Genesis 18:2

And 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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Abraham, previously sitting at his tent entrance, looks up and encounters three men standing nearby. He immediately runs out to meet them and bows low to the ground in response to their presence.

The words — וַ/יִּשָּׂ֤א (va/i.yi.Sa') and עֵינָי/ו֙ ('ei.Na/v) literally mean "and he lifted up his eyes," describing the physical act of Abraham raising his gaze to notice the visitors. נִצָּבִ֖ים (ni.tza.Vim) translates as "[were] standing," indicating the men's stationary posture as Abraham approaches.

The thread — The encounter with three figures who include divine and angelic presences connects to Hebrews 13:2, which notes that hospitality toward strangers can unknowingly entertain angels. The narrative continues in Genesis 18:22 and Genesis 19:1 as two of these men proceed toward Sodom while Abraham remains before the LORD.

Why it lands — The text records Abraham's immediate physical response of running and bowing upon seeing the visitors, establishing the factual basis for later reflections on hospitality. Readers must first acknowledge the plain action of hospitality before drawing theological conclusions about angelic visitation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּשָּׂ֤אva/i.yi.Sa'and/ he lifted up עֵינָיו֙'ei.Na/veyes/ his וַיַּ֔רְאva/i.Yar'and/ he saw וְהִנֵּה֙ve./hi.Nehand/ there!שְׁלֹשָׁ֣הshe.lo.Shahthree אֲנָשִׁ֔ים'a.na.Shimmen נִצָּבִ֖יםni.tza.Vim[were] standing עָלָ֑יו'a.La/vwith/ him וַיַּ֗רְאva/i.Yar'and/ he saw וַיָּ֤רָץva/i.Ya.rotzand/ he ran לִקְרָאתָם֙li/k.ra.Ta/mto/ meet/ them מִפֶּ֣תַחmi./Pe.tachfrom/ [the] opening of הָאֹ֔הֶלha./'O.helthe/ tent וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּva/i.yish.Ta.chuand/ he bowed down אָֽרְצָה׃'A.re.tza/h[the] ground/ towards

King James Version

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 toward the ground,

Cross-references

Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Genesis 18:22 And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
Genesis 19:1 Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown,
Judges 13:3 The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.
Genesis 23:7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
Genesis 18:16 When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them off.
Genesis 32:24 So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
Genesis 43:26 When Joseph came home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and they bowed to the ground before him.
Genesis 43:28 “Your servant our father is well,” they answered. “He is still alive.” And they bowed down to honor him.
Genesis 44:14 When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.