Genesis 18:31 kjv

And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

Genesis 18:31 nkjv

And he said, "Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty."

Genesis 18:31 niv

Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."

Genesis 18:31 esv

He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it."

Genesis 18:31 nlt

Then Abraham said, "Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue ? suppose there are only twenty?" And the LORD replied, "Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."

Genesis 18 verses

Genesis 18 31 Meaning

This verse captures the ongoing dialogue between Abraham and God concerning the fate of Sodom. After a previous plea reduced the required number of righteous people from fifty to forty-five, Abraham, with humility and persistence, further appeals to God. He asks God not to be angry with his continued request, daring to speak "but this once more," and proposes that if forty righteous people are found within the city, it might be spared. It reveals Abraham's deep concern for human life and his bold yet respectful intercession for the wicked city based on the principle of divine justice that spares the many for the sake of the few righteous.

Genesis 18 31 Context

This verse is set during God's pre-destruction revelation to Abraham about His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to their great sin. Earlier in the chapter, three men (the Lord and two angels) appear to Abraham. After eating and reaffirming the promise of Isaac, the Lord reveals His judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18:31 is part of Abraham's famous intercessory prayer, where he gradually lowers the minimum number of righteous individuals required for the cities to be spared. He starts at fifty, then thirty, then twenty, and finally ten. This verse specifically marks the fourth step in the negotiation, lowering the number from forty-five (implied after 18:29's "peradventure forty-five" or from fifty to a forty-five consideration not explicit but between 50 and 40) to forty. This dialogue highlights Abraham's intimate relationship with God and the divine attribute of patience and willingness to hear humble pleas. Historically, such divine communication and 'negotiation' with humans was rare in ancient Near Eastern religions, where deities were often seen as arbitrary and distant.

Genesis 18 31 Word analysis

• And he said: Signals Abraham's continued dialogue and respectful persistence in his intercession before the Lord.
• Oh let not the Lord be angry (אַל־נָא יִחַר לָאַדֹנָי, ʾal-nāʾ yichar lāʾăḏōnāy):
  • אַל־נָא (ʾal-nāʾ): A particle expressing earnest negative plea, "Do not, please." It conveys reverence and caution, indicating Abraham's awareness of the audacity of his continuous requests.
  • יִחַר (yichar): From the root חָרָה (ḥārāh), meaning "to burn," "to be hot," figuratively "to be angry." It reflects Abraham's deference to God's divine majesty and potential righteous indignation against sin.
  • לָאַדֹנָי (lāʾăḏōnāy): "to my Lord," or simply "the Lord." This is the reverent plural form of אָדוֹן (ʾādōn), emphasizing God's sovereignty, mastery, and owner-like authority. Abraham uses this deferential title in his prayer, recognizing God's ultimate power.
• and I will speak yet but this once (וַאֲדַבְּרָה אַךְ־הַפַּעַם, waʾăḏabberāh ʾakh-happaʿam):
  • וַאֲדַבְּרָה (waʾăḏabberāh): "And I will speak." The Qal imperfect form here expresses Abraham's determination and yet hesitant request.
  • אַךְ־הַפַּעַם (ʾakh-happaʿam): "Only this time" or "but this once." ʾakh is an emphatic particle meaning "surely," "only," and happaʿam means "this time." Abraham subtly pleads for patience, acknowledging the repetitive nature of his pleas while assuring God it will be the last. This expression also reveals Abraham's increasing boldness mixed with a renewed appeal for grace.
• peradventure forty shall be found there (אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן שָׁם אַרְבָּעִים, ʾûlay yimmāṣĕʾûn šām ʾarbaʿîm):
  • אוּלַי (ʾûlay): "Perhaps," "peradventure," "it may be." It signifies a hope or possibility rather than a certainty, revealing Abraham's continued reliance on God's mercy rather than presumption.
  • יִמָּצְאוּן (yimmāṣĕʾûn): "They will be found." This verb (from מָצָא, māṣāʾ, "to find") in the Niphal (passive) stem emphasizes that these righteous individuals exist, discovered by God rather than created by human effort.
  • שָׁם (šām): "There," referring specifically to Sodom, the focus of God's impending judgment.
  • אַרְבָּעִים (ʾarbaʿîm): "Forty." This number represents the next significant reduction in Abraham's persistent negotiation, demonstrating his faith that God would still uphold justice if fewer righteous were present.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once": This phrase reflects Abraham's profound humility combined with audacious faith. He respects God's ultimate authority and wrath against sin, yet dares to push the boundaries of petition, believing in God's capacity for mercy. It highlights the dynamic of intercession – bold in request, but humble in posture.
• "peradventure forty shall be found there": This part clearly defines the lowered numerical threshold Abraham proposes for the sparing of the city. The word "peradventure" encapsulates Abraham's humble hope, resting on God's character of justice and mercy rather than any claim of right. It also implicitly questions whether even this small number of righteous might truly exist in such a wicked city. This negotiation reflects a theological understanding that the presence of even a small righteous remnant could influence divine judgment, though in this case, even ten were not found.

Genesis 18 31 Bonus section

This specific interaction between God and Abraham underscores the profound and intimate nature of their covenant relationship. It is not a detached divine decree but a relational engagement. Abraham is allowed to approach God as a friend (Jas 2:23), challenging, questioning, and pleading for understanding and mercy. This scene acts as a theological bridge between God's absolute sovereignty and His relational interaction with humanity. Furthermore, the iterative reduction of the number highlights God's attribute of being "slow to anger" (Exod 34:6) and ready to listen to genuine pleas, emphasizing that God is not capricious like pagan deities, but acts according to righteous principles and is mercifully disposed towards those who call upon Him. It is a precursor to understanding how Christ himself intercedes for believers, continually presenting pleas to the Father based on His own perfect righteousness and sacrifice (Heb 7:25).

Genesis 18 31 Commentary

Genesis 18:31 captures Abraham's persistent, bold, yet humble intercession for the cities of the plain. His opening plea, "Oh let not the Lord be angry," underscores his deep reverence and awareness of the immense gap between finite humanity and infinite Deity. Despite this, his spiritual audacity, rooted in a relationship with God, allowed him to push the boundaries of what one might ask of the divine. The phrase "I will speak yet but this once" is a renewed humble plea, recognizing the intensity of his requests but also expressing an unyielding desire for mercy to prevail.

This specific lowering of the threshold to forty righteous reveals the incremental nature of Abraham's prayer and God's remarkable patience in listening. It reflects a core biblical principle: God is a God who hears and responds to the earnest prayers of His people. More profoundly, it showcases God's justice mixed with an astounding measure of grace and a willingness to postpone or even revoke judgment based on the presence of a few righteous individuals. While ultimately, even ten righteous souls would not be found in Sodom (leading to its destruction with Lot and his family rescued), this divine-human dialogue reveals a God who desires salvation more than judgment and invites human participation in His purposes through intercessory prayer. Abraham's boldness, born from knowing God's character (Gen 18:25), sets a powerful example for all believers in approaching the throne of grace with confidence yet profound respect.

Examples for practical usage:

• Persisting in prayer for a difficult family situation, echoing Abraham's 'one more time' approach.
• Interceding for a community struggling with specific societal issues, trusting that God values even a small number of faithful within it.