Genesis 18:29-30

Context

18:29 Abraham¹ 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 Abraham³ said, “May the Lord not be angry⁴ so that I may speak!⁵ What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

Genesis 18:32

Context

18:32 Finally Abraham⁶ 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.”

[18:29] ¹tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:29] ²tn The construction is a verbal hendiadys – the preterite (“he added”) is combined with an adverb “yet” and an infinitive “to speak.”

[18:30] ³tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:30] ⁴tn Heb “let it not be hot to the Lord.” This is an idiom which means “may the Lord not be angry.”

[18:30] ⁵tn After the jussive, the cohortative indicates purpose/result.

[18:32] ⁵tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.