Genesis 18:28 kjv

Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

Genesis 18:28 nkjv

Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?" So He said, "If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it."

Genesis 18:28 niv

what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."

Genesis 18:28 esv

Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."

Genesis 18:28 nlt

Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And the LORD said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there."

Genesis 18 verses

Genesis 18 28 Meaning

Genesis 18:28 continues Abraham's intercessory prayer for Sodom, wherein he lowers his plea from fifty righteous individuals to a new threshold of forty-five (implied by "fifty...lack five"). He challenges the Lord whether He would destroy the entire city if even this slightly reduced number of righteous people were present within it. This verse highlights Abraham's persistence and concern for the potentially righteous while affirming God's justice and His willingness to engage with human prayer.

Genesis 18 28 Context

Genesis chapter 18 opens with the Lord appearing to Abraham in the form of three men by the oaks of Mamre. After Abraham extends hospitality, the Lord reaffirms the promise of a son, Isaac, to Abraham and Sarah. Following this, the Lord confides in Abraham His intent to investigate and potentially judge Sodom and Gomorrah due to their grave sin. This divine disclosure sets the stage for Abraham's audacious intercession. Verses 23-32 detail Abraham's successive appeals to the Lord, incrementally lowering the number of righteous individuals required to spare the cities, starting from fifty. Verse 28 is the second instance of this negotiation, reducing the number from fifty to forty-five, highlighting Abraham's persistence and the Lord's remarkable patience in listening to his servant. This entire dialogue reveals deep theological insights into God's justice, mercy, and His willingness to allow humanity to appeal to Him, especially on behalf of others.

Genesis 18 28 Word analysis

• Perhaps (הֲ) / Fifty (חֲמִשִּׁים - Khamishim) righteous (הַצַּדִּיקִם - HaTzaddikim) men (no direct word, implied) lack (יַחְסַר - Yakhasar) five (חֲמִשָּׁה - Khamisha)?
  • Perhaps (הֲ - Ha): This is an interrogative particle, translating as "Is it possible that...?" or "What if...?". It indicates a question but also an appeal or a suggestion, framing Abraham's prayer not as a demand, but as a hopeful query.
  • Fifty (חֲמִשִּׁים - Khamishim): Refers to the previously agreed-upon initial number, serving as a baseline from which the "lack five" is subtracted. It signifies a significant population count.
  • Righteous (הַצַּדִּיקִם - HaTzaddikim): From the root "צָדַק" (tzadak), meaning "to be just, righteous, vindicated." The plural form emphasizes a group of such individuals. It points to moral and ethical uprightness, alignment with God's standards. God's character desires to save the righteous.
  • Lack (יַחְסַר - Yakhasar): From the verb "חָסַר" (khasar), meaning "to lack, decrease, fall short." It specifically means "lack by" or "minus." This direct subtraction makes Abraham's point precise and logical within the negotiation. It underscores that God's judgment is not indiscriminate but targeted, willing to spare the whole for the sake of the few righteous.
  • Five (חֲמִשָּׁה - Khamisha): A small, specific numerical decrement. This iterative reduction highlights Abraham's escalating audacity and desperate plea, probing the limits of divine mercy. It sets up the new lower boundary for sparing the city, demonstrating Abraham's persistent yet cautious negotiation.
• Will you destroy (הַתַּשְׁחִית - HaTashchit) all (אֵת כָּל - Et Kol) the city (הָעִיר - HaIr) for (בַּעֲבוּר - Ba'avur) lack of five (חֲמִשָּׁה - Khamisha)?
  • Will You destroy (הַתַּשְׁחִית - HaTashchit): An intense word from the verb "שָׁחַת" (shachat), meaning "to corrupt, spoil, ruin, annihilate." The interrogative particle "הֲ" (Ha) again introduces Abraham's plea as a rhetorical question, challenging the very idea of God's just nature allowing such an act. It underscores the severity of the proposed divine action against Sodom.
  • All (אֵת כָּל - Et Kol): Emphasizes the totality of destruction, contrasting sharply with the presence of even a few righteous. This heightens the tension and Abraham's concern for indiscriminate judgment.
  • The city (הָעִיר - HaIr): Refers to Sodom, the specific object of divine wrath. The collective identity of the city faces judgment.
  • For lack of (בַּעֲבוּר - Ba'avur): Meaning "for the sake of, on account of, because of." Here, it points to the justification or reason for God's potential action. It frames the entire city's fate hanging on the precise number of righteous within it.
  • Five (חֲמִשָּׁה - Khamisha): Repeated from the first clause, cementing the small difference that Abraham is bargaining for. This small number now represents the tipping point for the city's fate in Abraham's plea. It signifies the principle that a city's fate can hinge on a small minority, not just the majority.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "Fifty righteous men lack five?": This phrase directly represents Abraham's numerical adjustment. It’s a bold rhetorical question, a probing of God's limits. It shows Abraham's understanding of God's justice that spares the righteous, even within a wicked place.
  • "Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?": This forms the core of Abraham's continued challenge. It questions the disproportionate judgment – complete destruction versus a minimal deficiency in righteous individuals. It implies God would not be true to His character if He punished the entire population due to such a slight numerical shortfall. This also highlights God's patience as He tolerates Abraham's successive "what if" scenarios.

Genesis 18 28 Bonus section

• Abraham's prayer here exemplifies the biblical concept of standing "in the gap" for others, seeking to avert divine wrath through persistent petition. This practice finds its fullest expression in Jesus Christ, the ultimate intercessor.
• The repetitive numerical lowering from fifty to ten underscores Abraham's boldness, which is rooted in his covenant relationship with the Lord and his understanding of God's righteous character (Gen 18:25).
• The Lord's patient engagement with Abraham's step-by-step negotiation implies that God values sincere prayer and allows for human interaction in His divine plans, though His ultimate judgment remains sovereign and just.
• The fact that God does not destroy the city immediately at the mention of judgment (Gen 18:20-21) but first confides in Abraham and then allows this intercession indicates God's desire for reconciliation and the seeking of a basis for mercy.

Genesis 18 28 Commentary

Genesis 18:28 encapsulates Abraham's deep empathy and understanding of God's nature, despite his human limitations. This verse shows his second attempt at lowering the threshold of righteousness required to spare Sodom. Initially negotiating for fifty righteous, Abraham cautiously but persistently probes whether a shortfall of just five individuals (leaving forty-five) would still warrant the city's total destruction. This negotiation reveals several profound truths: God's extraordinary patience and willingness to dialogue with humanity; His perfect justice which distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked; and His mercy, evidenced by His readiness to spare a multitude for the sake of even a few blameless ones. Abraham's persistence, even after a favorable initial response from the Lord, highlights the core of intercession – continually laying concerns before God and appealing to His known attributes of righteousness and compassion. This negotiation teaches that divine judgment is never arbitrary, and God is always open to mercy when a basis for it, like righteousness, can be found. Ultimately, it also sets up the tragic reality that not even ten righteous people were found in Sodom, revealing the city's pervasive corruption.