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)Abraham looked up and was surprised to see threemenstandinga short distance away. He ran from the tent opening to meet them and bowedrespectfully,
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).
BrLXXἈναβλέψας δὲ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ εἶδε, καὶ ἰδοὺ τρεῖς ἄνδρες εἱστήκεισαν ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἰδὼν, προσέδραμεν εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. (Anablepsas de tois ofthalmois autou eide, kai idou treis andres heistaʸkeisan epanō autou; kai idōn, prosedramen eis sunantaʸsin autois apo taʸs thuras taʸs skaʸnaʸs autou, kai prosekunaʸsen epi taʸn gaʸn. )
BrTrAnd he lifted up his eyes and beheld, and lo! three men stood before him; and having seen them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and did obeisance to the ground.
ULTAnd he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing nearby him. And when he saw them, then he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them. Then he bowed to the ground,
USTAbraham looked up and saw that there were three men standing a short distance away. As soon as he saw them, he jumped up and hurried to them to greet them. Then he bowed before themwith his face to the ground to show respect,
BSBAnd Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
OEBand, as he looked up, three men stood there before him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed to the ground
WEBBEHe lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
NETAbraham looked up and saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
LSVand he lifts up his eyes and looks, and behold, three men standing by him, and he sees, and runs to meet them from the opening of the tent, and bows himself toward the earth,
FBVHe looked up and all of a sudden he saw three men standing there. As soon as he saw them, he ran over to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
T4TAbraham looked up [MTY] and was surprised to see three men standing near him. Actually, one was Yahweh, and the other two were angels. When he saw them, he ran to meet them. He prostrated himself with his face on the ground to show respect,
LEBAnd he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near[fn] him. And he saw them and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground.
18:2Or “by”; the context requires some distance for Abraham to run to them
BBEAnd lifting up his eyes, he saw three men before him; and seeing them, he went quickly to them from the door of the tent, and went down on his face to the earth;
JPSand he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed down to the earth,
ASVand he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
DRAAnd when he had lifted up his eyes, there appeared to him three men standing near him: and as soon as he saw them he ran to meet them from the door of his tent, and adored down to the ground.
YLTand he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself towards the earth,
DrbyAnd he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing near him. And when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself to the earth,
RVand he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,
WbstrAnd he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
KJB-1769And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
KJB-1611And he lift vp his eyes and looked, and loe, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, hee ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed himselfe toward the ground, (Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)
BshpsAnd he lift vp his eyes and loked, and loe, three men stoode by hym: And when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed hym selfe towarde the grounde, (And he lift up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him: And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself towarde the ground,)
GnvaAnd he lift vp his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stoode by him, and when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed himselfe to the grounde. (And he lift up his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stood by him, and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground. )
CvdlAnd as he lift vp his eyes, and loked, beholde, there stode thre men ouer agaynst him. And whan he sawe them, he ranne to mete them from his tent dore, and bowed him self downe vpon the grounde, (And as he lift up his eyes, and looked, behold, there stood three men over against him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from his tent door, and bowed him self down upon the ground,)
WyclAnd whanne he hadde reisid his iyen, thre men apperiden to hym, and stoden nyy hym. And whanne he hadde seyn hem, he ran fro the dore of his tabernacle in to the meting of hem, and he worschipide on erthe, (And when he had reisid his eyes, three men appeared to him, and stood nigh/near him. And when he had seen them, he ran from the door of his tabernacle in to the meting of them, and he worshipped on earth,)
LuthUnd als er seine Augen aufhub und sah, siehe, da stunden drei Männer gegen ihm. Und da er sie sah, lief er ihnen entgegen von der Tür seiner Hütte und bückte sich nieder auf die Erde (And als he his Augen aufhub and saw, look, there stunden three men gegen him. And there he they/she/them saw, ran he to_them entgegen from the/of_the door his hut/cabin and bückte itself/yourself/themselves nieder on the earth)
ClVgCumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt ei tres viri stantes prope eum: quos cum vidisset, cucurrit in occursum eorum de ostio tabernaculi, et adoravit in terram.[fn] (Cumque elevasset oculos, apparuerunt to_him tres viri stantes prope him: which when/with vidisset, cucurrit in occursum their about ostio tabernaculi, and adoravit in the_earth/land. )
18.2Tres viri. Tres viri Christi pronuntiant adventum, quem duo angeli comitantur, Moses secundum quosdam, et Elias; unus legislator, qui in lege adventum Domini indicavit: alter, qui in fine venturus est, secundum adventum Christi nuntiaturus, et Evangelium ejus prædicaturus. Unde transfigurato Domino in monte cum eo videntur. Tres vidit, et unum adoravit, Salvatorem scilicet ostendens, cujus adventum præstolabatur. Unde: Abraham vidit diem meum et gavisus est Joan. 8. Prævidit enim mysterium futuri sacramenti. Unde pedes eorum lavit, ut in fine mundi purificationem lavacri futuram monstraret; pedes enim novissima significant. Quos cum vidisset. GREG., lib. IX Moral., c. 51 Moraliter. Abraham tribus angelis occurrit, quia vir et dominus domus, scilicet spiritualis intellectus, debet in cognitione Trinitatis claustra carnis excedere, et quasi habitationis infimæ januam exire. Cura carnis, quam Sara significat, foris ad jactantiam non appareat, sed post tergum viri, id est, sub discretione spiritus, solis necessariis intenta, nesciat procaciter detegi, sed verecunde moderari. Ibid., lib. 28, c. 4. Abraham non potuisset angelos videre, hospitio suscipere et cibos adhibere, nisi corpus ex ære assumpsissent: non enim apparerent, non cibos sumerent, nisi solidum corpus ex cœlesti elemento haberent. Nec mirum quod modo angeli, modo Dominus vocantur, quia angeli vocantur, qui exterius ministrant, et Dominus ostenditur, qui eis interius imperat.
