Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clearImportance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV)“I’ll definitely return to you here in the spring next year,” the visitor continued. “You see, your wife Sarah will have a son then.” ¶ Now Sarah was at the opening of the tent listening, but the visitor was facing the other direction.
Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
BrLXXΕἶπε δὲ, ἐπαναστρέφων ἥξω πρὸς σὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον εἰς ὥρας, καὶ ἕξει υἱὸν Σάῤῥα ἡ γυνή σου. Σάῤῥα δὲ ἤκουσε πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ τῆς σκηνῆς οὖσα ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ. (Eipe de, epanastrefōn haʸxō pros se kata ton kairon touton eis hōras, kai hexei huion Saɽɽa haʸ gunaʸ sou. Saɽɽa de aʸkouse pros taʸ thura taʸs skaʸnaʸs ousa opisthen autou. )
BrTrAnd he said, I will return and come to thee according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha thy wife shall have a son; and Sarrha heard at the door of the tent, being behind him.
ULTThen he said, “I will surely return to you at the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the opening of the tent, and it was behind him.
USTThen the man said to Abraham, “I will definitely come back here to visit you at this time next year. When I do, your wife Sarah will have a baby son.” Now Sarah was listening inside the entrance of the tent, which was behind the man.
BSB § Then the LORD said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” § Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.
OEBOne of them said, ‘I will surely return to you about nine months from now, and then, Sarah your wife shall have a son.’
WEBBEHe said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” ¶ Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
NETOne of them said, “I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him.
LSVand He says, “Returning I return to you, about the time of life, and behold, to Sarah your wife a son.” And Sarah is listening at the opening of the tent, which is behind him;
FBVThen one said, “I promise you that I will come back to visit you about this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening, hiding just inside the entrance to the tent behind him.
T4TThen the leader of the group said, “I will return to you ◄about this time/in the springtime► next year, and to your amazement, your wife Sarah will have an infant son.” It happened that Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind the one who was speaking.
LEBAnd he[fn] said, “I will certainly return to you in the spring,[fn] and look, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the doorway of the tent, and which was behind him.
BBEAnd he said, I will certainly come back to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife will have a son. And his words came to the ears of Sarah who was at the back of the tent-door.
JPSAnd He said: 'I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.' And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. —
ASVAnd he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
DRAAnd he said to him: I will return and come to thee at this time, life accompanying and Sara thy wife shall have a son. Which when Sara heard, she laughed behind the door of the tent.
YLTand he saith, 'returning I return unto thee, about the time of life, and lo, to Sarah thy wife a son.'
DrbyAnd he said, I will certainly return to thee at [this] time of the year, and behold, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent-door, which was behind him.
RVAnd he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
WbstrAnd he said, I will certainly return to thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
KJB-1769And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. (And he said, I will certainly return unto thee/you according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy/your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. )
KJB-1611[fn]And he said, I will certainly returne vnto thee according to the time of life; and loe, Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne. And Sarah heard it in the tent doore, which was behind him. (Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)
BshpsAnd he sayde: I wyll certaynely returne vnto thee according to the time of lyfe: and lo, Sara thy wyfe shall haue a sonne. That heard Sara in the tent doore, which was behynde hym. (And he said: I will certainly return unto thee/you according to the time of life: and lo, Sara thy/your wife shall have a son. That heard Sara in the tent door, which was behind him.)
GnvaAnd he saide, I will certainely come againe vnto thee according to ye time of life: and loe, Sarah thy wife shall haue a sonne. and Sarah heard in the tent doore, which was behinde him. (And he said, I will certainly come again unto thee/you according to ye/you_all time of life: and lo, Sarah thy/your wife shall have a son. and Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. )
CvdlThen sayde he: aboute this tyme twolue moneth, (yf I lyue) I will come to the agayne, and Sara thy wyfe shal haue a sonne. And Sara herde that out of the tent dore, which was behynde his backe. (Then said he: about this time twelve month, (yf I lyue) I will come to the again, and Sara thy/your wife shall have a son. And Sara heard that out of the tent door, which was behind his back.)
