-
Genesis 18:5b-8a
● 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 didn't matter.
The only ingredient listed for the cakes (which probably resembled English
muffins) is choice flour, suggesting that Sarah made them with fresh dough
rather than from a batch of dough that's been sitting around for a while.
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 warmed up in a microwave oven.
Poor Sarah; she must have been stressed due to the unexpected guests
messing up her daily routine. She probably hadn't planned to do any serious
cooking that day till later on towards evening when it was cooler. Women of
that day literally did slave over a hot stove, and many still do today in parts
of the world. In point of fact, the September 2017 issue of National
Geographic Magazine contains an article about this very thing.
/
Genesis 18:5b-8a
● 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 didn't matter.
The only ingredient listed for the cakes (which probably resembled English
muffins) is choice flour, suggesting that Sarah made them with fresh dough
rather than from a batch of dough that's been sitting around for a while.
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 warmed up in a microwave oven.
Poor Sarah; she must have been stressed due to the unexpected guests
messing up her daily routine. She probably hadn't planned to do any serious
cooking that day till later on towards evening when it was cooler. Women of
that day literally did slave over a hot stove, and many still do today in parts
of the world. In point of fact, the September 2017 issue of National
Geographic Magazine contains an article about this very thing.
/