Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.
Parallel translations
- KJV And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
- BSB Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I 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 undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!”
- Gen 3:19By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
- Luke 5:8But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”
- Isa 64:8But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand.
- Job 30:19He has cast me into the mire. I have become like dust and ashes.
- 1 Cor 15:47–48The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven.
- Ps 8:4what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?
- Gen 2:7Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
- Gen 18:30–32He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if there are thirty found there?” He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
- Ps 144:3Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him?
- Eccl 12:7and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
- Luke 18:1He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,
- Job 4:19How much more, those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth!
- Job 42:6–8Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”
- 2 Cor 5:1–2For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
- Ezra 9:6and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to 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.