Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—
Parallel translations
- WEB Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.
- KJV And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
- NKJV Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:
- NASB And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only dust and ashes.
- NLT Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes.
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
Abraham, calling himself dust and ashes, humbly presses his appeal to the Lord.
Overview
His self-description acknowledges the vast gulf between the creature and the Creator even as he prays boldly. True intercession combines holy boldness with deep humility. Abraham models how God's people may approach him reverently yet confidently (Hebrews 4:16).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Isa 6:5Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”
- Gen 3:19By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
- Luke 5:8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.”
- Isa 64:8But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
- Job 30:19He throws me into the mud, and I have become like dust and ashes.
- 1 Cor 15:47–48The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
- Ps 8:4what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
- Gen 2:7Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
- Gen 18:30–32Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak further. Suppose thirty are found there?” He replied, “If I find thirty there, I will not do it.”
- Ps 144:3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
- Eccl 12:7before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Luke 18:1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:
- Job 4:19how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!
- Job 42:6–8Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
- 2 Cor 5:1–2Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- Ezra 9:6and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 18:27 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.