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The men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh.
Genesis 18:22 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
  • BSB And the two men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.
  • ESV So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.
  • NKJV Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.
  • NASB Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord.
  • NLT The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The two angels head to Sodom while Abraham remains standing before the LORD.

Overview

The scene narrows to Abraham alone with the LORD, setting up his great intercession. His standing 'before Yahweh' pictures the posture of a mediator pleading on behalf of others. This anticipates the intercessory ministry that finds its perfection in Christ, who ever lives to intercede (Hebrews 7:25).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Gen 19:1The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth,
  • Acts 7:55But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
  • 1 Tim 2:1I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men:
  • Ezek 22:30“I sought for a man among them, who should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
  • Ps 106:23Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had Moses, his chosen, not stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, so that he wouldn’t destroy them.
  • Jer 18:20Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
  • Jer 15:1Then Yahweh said to me, “Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people. Cast them out of my sight, and let them go out!
  • Gen 18:1–2Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.
  • Gen 18:16The men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. Abraham went with them to see them on their way.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Genesis videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Genesis 18:22YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on GenesisMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.

How Genesis 18:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.