Genesis 18:26-33

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 

[18:27]  ¹ tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in vv. 30, 31, 32 is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

[18:27]  ² tn The disjunctive clause is a concessive clause here, drawing out the humility as a contrast to the Lord.

[18:28]  ³ tn The Hebrew verb שָׁחַת (shakhat, “to destroy”) was used earlier to describe the effect of the flood.

[18:28]  ⁴ tn Heb “because of five.”

[18:29]  ⁵ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:29]  ⁶ tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”

[18:30]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:30]  ⁸ tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

[18:30]  ⁹ tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.

[18:31]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:32]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:33]  ¹² tn Heb “And the Lord went.”

[18:33]  ¹³ tn The infinitive construct (“speaking”) serves as the direct object of the verb “finished.”

[18:33]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “to his place.”