Genesis 18:3 "My lord," said Abraham, "if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.

◄ Genesis 18:3 ►

New International Version
He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.

New Living Translation
“My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while.

English Standard Version
and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.

Berean Standard Bible
“My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.

King James Bible
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

New King James Version
and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.

New American Standard Bible
and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.

NASB 1995
and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.

NASB 1977
and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.

Legacy Standard Bible
and he said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.

Amplified Bible
and Abraham said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass by your servant [without stopping to visit].

Christian Standard Bible
and said, “My lord, if I have found favor with you, please do not go on past your servant.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.

American Standard Version
and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Contemporary English Version
and said, "Please come to my home where I can serve you.

English Revised Version
and said, My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Please, sir," Abraham said, "stop by to visit me for a while.

Good News Translation
he said, "Sirs, please do not pass by my home without stopping; I am here to serve you.

International Standard Version
"My lords," he told them, "if I have found favor with you, please don't leave your servant.

Majority Standard Bible
?My lord,? said Abraham, ?if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.

NET Bible
He said, "My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant.

New Heart English Bible
and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant.

Webster's Bible Translation
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

World English Bible
and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don’t go away from your servant.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and he says, “My Lord, if now I have found grace in Your eyes, please do not pass on from Your servant;

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'My Lord, if, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, do not, I pray thee, pass on from thy servant;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, Lord, if now I found grace in thine eyes, now thou wilt not pass away from thy servant.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away from thy servant:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said: “If I, O lord, have found grace in your eyes, do not pass by your servant.

New American Bible
he said: “Sir, if it please you, do not go on past your servant.

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And said, O LORD, if now I have found mercy in thy sight, do not pass away from thy servant;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
I shall take a little water and I shall wash your feet and recline under the tree:

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
and said: 'My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Lord, if indeed I have found grace in thy sight, pass not by thy servant.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Three Visitors
…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. 3“My lord,” said Abraham, “if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ...

1 Peter 4:9
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.

Romans 12:13
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Luke 24:28-31
As they approached the village where they were headed, He seemed to be going farther. / But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. / While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them. ...

1 Timothy 5:10
and well known for good deeds such as bringing up children, entertaining strangers, washing the feet of the saints, imparting relief to the afflicted, and devoting herself to every good work.

Acts 16:15
And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

3 John 1:5-8
Beloved, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, and especially since they are strangers to you. / They have testified to the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. / For they went out on behalf of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. ...

James 2:15-16
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. / If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that?

Luke 10:38-42
As they traveled along, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. / She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to His message. / But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” ...

Exodus 23:4-5
If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him. / If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

Leviticus 19:34
You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 10:19
So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

2 Kings 4:8-10
One day Elisha went to Shunem, and a prominent woman who lived there persuaded him to have a meal. So whenever he would pass by, he would stop there to eat. / Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God. / Please let us make a small room upstairs and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then when he comes to us, he can stay there.”

Job 31:32
but no stranger had to lodge on the street, for my door has been open to the traveler—

Treasury of Scripture

And said, My LORD, if now I have found favor in your sight, pass not away, I pray you, from your servant:

favour.

Genesis 32:5
And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

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Genesis 18

1. The Lord appears to Abraham, who entertains angels.
9. Sarah is reproved for laughing at the promise of a son.
16. The destruction of Sodom is revealed to Abraham.
23. Abraham makes intercession for its inhabitants.

Berean Study Bible

My lord
The Hebrew word used here is "Adonai," which is often used to denote respect and reverence. In this context, Abraham is addressing one of the three visitors, whom he perceives as a divine figure. This term reflects Abraham's recognition of the visitors' authority and his humility before them. Historically, the use of "Adonai" signifies a deep acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and presence, which is consistent with the conservative Christian view of God's omnipotence and the importance of reverence in worship.

if I have found favor
The phrase "found favor" is derived from the Hebrew "chen," meaning grace or favor. This expression is a common biblical motif, indicating a request for kindness or mercy. In the ancient Near Eastern context, finding favor was crucial for establishing relationships and receiving blessings. From a theological perspective, this reflects the grace that believers seek from God, emphasizing the unmerited favor that is central to Christian doctrine.