WyclTo whom the Lord seide, Y schal turne ayen, and Y schal come to thee in this tyme, if Y lyue; and Sare, thi wijf, schal haue a sone. Whanne this was herd, Sare leiyede bihynde the dore of the tabernacle. (To whom the Lord said, I shall turn again, and I shall come to thee/you in this time, if I live; and Sare, thy/your wife, shall have a sone. When this was heard, Sare leiyede behind the door of the tabernacle.)
LuthDa sprach er: Ich will wieder zu dir kommen, so ich lebe, siehe, so soll Sara, dein Weib, einen Sohn haben. Das hörete Sara hinter ihm, hinter der Tür der Hütte. (So spoke er: I will again to you/to_you coming, so I lebe, look, so should Sara, your woman, a son have. The heard Sara behind him, behind the/of_the door the/of_the Hütte.)
ClVgCui dixit: Revertens veniam ad te tempore isto, vita comite, et habebit filium Sara uxor tua. Quo audito, Sara risit post ostium tabernaculi.[fn] (Cui he_said: Revertens veniam to you(sg) tempore isto, vita comite, and habebit son Sara wife your. Quo audito, Sara risit after ostium tabernaculi. )
18.10Et habebit filium, etc. Promittit Deus Saræ sterili filium, dicens: Circa hoc tempus veniam; non tempus, sed qualitatem sui adventus significat, quoniam per filium repromissum fidelis populus erat nasciturus. Unde Isa. LIV et Gal. 4: Lætare sterilis, quæ non parturis, etc. Quo audito, etc. AUG. Quæst in Gen. Arguitur Sara quia risit, et non Abraham, cum similiter riserit; quia illius risus admirationis fuit, hujus dubitationis, quod dijudicare potuit qui corda novit. Negat Sara se risisse cum Deum non possit latere, sed forte homines putabat. Abraham vero Deum intelligebat, sed humanitatis officia præbendo, quæ tantum infirmæ carni necessaria sunt; mirum est: nisi homines prius arbitratus est, sed in quibus Deum loqui intelligeret, quibusdam signis divinæ majestatis apparentibus: sicut in hominibus Deum apparuisse sæpe Scriptura testatur, sed postea angelos fuisse cognoverunt.
18.10And habebit filium, etc. Promittit God Saræ sterili filium, saying: Circa this tempus veniam; not/no tempus, but qualitatem sui adventus significat, quoniam through son repromissum faithful populus was nasciturus. Unde Isa. LIV and Gal. 4: Lætare sterilis, which not/no parturis, etc. Quo audito, etc. AUG. Quæst in Gen. Arguitur Sara because risit, and not/no Abraham, when/with likewise riserit; because illius risus admirationis fuit, huyus dubitationis, that diyudicare potuit who corda novit. Negat Sara se risisse when/with God not/no possit latere, but forte homines putabat. Abraham vero God intelligebat, but humanitatis officia præbendo, which only infirmæ carni necessaria sunt; mirum it_is: nisi homines first/before arbitratus it_is, but in to_whom God loqui intelligeret, quibusdam signis divinæ mayestatis apparentibus: like in hominibus God apparuisse sæpe Scriptura testatur, but postea angelos fuisse cognoverunt.
This phrase refers to the man in verse 9 who spoke on behalf of himself and the other two men. We find out in verse 13 that the man was actually Yahweh. However, at this point Abraham and Sarah probably did not yet know who he was, so it is better to not specify who he was here, in order to keep that suspense in your translation. Alternate translation: “Then that man”
For some languages it may be more natural to move this time phrase to the beginning of this quote and say, “Next year at this time I will surely/definitely return …” Do what is best in your language. Alternate translation: “at this season next year,” or “next year at this time”
וְהִנֵּה
and=see/lo/see!
