men to be angels --couldn't believe spirit
beings would actually partake of food. According to them, the foods were
before them, but they didn't actually eat it.
T. and [Abraham] served before them, and they sat under the tree; and he
quieted himself to see whether they would eat. (Targum Jonathan)
In major English versions of the Hebrew Bible-- e.g. The JPS and the Stone
-Gen 18:8 is translated "they ate". It isn't translated that Abraham stood by
to see if they would eat, nor is it translated they pretended to eat, nor that
they appeared to eat. Genesis is quite clear: the men, of whom one was
Yhvh, actually dined on the food that Abraham set before them.
If this event is examined without interference from either the Talmud or the
Targums, it soon becomes very apparent that these three visitors are
actually male homo sapiens (Hebrew 'iysh). The Hebrew word for angels is
mal'ak (mal-awk') and used nowhere in this entire chapter. And not only are
the men human beings, but one of them is Yhvh. Abraham never called one
of them that, but he did eventually switch from the informal 'adown to the
formal 'Adonay which is a title reserved for God only.
Cont.
/
