Genesis 18:33 kjv
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Genesis 18:33 nkjv
So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
Genesis 18:33 niv
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
Genesis 18:33 esv
And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Genesis 18:33 nlt
When the LORD had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.
Genesis 18 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 19:27-28 | "And Abraham got up early... and looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the land of the valley... | Abraham views the outcome of the judgment. |
| Exod 32:9-14 | "And the Lord said to Moses... let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them... But Moses entreated..." | Moses' intercession mirroring Abraham's. |
| Ezek 22:30 | "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land..." | God seeking intercessors. |
| Jas 5:16-18 | "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like our own..." | Power of righteous prayer, intercession. |
| 2 Pet 2:6-8 | "if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them... and rescued righteous Lot..." | Sodom's judgment and Lot's rescue confirmed. |
| Luke 17:28-29 | "Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating, they were drinking... But on the day Lot went out from Sodom..." | Sodom's destruction as a warning for judgment. |
| Matt 11:23-24 | "And you, Capernaum... it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." | Condemnation for rejection, comparing to Sodom. |
| Jer 5:1 | "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem... see if you can find a man, one who does justice..." | God seeking righteous individuals in a corrupt city. |
| Amos 7:1-6 | "Thus the Lord God showed me... the Lord relented concerning this: 'It shall not be,' said the Lord." | Prophet's intercession averting judgment. |
| Isa 1:9 | "If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah." | Remnant theology, Sodom as a destruction example. |
| Rom 9:29 | "And as Isaiah prophesied: 'Unless the Lord of hosts had left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.'" | Echoes Isa 1:9 on the remnant for God's purposes. |
| Gen 11:5 | "And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower..." | God "coming down" for inspection, prior to action. |
| Ps 11:4 | "The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man." | God's observation before judgment. |
| Heb 7:25 | "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." | Christ's eternal intercession. |
| 1 Tim 2:1 | "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people..." | Call to widespread intercessory prayer. |
| Job 33:23-24 | "If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of a thousand, to declare to man what is right for him..." | Idea of a mediator, though angelic here. |
| Zec 1:3 | "Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you..." | God's return tied to human response. |
| Deut 4:30-31 | "When you are in distress and all these things come upon you... for the Lord your God is a merciful God..." | God's mercy and faithfulness, even amidst judgment. |
| Gen 3:8 | "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day..." | God's personal presence and interaction. |
| John 14:2-3 | "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again..." | Jesus' departure and promise to return. |
| Acts 1:9-11 | "And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight..." | Christ's ascension/departure, witnessed by men. |
Genesis 18 verses
Genesis 18 33 Meaning
Genesis 18:33 signifies the definitive end of the direct, personal dialogue between the Lord and Abraham regarding the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. It marks the conclusion of Abraham's earnest intercession. The verse portrays a twin action: the Lord's departure from Abraham, signifying the cessation of the divine visitation and immediate presence for this specific purpose, and Abraham's corresponding return to his dwelling place, indicating the resumption of his normal life, having fulfilled his role in the momentous encounter. It sets the stage for the swift divine judgment detailed in the subsequent chapter.
Genesis 18 33 Context
Genesis chapter 18 opens with the Lord's visitation to Abraham at Mamre, where Abraham exemplifies extraordinary hospitality. During this visit, the Lord reveals His plan concerning Sarah's pregnancy and Abraham's role in the divine plan as a father of many nations, a father through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed (Gen 18:18). Crucially, the narrative then shifts to the Lord revealing His intent to judge Sodom and Gomorrah due to their great wickedness. This revelation sparks one of the Bible's most poignant scenes of intercessory prayer, where Abraham, demonstrating incredible boldness and faith, negotiates with the Lord, reducing the number of righteous individuals required to spare the cities from fifty down to just ten. This specific verse, Genesis 18:33, serves as the decisive endpoint of that extended divine-human dialogue, directly preceding the dramatic unfolding of God's judgment and the rescue of Lot in chapter 19.
Historically, this narrative reflects ancient Near Eastern concepts of divine justice, the role of a righteous individual or remnant in influencing divine action, and the importance of hospitality. It implicitly contrasts the moral depravity of Sodom with the righteous conduct of Abraham, preparing for the devastating judgment that serves as a theological warning against unrepentant sin.