Consider whether or not it is better in your language to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “and when I do,” or “At that time,”
בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ
son have,Sarah your(ms)=woman/wife
This means that Sarah would have a son with her when Yahweh returns. It does not mean that she would give birth at that time. Alternate translation: “your wife Sarah will have a baby boy with her.” or “your wife Sarah will already have a baby son”
This sentence gives information about something that was happening while the man was talking. Translate this in a way that makes that clear in your language. Alternate translation: “Now Sarah was eavesdropping” or “Sarah was eavesdropping”
פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל
entrance the,tent
See how you translated “the entrance of the tent” in verse 1. Alternate translation: “inside the doorway of the tent,”
וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו
and=he behind,him
Notice that the pronoun it refers to the entrance to the tent (where Sarah was). Alternate translation: “which was right behind”
אַחֲרָֽיו
behind,him
The pronoun him is ambiguous here. It can refer to: (1) “the man” or (2) “Abraham”
Author’s note: This article assumes that Sodom, Gomorrah, and Bela (Zoar) were located at Bab edh-Dhra, Numeira, and Khirbat ash-Sheikh `Isa, respectively. The exact locations of the cities of the plain are widely debated, with the primary dispute centering around whether the cities are to be found in the northern area of the Dead Sea (since Lot headed east from Bethel [Genesis 13]) or the southern area (as the Medeba Map shows). It is beyond the scope of this article to present all the evidence to support a southern location, but many of them are well summarized here: “The Discovery of the Sin Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.” In addition, Eusebius in his Onomasticon describes the Dead Sea as lying between Jericho and Zoar. This author has also recently found that Eusebius notes that Nebereim (Nimrim; see Isaiah 15:6 and Jeremiah 48:34) is located at a village called Bennamareim (likely the site of Gomorrah on this map), which he also says is north of Zoar. Thus, if Eusebius is correct, Zoar is clearly located in the southern area of the Dead Sea, which fits very well with the location shown on this map. Also, Lot’s relocation to Sodom after moving east to the plain of the Jordan suggests that Sodom was located on the east side of the Dead Sea.
The famous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are first mentioned in Genesis 10:19 in a description of the territory of the Canaanites. The cities are mentioned again in chapter 13, which notes that while Abraham (then called Abram) was living near Bethel (also called Luz), tension began to grow between Abraham’s herders and the herders working for Abraham’s nephew Lot. To resolve the problem, Abraham suggested that he and Lot permanently part ways, and he offered Lot first choice of where to live. Lot chose to move east to the plain of the Jordan, because the land was well watered, and he eventually settled in the city of Sodom. Genesis 14 then describes how Lot was captured by four Mesopotamian kings as they attacked the cities of the plain, but Abraham rescued Lot. Sometime after this Abraham moved to the oaks of Mamre, near Hebron, and three visitors (one of whom is later called “the Lord,” and the other two “angels”) approached his tent. Abraham invited them to share a meal with him and then later accompanied them for the first part of their journey. Along the way the visitors revealed to Abraham that they were going to Sodom to destroy it for its wickedness. Abraham appealed to the Lord to spare the city if even a few righteous lived there, and the Lord agreed and went his way. The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening (Genesis 19:1), presumably the same day they left, although perhaps they actually took more than one day to travel to Sodom, because the distance from Mamre to Sodom is over 35 miles (56 km), and Scripture does not specifically note that it was the same day. The events that followed that evening are well known, and in the morning the angels compelled Lot and his family to flee the city before it was destroyed. The angels instructed them to flee to the hills, but Lot convinced them to allow him to take refuge in a small village on the plain and not destroy it. Genesis 19:23 seems to suggest that it took Lot’s family a full day and night to reach Zoar, which fits well with the 16 mile (25 km) distance from Sodom to Zoar. As they were reaching Zoar, the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur on Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, completely destroying them. As Lot’s family was still fleeing, Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. That same morning Abraham got up and went to where he had last spoken with the visitors, and when he looked out across the plain he saw columns of smoke rising from the destroyed cities. Later Lot and his daughters moved into the hills and lived in a cave, because they were afraid to remain in Zoar. Fearing they would never marry, Lot’s daughters both got their father drunk and conceived children by him, though he was unaware of it. These children became ancestors of the Moabites and the Ammonites.
