Genesis 18:2

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed down to the ground.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃

Transliteration

And-wayyiśśāʾ ʿênāyw and-wayyarʾ and-hinnēh three ʾănāšîm niṣṣābîm upon-him and-wayyarʾ and-wayyāroṣ to-liqrāʾṯām from-peṯaḥ the-ʾōhel and-wayyištaḥû ʾārṣâ.

Grammar Details

• *wayyiśśāʾ*: qal waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - lifted up
• *ʿênāyw*: noun with 3rd masculine singular suffix - his eyes
• *wayyarʾ*: qal waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - saw/looked
• *hinnēh*: demonstrative particle - behold/look
• *ʾănāšîm*: plural of *ʾîš* - men
• *niṣṣābîm*: niphal participle, masculine plural - standing
• *wayyāroṣ*: qal waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - ran
• *liqrāʾṯām*: preposition with infinitive construct and 3rd masculine plural suffix - to meet them
• *wayyištaḥû*: hishtafel waw-consecutive imperfect, 3rd masculine singular - bowed down
• *ʾārṣâ*: noun with directional he - to the ground/earthward

Word Meanings

• *wayyiśśāʾ*: lifted up/raised
• *niṣṣābîm*: standing/stationed/positioned
• *wayyištaḥû*: bowed down/prostrated himself/worshipped

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the ground,

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And he lyfte vp his eyes and looked: ad lo thre men stode not farr from hym. And whe he sawe them he ran agenst them from the tent dore and fell to the ground

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And as he lift vp his eyes, and loked, beholde, there stode thre men ouer agaynst him. And whan he sawe them, he ranne to mete them from his tent dore, and bowed him self downe vpon the grounde,

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And he lift vp his eyes, and looked: and lo, three men stoode by him, and when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed himselfe to the grounde.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And he lift vp his eyes and loked, and loe, three men stoode by hym: And when he sawe them, he ranne to meete them from the tent doore, and bowed hym selfe towarde the grounde,

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and he lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, three men standing by him, and he seeth, and runneth to meet them from the opening of the tent, and boweth himself towards the earth,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And lifting up his eyes, he saw three men before him; and seeing them, he went quickly to them from the door of the tent, and went down on his face to the earth;

• World English Bible (2000)

  He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth,

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Abraham looked up and saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

Referenced Verses

• Heb 13:2 : 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing this, some have entertained angels without knowing it.
• Gen 18:22 : 22 The men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.
• Gen 19:1 : 1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting at the city gate. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
• Judg 13:3 : 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have not had children, but you will conceive and give birth to a son."
• Gen 18:16 : 16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked with them to see them off.
• Gen 23:7 : 7 Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
• Gen 32:24 : 24 After he had sent them across the stream, he also sent over all his possessions.
• Gen 43:26 : 26 When Joseph came home, they presented him the gift they had brought with them and bowed to the ground before him.
• Gen 43:28 : 28 They replied, "Your servant our father is well. He is still alive." And they bowed down, prostrating themselves before him.
• Gen 44:14 : 14 Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph's house while he was still there, and they fell to the ground before him.
• Josh 5:13 : 13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?"
• Gen 33:3-7 : 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, 'Who are these with you?' Jacob replied, 'They are the children whom God has graciously given to your servant.' 6 Then the maidservants came forward with their children and bowed down. 7 Next, Leah and her children came forward and bowed down. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
• Judg 13:6-9 : 6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, "A man of God came to me. His appearance was like that of an angel of God, very awe-inspiring. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, 'Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. Now, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean, for the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb until the day of his death.' 8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, saying, "Please, Lord, let the man of God you sent come back to us and teach us what we are to do with the boy who is to be born." 9 God listened to Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was sitting in the field. But her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman hurried and ran to tell her husband, saying to him, "Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me again." 11 Manoah got up, followed his wife, and came to the man and said to him, "Are you the man who spoke to my wife?" And he said, "I am."
• Ruth 2:10 : 10 She bowed down with her face to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?"
• 2 Kgs 2:15 : 15 The company of the prophets from Jericho saw him from a distance and said, 'The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.' And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
• Rom 12:13 : 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
• 1 Pet 4:9 : 9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.