18:26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
18:27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord 1 (although I am but dust and ashes), 2 18:28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy 3 the whole city because five are lacking?” 4 He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
18:29 Abraham 5 spoke to him again, 6 “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
18:30 Then Abraham 7 said, “May the Lord not be angry 8 so that I may speak! 9 What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
18:31 Abraham 10 said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
18:32 Finally Abraham 11 said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
18:33 The Lord went on his way 12 when he had finished speaking 13 to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. 14
1 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).
2 tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the
3 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.
4 tn Heb “because of five.”
5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”
7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “let it not be hot to the
9 tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.
10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn Heb “And the
13 tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
14 tn Heb “to his place.”