Genesis 18

The LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

He 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,

and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.

Now let a little water be fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

I will get a piece of bread so you can refresh your heart. After that you may go your way, now that you have come to your servant.” They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”

Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly prepare three seahs of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.”

Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.

He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “There, in the tent.”

He 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.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Will I really bear a child when I am old?’

Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, when the season comes around, and Sarah will have a son.”

Then Sarah denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

The LORD said, “Will I hide from Abraham what I do,

since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed in him?

For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”

The LORD said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”

The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

Abraham came near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?

What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?

May it be far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”

The LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.

What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?” He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are forty found there?” He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”

He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”

He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”

The LORD went his way as soon as he had finished communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter records the visit of the Lord to Abraham in the form of three visitors, the reaffirmation of the coming birth of Isaac despite Sarah’s doubt, and Abraham’s intercession for Sodom as the divine purpose to judge the city is revealed. It stands at a turning point in Genesis, advancing both the promise of offspring and the unfolding justice of God against deep wickedness.

Flow.

The Lord appears to Abraham, who demonstrates profound hospitality to the three visitors, foreshadowing both royal welcome and divine encounter.
The promise of Isaac’s birth is given again, met by Sarah’s silent laughter born of disbelief, which the Lord confronts, emphasizing His power over natural impossibility.
As the visitors depart toward Sodom, God discloses His intent to act in judgment, affirming Abraham’s role as a man entrusted with divine counsel.
Abraham boldly intercedes for Sodom, appealing to God’s justice and negotiating from fifty to ten righteous, revealing the depth of his concern and God’s willingness to listen.

Connections. Following chapter 17, which contains the institution of circumcision and the formal renaming of Sarai to Sarah alongside the promise of Isaac, this chapter enacts that promise in real time, shifting from covenant sign to imminent fulfillment. The dialogue about righteousness and divine judgment prepares for chapter 19, which recounts the destruction of Sodom and the rescue of Lot, showing how God remembers His mercies even in wrath. The interplay of promise and judgment in chapter 18 forms the hinge on which the fate of Abraham’s family and neighboring nations turns.

What it teaches. God is both faithful to His promises and just in His governance of the world. The promise of Isaac confirms that God accomplishes His word not according to human ability but according to His sovereign power (WCF 7.3). Sarah’s laughter echoes human frailty in the face of divine mystery, yet God corrects without rejection, showing patience toward unbelief (HC LD 7). Abraham’s intercession reflects his role as a prophet and covenant mediator (WCF 7.5), while also affirming that the Judge of all the earth will do right (), grounding morality in God’s character (WCF 3.1). The knowledge God shares with Abraham fulfills His purpose that his household “keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice” (; cf. WCF 16.5).

Apply. Trust grows not by eliminating doubt but by encountering the God who speaks and acts beyond human limits.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.