Genesis 18:2-10

18:2 Abraham ¹  looked up ²  and saw ³  three men standing across ⁴  from him. When he saw them ⁵  he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low ⁶  to the ground. ⁷ 

18:3 He said, “My lord, ⁸  if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. ⁹  18:4 Let a little water be brought so that ¹⁰  you may all ¹¹  wash your feet and rest under the tree. 18:5 And let me get ¹²  a bit of food ¹³  so that you may refresh yourselves ¹⁴  since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” ¹⁵  “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ¹⁶  three measures ¹⁷  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ¹⁸  18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ¹⁹  who quickly prepared it. ²⁰  18:8 Abraham ²¹  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ²²  before them. They ate while ²³  he was standing near them under a tree.

18:9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, ²⁴  in the tent.” 18:10 One of them ²⁵  said, “I will surely return ²⁶  to you when the season comes round again, ²⁷  and your wife Sarah will have a son!” ²⁸  (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. ²⁹ 

Genesis 19:1-3

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

19:1 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening while ³⁰  Lot was sitting in the city’s gateway. ³¹  When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face toward the ground.

19:2 He said, “Here, my lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house. Stay the night ³²  and wash your feet. Then you can be on your way early in the morning.” ³³  “No,” they replied, “we’ll spend the night in the town square.” ³⁴ 

19:3 But he urged ³⁵  them persistently, so they turned aside with him and entered his house. He prepared a feast for them, including bread baked without yeast, and they ate.

Jude 1:15-25

1:15 to execute judgment on ³⁶  all, and to convict every person ³⁷  of all their thoroughly ungodly deeds ³⁸  that they have committed, ³⁹  and of all the harsh words that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” ⁴⁰  1:16 These people are grumblers and ⁴¹  fault-finders who go ⁴²  wherever their desires lead them, ⁴³  and they give bombastic speeches, ⁴⁴  enchanting folks ⁴⁵  for their own gain. ⁴⁶ 

Exhortation to the Faithful

1:17 But you, dear friends – recall the predictions ⁴⁷  foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴⁸  1:18 For they said to you, “In the end time there will come ⁴⁹  scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.” ⁵⁰  1:19 These people are divisive, ⁵¹  worldly, ⁵²  devoid of the Spirit. ⁵³  1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, ⁵⁴  1:21 maintain ⁵⁵  yourselves in the love of God, while anticipating ⁵⁶  the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that brings eternal life. ⁵⁷  1:22 And have mercy on those who waver; 1:23 save ⁵⁸  others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy ⁵⁹  on others, coupled with a fear of God, ⁶⁰  hating even the clothes stained ⁶¹  by the flesh. ⁶² 

Final Blessing

1:24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, ⁶³  and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, ⁶⁴  without blemish ⁶⁵  before his glorious presence, ⁶⁶  1:25 to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.

Matthew 25:40

25:40 And the king will answer them, ⁶⁷  ‘I tell you the truth, ⁶⁸  just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters ⁶⁹  of mine, you did it for me.’

[18:2]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:2]  ² tn Heb “lifted up his eyes.”

[18:2]  ³ tn Heb “and saw, and look.” The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to what he saw. The drawn-out description focuses the reader’s attention on Abraham’s deliberate, fixed gaze and indicates that what he is seeing is significant.

[18:2]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew preposition עַל (’al) indicates the three men were nearby, but not close by, for Abraham had to run to meet them.

[18:2]  ⁵ tn The pronoun “them” has been supplied in the translation for clarification. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:2]  ⁶ tn The form וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ (vayyishtakhu, “and bowed low”) is from the verb הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה (hishtakhavah, “to worship, bow low to the ground”). It is probably from a root חָוָה (khavah), though some derive it from שָׁחָה (shakhah).

[18:2]  ⁷ sn The reader knows this is a theophany. The three visitors are probably the Lord and two angels (see Gen 19:1). It is not certain how soon Abraham recognized the true identity of the visitors. His actions suggest he suspected this was something out of the ordinary, though it is possible that his lavish treatment of the visitors was done quite unwittingly. Bowing down to the ground would be reserved for obeisance of kings or worship of the Lord. Whether he was aware of it or not, Abraham’s action was most appropriate.

[18:3]  ⁸ tc The MT has the form אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “Master”) which is reserved for God. This may reflect later scribal activity. The scribes, knowing it was the Lord, may have put the proper pointing with the word instead of the more common אֲדֹנִי (’adoni, “my master”).

[18:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “do not pass by from upon your servant.”

[18:4]  ¹⁰ tn The imperative after the jussive indicates purpose here.

[18:4]  ¹¹ tn The word “all” has been supplied in the translation because the Hebrew verb translated “wash” and the pronominal suffix on the word “feet” are plural, referring to all three of the visitors.

[18:5]  ¹² tn The Qal cohortative here probably has the nuance of polite request.

[18:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “a piece of bread.” The Hebrew word לֶחֶם (lekhem) can refer either to bread specifically or to food in general. Based on Abraham’s directions to Sarah in v. 6, bread was certainly involved, but v. 7 indicates that Abraham had a more elaborate meal in mind.

[18:5]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “strengthen your heart.” The imperative after the cohortative indicates purpose here.

[18:5]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “so that you may refresh yourselves, after [which] you may be on your way – for therefore you passed by near your servant.”

[18:6]  ¹⁶ tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.

[18:6]  ¹⁷ sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.

[18:6]  ¹⁸ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:7]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “the young man.”

[18:7]  ²⁰ tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”

[18:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ²² tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:8]  ²³ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[18:9]  ²⁴ tn The particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) often accompanies a gesture of pointing or a focused gaze.

