Глава 18

Abraham, disguised as three strangers, receives Jehovah and with Him two Angels Gen.18:1. And the Lord appeared to him at the oak grove of Mamre, The replacement here of Abraham’s own name with a personal pronoun – “him” – indicates that this chapter is in the closest connection with the previous one and constitutes, as it were, its continuation. But the very beginning words of the chapter leave no doubt that here we are talking about a new theophany, although it happened shortly after the previous one (Gen. 18:14, cf. Gen. 17:21). The place of this epiphany was the same oak grove of Abraham's Amorite ally Mamre, in which Abraham settled upon his return from Egypt (Gen. 13:18, 14:13) and which was located in the vicinity of Hebron. when he sat at the entrance to [his] tent during the heat of the day. The mention of the time of this theophany, namely that it occurred not in a dream, and not at night, but during the day and even in the middle of the day, according to exegetes, establishes its complete reality. The very details of this picture coincide perfectly with the customs and morals of the ancient East, whose inhabitants loved to go out in the afternoon heat of the day under the cool shade of their tents and wait here for guests in need of reinforcement and peace (Gen. 19:1). Gen.18:2. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood against him. All these verbs “erected”, “looked”, “saw” further aggravate the ultimate reality of this phenomenon. Who were the “three men” who appeared to Abraham? This is answered differently: some of the ancient interpreters wanted to see in them a separate indication of the three persons of the Holy Trinity (Justin the Philosopher, Ambrose, Cyril, etc.); but most others more fundamentally think that only one of these wanderers was a divine Person, while the other two were Angels (Gen. 19:1). In all likelihood, Abraham’s first guest was the “Angel of Jehovah,” the Logos or Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, who this time deigned to take on the face of an angel, in the likeness of how He later took on human nature. When he saw them, he ran towards them from the entrance to [his] tent and bowed to the ground, All these are signs of ordinary, albeit high, eastern hospitality, and by no means proof that Abraham recognized special heavenly guests in the person of these simple wanderers, as some think. Saint John Chrysostom ardently rebels against this: “none of those who listen to this will humiliate the virtues of the righteous man, suggesting that he spoke so because he knew who those travelers were. In this case, as I have said many times, there would be nothing great... But it is wonderful and extraordinary that he says such words, treating them as people” (Demon 41). Indeed, inviting Abraham to visit his tent, washing the feet of strangers and offering them food are all features of warm hospitality designed for ordinary people. Examples similar to this can be found in other places in the Bible (Gen. 23:7, 33:6, 7, 42:6). Gen.18:3. and said: Lord! If I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant; The text of the Russian Bible apparently suggests that Abraham addressed one of the strangers as the Lord. Likewise, the word found here in the Hebrew text: “Adonai” (with the vowel “kamets”) usually constitutes an appeal to God, and not to a simple person (like ours - “my lord”). To the question why Abraham, seeing three husbands, turns to only one with his welcoming invitation, St. John Chrysostom perfectly answers, saying: “Do not be surprised that the righteous man, receiving three strangers, says: “Lord,” addressing as if to one. Perhaps one of those who came seemed more important than the others; That is why the righteous man turns his request to him. But then he turns his speech to everyone in general” (see v. 4-5). Gen.18:4. and they will bring some water and wash your feet; and rest under this tree, Gen.18:5. and I will bring bread, and you will strengthen your hearts; Washing feet in hot and dusty Palestine, where only light sandals served as footwear, was a matter of necessity and the first duty of hospitality (Gen. 24:32, 43:24). The “heart” in the Bible is considered as the center of all vital functions, and the expression “to strengthen the heart” is equivalent to our “to strengthen the strength” (Judges 19:5; Ps. 103:15, etc.). Gen.18:6. And Abraham hurried to Sarah’s tent and said to [her], “Knead quickly three sati of fine flour and make unleavened bread.” Three sats made one ephah, approximately 30 pounds of our weight; judging by other places in the Bible, one might think that this was the usual amount of flour used by the Jews to prepare bread (Matthew 13:33). By unleavened bread here, obviously, we mean those flatbreads that are now usually made by Arabs in a few minutes when receiving honored guests. Gen.18:7. And Abraham ran to the herd, and took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the lad, and he hastened to prepare it. Gen.18:8. And he took the butter and the milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set it before them, while he stood beside them under the tree. Regarding those small details that depict the pictures of Abraham treating his unexpected guests, St. John Chrysostom notes: “look how everything is done with speed, with fiery zeal, with cordiality, with joy and great pleasure!.. He himself does and offers everything! He did not even recognize himself as worthy to sit with them, but while they were eating, he stood before them under the tree. What greatness of strangeness! What depth of humility! What sublimity of a God-loving soul!” This is not a ghostly or only allegorical eating of food, as some interpreters thought (Josephus, Philo, Jonathan, Justin the Philosopher), but a real and real acceptance of it, similar to how the Lord Jesus Christ ate food, appearing to the disciples after His resurrection (Luke 24:43) with His transformed flesh, passing even through locked doors (Jn. 20:19). Sarah receives a new revelation about the birth of her son and is convicted of the insufficiency of her faith Gen. 18:9–10. And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? He answered: here, in the tent. And one of them said: I will be with you again at this time [next year], and Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah listened at the entrance to the tent, behind him. Even in the previous verse we were talking about all three of Abraham's guests; now one of them is the speaker, and from the 13th verse He is directly called Jehovah (cf. Gen. 18:3). The fact that this wonderful guest of Abraham turned out to know his wife by name, and even more so, that He uttered the promise of the birth of a son from her, already well known to Abraham from previous theophany (Gen. 15:4, 17:19, 21), should have opened his eyes to the real nature of this heavenly guest. The fulfillment of the words of the very promise to come next year at the same time is rightly seen in the fact of the birth of Isaac, in which, obviously, the miraculous hand of God was felt, which is also authorized by the subsequent context of the speech (Gen. 21:1). Gen.18:11. Abraham and Sarah were old and advanced in years, and Sarah’s customary behavior among women ceased. An introductory remark by the writer of everyday life, serving to explain and justify Sarah’s subsequent action. Gen.18:12. Sarah laughed inwardly, saying: Should I, when I am old, have this consolation? “Sarah’s laughter,” says the Metropolitan. Philaret is not as innocent as Abraham’s laughter in a similar case (Gen. 17:17); but to her justification we can say that she has not yet recognized Jehovah” (Vlastov). A wonderful expression of that voluntary submission and obedience in which a loving wife should stand towards her husband. For this high feature of her marital relationship, Sarah was honored to become a role model for Christian wives (1 Pet. 3:6; 1 Cor. 11:3). Gen.18:13. And the Lord said to Abraham: Why did Sarah [in herself] laugh, saying: “Can I really give birth when I am old?” For the first time here, the first guest of Abraham is definitely and clearly called the Lord, or from Hebrew - “Jehovah”. He addresses this question to Abraham, since Sarah was not here; but this reveals even more clearly the omniscience of the speaker, who knew not only Sarah’s action, but also its hidden, internal motives. Gen.18:14. Is there anything difficult for the Lord? An excellent expression of the idea of ​​​​divine omnipotence, the best parallel of which can be the words of the Angel to the Blessed Virgin Mary, spoken to her during the Annunciation: “with God no word will remain powerless” (Luke 1:37). Gen.18:15. Sarah did not confess, but said: I did not laugh. Because she was afraid. The feeling of some fear or fear, as a tormenting voice of conscience and fear of punishment, is a natural consequence of sin (Genesis 3:10) in the souls of people who have not yet had time to become morally hardened and are available to repentance. Sarah, no doubt, also brought such sincere repentance of her lack of faith, since the apostle subsequently finds it possible to praise her for believing in the promise of the birth of a son to her (Heb. 11:11). Gen.18:16. And those men arose and went from there to Sodom [and Gomorrah]; The second city is not in the Hebrew Bible, but it is in the Greek and Slavic; the latter reading