18:29 Abraham 1 spoke to him again, 2 “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
18:30 Then Abraham 3 said, “May the Lord not be angry 4 so that I may speak! 5 What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
18:31 Abraham 6 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 7 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 8 when he had finished speaking 9 to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home. 10
1 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “let it not be hot to the
5 tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.
6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “And the
9 tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”
10 tn Heb “to his place.”