[18:10]  ²⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (one of the three men introduced in v. 2) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Some English translations have specified the referent as the Lord (cf. RSV, NIV) based on vv. 1, 13, but the Hebrew text merely has “he said” at this point, referring to one of the three visitors. Aside from the introductory statement in v. 1, the incident is narrated from Abraham’s point of view, and the suspense is built up for the reader as Abraham’s elaborate banquet preparations in the preceding verses suggest he suspects these are important guests. But not until the promise of a son later in this verse does it become clear who is speaking. In v. 13 the Hebrew text explicitly mentions the Lord.

[18:10]  ²⁶ tn The Hebrew construction is emphatic, using the infinitive absolute with the imperfect tense.

[18:10]  ²⁷ tn Heb “as/when the time lives” or “revives,” possibly referring to the springtime.

[18:10]  ²⁸ tn Heb “and there will be (הִנֵּה, hinneh) a son for Sarah.”

[18:10]  ²⁹ tn This is the first of two disjunctive parenthetical clauses preparing the reader for Sarah’s response (see v. 12).

[19:1]  ³⁰ tn The disjunctive clause is temporal here, indicating what Lot was doing at the time of their arrival.

[19:1]  ³¹ tn Heb “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” The phrase “the gate of Sodom” has been translated “the city’s gateway” for stylistic reasons.

[19:2]  ³² tn The imperatives have the force of invitation.

[19:2]  ³³ tn These two verbs form a verbal hendiadys: “you can rise up early and go” means “you can go early.”

[19:2]  ³⁴ sn The town square refers to the wide street area at the gate complex of the city.

[19:3]  ³⁵ tn The Hebrew verb פָּצַר (patsar, “to press, to insist”) ironically foreshadows the hostile actions of the men of the city (see v. 9, where the verb also appears). The repetition of the word serves to contrast Lot to his world.

[1:15]  ³⁶ tn Grk “against” (κατά [kata] + genitive). English usage is satisfied with “on” at this point, but the parallel is lost in the translation to some degree, for the end of v. 15 says that this judgment is meted out on these sinners because they spoke against him (κατά + genitive).

[1:15]  ³⁷ tn Or “soul.”

[1:15]  ³⁸ tn Grk “of all their works of ungodliness.” The adverb “thoroughly” is part of the following verb “have committed.” See note on verb “committed” later in this verse.

[1:15]  ³⁹ tn The verb in Greek does not simply mean “have committed,” but “have committed in an ungodly way.” The verb ἀσεβέω (asebew) is cognate to the noun ἀσέβεια (asebeia, “ungodliness”). There is no easy way to express this in English, since English does not have a single word that means the same thing. Nevertheless, the tenor of v. 15 is plainly seen, regardless of the translation.

[1:15]  ⁴⁰ sn An apparent quotation from 1 En. 1:9. There is some doubt as to whether Jude is actually quoting from the text of 1 Enoch; the text here in Jude differs in some respects from the extant text of this pseudepigraphic book. It is sometimes suggested that Jude may instead have been quoting from oral tradition which had roots older than the written text.

[1:16]  ⁴¹ tn “And” is not in Greek, but is supplied for the sake of English style.

[1:16]  ⁴² tn Or “going.” Though the participle is anarthrous, so also is the subject. Thus, the participle could be either adverbial or adjectival.

[1:16]  ⁴³ tn Grk “(who go/going) according to their own lusts.”

[1:16]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “and their mouth speaks bombastic things.”

[1:16]  ⁴⁵ sn Enchanting folks (Grk “awing faces”) refers to the fact that the speeches of these false teachers are powerful and seductive.

[1:16]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “to their own advantage.”

[1:17]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “words.” In conjunction with προεῖπον (proeipon), however, the meaning of the construction is that the apostles uttered prophecies.

[1:17]  ⁴⁸ sn This verse parallels 2 Pet 3:2 both conceptually and in much of the verbiage. There is one important difference, however: In 2 Pet 3:2 the prophets and apostles speak; here, just the apostles speak. This makes good sense if Jude is using 2 Peter as his main source and is urging his readers to go back to the authoritative writings, both OT and now especially NT.

[1:18]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “be.”

[1:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “going according to their own desires of ungodliness.”

[1:19]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”

[1:19]  ⁵² tn Or “natural,” that is, living on the level of instincts, not on a spiritual level (the same word occurs in 1 Cor 2:14 as a description of nonbelievers).

[1:19]  ⁵³ tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”

[1:20]  ⁵⁴ tn The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.

[1:21]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “keep.”

[1:21]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “waiting for.”

[1:21]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “unto eternal life.”

[1:23]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “and save.”

[1:23]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “and have mercy.”

[1:23]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “with fear.” But as this contrasts with ἀφόβως (afobw") in v. 12 (without reverence), the posture of the false teachers, it most likely refers to reverence for God.

[1:23]  ⁶¹ sn The imagery here suggests that the things close to the sinners are contaminated by them, presumably during the process of sinning.

[1:23]  ⁶² tn Grk “hating even the tunic spotted by the flesh.” The “flesh” in this instance could refer to the body or to the sin nature. It makes little difference in one sense: Jude is thinking primarily of sexual sins, which are borne of the sin nature and manifest themselves in inappropriate deeds done with the body. At the same time, he is not saying that the body is intrinsically bad, a view held by the opponents of Christianity. Hence, it is best to see “flesh” as referring to the sin nature here and the language as metaphorical.

[1:24]  ⁶³ tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “free from falling” is the adjectival complement.

[1:24]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “with rejoicing.” The prepositional clause is placed after “his glorious presence” in Greek, but most likely goes with “cause you to stand.”

[1:24]  ⁶⁵ tn The construction in Greek is a double accusative object-complement. “You” is the object and “without blemish” is the adjectival complement.

[1:24]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “in the presence of his glory,” “before his glory.”

[25:40]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:40]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[25:40]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.