Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
Parallel translations
- WEB Abraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
- KJV And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
- NKJV Then Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.
- NASB So Abraham stood up and bowed to the people of the land, the sons of Heth.
- NLT Then Abraham bowed low before the Hittites
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 rises and bows respectfully to the people of the land. He deals humbly and graciously even while pressing his request.
Overview
Abraham's bow reflects courtesy and humility in his dealings with his neighbors. The patriarch, honored as a prince, still shows deference. His conduct models integrity and respect in negotiating fairly with others.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Heb 12:14Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- Gen 18:2And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
- Prov 18:24A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
- Gen 19:1Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown,
- Rom 12:17–18Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
- 1 Pet 3:8Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
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 23:7 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
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