in your sight
The Hebrew word for "sight" is "ayin," which literally means "eye." This phrase suggests being under the watchful and discerning gaze of the Lord. It implies a desire for approval and acceptance from God, highlighting the importance of living a life pleasing to Him. In a broader scriptural context, it underscores the belief that God sees and knows all, and that His perception is what truly matters.

please do not pass
The plea "do not pass" is a heartfelt request for the divine presence to remain. The Hebrew root "abar" means to pass over or by, and in this context, it conveys a deep yearning for continued fellowship and blessing. This reflects the conservative Christian emphasis on the importance of God's presence in one's life and the desire for ongoing communion with Him.

your servant by
The term "servant" is translated from the Hebrew "ebed," which denotes a position of humility and service. Abraham's self-identification as a servant highlights his submission and willingness to serve the Lord. This aligns with the Christian call to servanthood, where believers are encouraged to serve God and others selflessly. The historical context of servitude in the ancient world further emphasizes the depth of Abraham's humility and devotion.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(3) My lord.--Heb. 'donai, a term of simple respect, just as the bowing towards the earth is exactly what an Arab sheik would do now to a passing traveller. Abraham's conduct is marked by all that stately courtesy usual among Orientals. He calls himself their slave: regards it as a favour that they should partake of his hospitality; speaks slightingly of the repast prepared as a mere morsel of bread; and treats it as a providential act that they had come into his neighbourhood. It was only afterwards that he knew that he was entertaining angels unawares (Hebrews 13:2). While, moreover, he addresses the chief traveller first, as courtesy required, he immediately afterwards changes to the plural, lest he should seem wanting in hospitable welcome to his companions.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - And said, My Lord - Adonai, literally, Lord, as in Genesis 15:2, q.v. (LXX., κύριε; Vulgate, Domine; Syriac, Onkelos, Kalisch, Alford, Lange), though the term may have indicated nothing more than-Abraham s recognition of the superior authority of the Being addressed (Murphy). The readings Adoni, my Lord (A.V., Dathius, Rosenmüller), and Aden, my lords (Gesenius), are incorrect - if now I have found favor in thy sight - not implying dubiety on Abraham s part as to his acceptance before God (Knobel), but rather postulating his already conscious enjoyment of the Divine favor as the ground of the request about to be preferred (Delitzsch, Lange). Those who regard Abraham as unconscious of the Divinity of him to whom he spake see in his language nothing but the customary formula of Oriental address (Rosenmüller; cf. Genesis 30:27; 1 Samuel 20:29; Esther 7:3) - put not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. The hospitality of the Eastern, and even of the Arab, has been frequently remarked by travelers. Volney describes the Arab as dining at his tent door in order to invite passers-by ('Tray.,' 1. p. 314). "The virtue of hospitality is one of the great redeeming virtues in the character of the Bedouins (Kalisch). "Whenever our path led us near an encampment, as was frequently the case, we always found some active sheikh or venerable patriarch sitting 'in his tent door,' and as soon as we were within haft we heard the earnest words of welcome and invitation which the Old Testament Scriptures had rendered long ago familiar to us: Stay, my lord, stay. Pass not on till thou hast eaten bread, and rested under thy servant's tent. Alight and remain until thy servant kills a kid and prepares, a feast'" (Porter's 'Giant Cities of Bashan,' p. 326; cf. ibid. p. 87).

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

“My lord,”
אֲדֹנָ֗י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 113: Sovereign, controller

said [Abraham],
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר (way·yō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

I have found
מָצָ֤אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

favor
חֵן֙ (ḥên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2580: Graciousness, subjective, objective

in your sight,
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ (bə·‘ê·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

please
נָ֨א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

pass
תַעֲבֹ֖ר (ṯa·‘ă·ḇōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

your servant {by}.
עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ (‘aḇ·de·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

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OT Law: Genesis 18:3 And said My lord if now (Gen. Ge Gn)