18.2Tres viri. Tres viri of_Christ pronuntiant adventum, which two angeli comitantur, Moses after/second quosdam, and Elias; unus legislator, who in lege adventum Master indicavit: alter, who in fine venturus it_is, after/second adventum of_Christ nuntiaturus, and the_Gospel his prælet_him_sayurus. Unde transfigurato Master in mountain when/with eo videntur. Tres vidit, and one adoravit, Salvatorem scilicet ostendens, cuyus adventum præstolabatur. Whence: Abraham he_saw diem mine and gavisus it_is Yoan. 8. Prævidit because mysterium futuri sacramenti. Unde pedes their lavit, as in fine mundi purificationem lavacri futuram monstraret; pedes because novissima significant. Quos when/with vidisset. GREG., lib. IX Moral., c. 51 Moraliter. Abraham tribus angelis occurrit, because man and dominus domus, scilicet spiritualis intellectus, debet in cognitione Trinitatis claustra carnis excedere, and as_if habitationis infimæ yanuam exire. Cura carnis, how Sara significat, foris to yactantiam not/no appareat, but after tergum viri, id it_is, under discretione spiritus, solis necessariis intenta, nesciat procaciter detegi, but verecunde moderari. Ibid., lib. 28, c. 4. Abraham not/no potuisset angelos videre, hospitio suscipere and cibos adhibere, nisi body from ære assumpsissent: not/no because apparerent, not/no cibos sumerent, nisi solidum body from cœlesti elemento haberent. Nec mirum that modo angeli, modo Master vocantur, because angeli vocantur, who exterius ministrant, and Master ostenditur, who to_them interius imperat.
18:1-15 The Lord’s visit to Abraham set the time for Isaac’s birth. The three visitors were probably the Lord and two angels (see study note on 16:7). Abraham’s peaceful and generous reception of the visitors contrasts sharply with the chaos and corruption of Sodom (ch 19). Eating together was important in making or confirming covenants; when God was ready to fulfill the covenant promise, he came in person to share a meal with Abraham. Fellowship with God has always been signified by a communal meal (see Exod 24:9-11; Matt 26:17-30//Luke 22:7-38; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor 11:20-34).
See how you translate this phrase in Gen 22:13. Alternate translation: “He looked up”
וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים
and=see/lo/see! three men standing
Alternate translation: “and noticed that there were three men standing” or “and was surprised to see three men standing”
עָלָ֑יו
on/upon/above=him/it
Translate this phrase in a way that fits with the fact that the men were far enough away from Abraham that he could run over to them (as he did in the next sentence). Alternate translation: “not too far away from him.”
וַיַּ֗רְא
and=he/it_saw
Alternate translation: “When he saw them,”
וַיָּ֤רָץ & מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל
and,ran & from,entrance the,tent
Alternate translation: “he got up from where he was and ran” or “he got up and ran to them”
לִקְרָאתָם֙
to,meet,them
Alternate translation: “to welcome them.”
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה
and,bowed ground,to
Compare how you translated a phrase that has a similar meaning (“fell on his face”) in Gen 17:3, 17. Alternate translation: “Then he bowed low before them with his forehead to the ground to show respect,” or “Then he prostrated himself on the ground in front of them to show respect,”
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.