is more correct, since it is based on the context of the speech (Gen. 18:20). Abraham went with them to see them off. Accompanying a guest to the borders of one’s land is the last duty of Eastern hospitality, which was cordially fulfilled in this case by the elderly Patriarch Abraham. According to Jewish tradition, Abraham accompanied the Lord and the Angels on the way to Sodom to a place called “Kaphar Barukh”, from where along the valley a view of the Dead Sea and the surrounding Pentaipolis opened up. God reveals the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah Life 18:17. And the Lord said: Shall I hide from Abraham [My servant] what I want to do? These words represent the usual humanoid expression in the Bible of a well-known thought, in this case - the thought of such closeness of the righteous to God, which puts him in the position of a friend from whom there are no secrets or secrets. The last words of “My servant” are not in the Hebrew text and they are added from the LXX translation. But Philo and the Apostle James (James 2:23) make some amendment: instead of “My servant,” they have “My friend,” which is more consistent with the internal nature of the relationship that existed between God and the patriarchs (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8, etc.). Gen. 18:18–19. From Abraham will surely come a great and strong nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, for I have chosen him so that he will command his sons and his household after him to walk in the way of the Lord, doing righteousness and justice; and the Lord will fulfill on Abraham [all] that he spoke about him. These words of the Lord form a kind of introduction to the subsequent prophecy about the destruction of wicked cities. In it, the Lord repeats and reveals His previous promises to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 12:3, 13:16, 15:5, 17:5–6), and indicates both the goal of choosing the Jewish people and the conditions or means for achieving it, and, consequently, for receiving all the promises on the part of the latter, which consisted of loyalty to the Almighty or walking along His paths. The positive result of such behavior is closeness to the Lord (in Hebrew - Jehovah) and the achievement of all promises; and the negative one, which can occur in the event of unfaithfulness to Him and the corruption of Israel, is the sad fate awaiting the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen.18:20. And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy; This is a biblical image already known to us, expressing the idea that all violence and untruth committed on earth are not hidden from divine omniscience and receive from Him the retribution corresponding to them (Gen. 4:10, 6:13; Exod. 3:7; Is. 5:7). In particular, the sin of oppression of the weak by the strong, combined with bloodshed and murder, is often depicted in this way (Gen. 4:10; Deut. 24:14–15); The inhabitants of Sodom also suffered from it, who were distinguished by extreme moral laxity and an arrogant and contemptuous attitude towards the lower and weakest (Ezek. 16:47–56). Gen.18:21. I will go down and see whether they are doing exactly what the cry is against them, rising to Me, or not; I'll find out These words are condescension to our weakness, for a more understandable expression of the idea that divine judgment is based on the most complete and direct acquaintance with the very subject of this judgment. (Ps. 72:20; Isa. 11:3; Proverbs 18:13; Matt. 7:1). Gen.18:22. And the men turned from there and went to Sodom; Not all three men went to Sodom, but only two Angels, as is definitely stated below (Gen. 19:1). Abraham still stood before the Lord. The third companion, who remained with Abraham, is here directly called the Lord; “stand before the face of the Lord” in the language of St. writer often means to intercede or pray to the Lord for someone (1 Sam. 7:9; Ps. 105:23). Abraham petitions for the preservation of these cities This entire final section of this chapter presents a curious and instructive conversation between God and Abraham, testifying both to the high boldness of the righteous man and to the extreme condescension of God. Gen.18:23. And Abraham came and said, “Will You really destroy the righteous with the wicked [and the righteous will be as with the wicked]? In Abraham’s very question one can already hear the answer to it, the answer is negative - namely, that the highest divine love and truth will not allow the death of their chosen ones. Gen.18:24. maybe there are fifty righteous people in this city? Will You really destroy and not spare [the whole] place for the sake of fifty righteous people [if they are] in