Genesis 18 33 Word analysis
- When the Lord: In Hebrew, יְהוָה (Yahweh). This refers to the covenant God of Israel, the uncreated and eternal One. It emphasizes that it was God Himself, in a visible manifestation or theophany (perhaps the pre-incarnate Christ), who engaged Abraham. This indicates the profound weight and authority of the conversation and its conclusion.
- had finished speaking: The Hebrew כִּלָּה לְדַבֵּר (killa ledabber) denotes completion, a definite end to the dialogue. The negotiation and discussion have run their course. It implies God's patience in listening to Abraham's every plea. There were no more points of argument or petitions to make from Abraham’s side; God had heard them all.
- with Abraham: אֶל־אַבְרָהָם (el Avraham) highlights the direct and intimate nature of this unique encounter. The dialogue was personal and exclusive.
- he departed: וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelech) means "and He went" or "He walked away." This verb signifies movement away from the current location, indicating the cessation of the divine visible presence and direct interaction. This "departure" is not a physical limitation for God but a narrative device depicting the end of His manifest appearance for this particular purpose.
- and Abraham returned: וַיָּשָׁב אַבְרָהָם (vayyashav Avraham) means "and Abraham returned/went back." This is the reciprocal action. As God departs, Abraham also shifts his posture, returning to his daily sphere. It signifies the return to his regular activities, yet he returns undoubtedly impacted by the profound encounter and the knowledge of the impending judgment.
- to his place: לִמְקֹמוֹ (limqomo) literally means "to his place" or "to his dwelling." This refers to his tents and encampment, his usual habitation. It indicates a return to his ordinary environment, away from the scene of the divine encounter at the tent entrance or grove where he met the divine visitors. It signifies a transition from the extraordinary spiritual engagement back to the temporal reality of his life.
Genesis 18 33 Bonus section
The seemingly simple acts of the Lord "departing" and Abraham "returning to his place" carry significant theological weight. The departure of God often signifies a completed phase of divine revelation or visitation, indicating that humanity is left to respond or await the next divine act. In this instance, it is a prelude to judgment. Conversely, Abraham's "return to his place" symbolizes the human responsibility to process and respond to divine encounters within the mundane reality of daily life. Abraham's intercession was ultimately "unsuccessful" in averting Sodom's judgment because the required number of righteous people was not found. This illustrates a crucial point about intercession: while it holds great power, its effectiveness can be limited by the utter depravity and lack of even a small righteous remnant within the judged entity. This event also sets a theological precedent, often referenced throughout Scripture, regarding God's just assessment of cities and nations based on the righteousness (or lack thereof) found within them.
Genesis 18 33 Commentary
Genesis 18:33 succinctly concludes one of the most remarkable intercessory prayers in biblical history. The phrase "When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he departed" signifies a finality. It wasn't Abraham who concluded the conversation, but the Lord, who had patiently listened to Abraham's repeated pleas for mercy, dropping the righteous number needed from fifty to ten. This underscores God's boundless patience and His willingness to hear the petitions of His faithful servants, even when His justice demands judgment. However, the dialogue reaches its limit, not because of God's unwillingness to grant more mercy, but because Abraham ran out of righteous numbers to propose. He intuitively sensed that fewer than ten righteous individuals were not conceivable to ask for, or he understood God's parameters of justice in this instance.
The Lord's departure is an ominous sign. It indicates that the period of divine discourse and potential mitigation has ended, and the time for divine action, judgment, has come. God does not linger or force Abraham to accept the outcome; He simply concludes the conversation. Simultaneously, Abraham "returned to his place," indicating his acceptance, perhaps with a heavy heart, that his role as an intercessor for Sodom was now complete. He went back to the normalcy of his home life, but now carrying the burden of knowing Sodom's inevitable doom given the absence of even ten righteous souls. This verse serves as a sober transition from the divine grace shown in listening to Abraham, to the divine wrath revealed in the subsequent destruction of the cities. It exemplifies that while God hears prayer, His justice prevails where unrepentant wickedness is pervasive, and where a minimal righteous remnant cannot be found.