it? Having established in the previous words the general idea of ​​​​the highest divine truth, which does not allow the undeserved death of the righteous, Abraham now applies it to this particular case, suggesting that in the city of Sodom doomed to destruction there will be a significant number of similar righteous people. He even expresses here the hope that such a number of the righteous will atone, to some extent, for the crime of the others and save them from destruction. Gen.18:25. It cannot be that You would act in such a way that You would destroy the righteous with the wicked, so that the same thing would happen to the righteous as to the wicked; cannot be from You! Will the judge of all the earth act unjustly? This verse represents one of the most important members of the patriarchal religion, containing a solemn confession of faith in God as the omnipotent Judge of the entire universe, judging the world according to the laws of the highest truth, strictly separating the guilty from the innocent (cf. Deut. 10:17; Job 34:19; Jer. 31:29-30; Ezek. 18:20; Matt. 13:28-29; Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9). Gen.18:26. The Lord said: if I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, then for their sake I will spare [the whole city and] this whole place. Condescending to Abraham's request, God promises to show salvation to all, including the wicked, for the sake of the fifty pious. Similar thoughts and even examples are not alien to other places in the Bible (Prov. 11:11, 29:8; Isa. 37:35; Matt. 5:13, 24:22, etc.). Gen. 18:27–28. Abraham said in response: Behold, I have decided to speak to the Lord, I, dust and ashes: Perhaps there will be five missing to the fifty righteous; will You really destroy the whole city for the lack of five? He said: I will not destroy if I find forty-five there. Encouraged by the success of his first request, Abraham continues his intercession with even greater boldness, although at the same time filled with great humility. Proof of such humility before the greatness of Jehovah is his comparison with dust and ashes, a comparison full of deep inner meaning, in the sense of indicating the beginning (“dust of the earth,” Gen. 2:7) and the end (Eccl. 12:7) of man’s earthly existence. Gen.18:29. Abraham continued to talk to Him and said: Perhaps there will be forty there? He said: I will not do this even for the sake of forty. Or, as one can also translate from Hebrew: “he added more words, intensified his request.” In general, all this intercession of Abraham for the inhabitants of Sodom is an example of ardent, persistent prayer, accompanied, usually, by the desired success, according to the word of the Savior: “Ask and it will be given to you, ...knock and it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7; cf. Luke 11:8–9; Rom. 15:30). Gen. 18:30. And Abraham said: May the Lord not be angry that I say: maybe there will be thirty there? He said: I won’t do it if there are thirty there. In parallel with how Abraham’s very request intensifies, his humility before God, whose patience he tempts, also increases; but he tempts not for the sake of empty and idle curiosity, but out of high motives of love and compassion for his neighbors, which is why the Lord favorably accepts his mediation. Gen.18:31. Abraham said: Behold, I decided to tell the Lord: maybe there will be twenty there? He said: I will not destroy for the sake of twenty. The Lord’s compliance strengthens Abraham’s boldness and he, although with great embarrassment, decides to lower the number of righteous people to two dozen. Gen.18:32. Abraham said: May the Lord not be angry, what will I say one more time: maybe there will be ten there? He said: I will not destroy for the sake of ten. This is the highest degree of Abraham’s bold prayer, when he asked the Lord to preserve the city only for the sake of one dozen supposed righteous people in it, and God, by His ineffable mercy, agrees to such an extreme request of His faithful servant. But the inhabitants of the wicked cities were so mired in wickedness and debauchery that not even ten righteous people survived in them: as can be seen from the subsequent context, there were only three people - Lot and his two daughters, who were miraculously saved by God from universal destruction (chap. 19). Gen.18:33. And the Lord went away, ceasing to speak with Abraham; Words indicating that the theophany has ended and the vision of Jehovah has disappeared. Abraham returned to his place. Those. he returned from the valley of Kafar Baruch, which was the site of the epiphany, to the oak grove of Mamre, near Hebron, which served as his primary place of residence. You might be interested in: