Genesis 18:31
New International Version
Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

New Living Translation
Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?” And the LORD replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

English Standard Version
He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”

Berean Standard Bible
And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.”

King James Bible
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

New King James Version
And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

New American Standard Bible
And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.”

NASB 1995
And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.”

NASB 1977
And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.”

Amplified Bible
And he said, “Now behold, I have decided to speak to the Lord [again]. Suppose [only] twenty [righteous people] are found there?” And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to my lord, suppose twenty are found there? ” He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of twenty.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he said, “Since I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose 20 are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it on account of 20.”

American Standard Version
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.

Contemporary English Version
Then Abraham said, "I don't have any right to ask you, LORD, but what would you do if you find only 20?" "Because of them, I won't destroy the city," was the LORD's answer.

English Revised Version
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Look now, if I may be so bold as to ask you," Abraham said. "What if 20 are found there?" He answered, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20."

Good News Translation
Abraham said, "Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?" He said, "I will not destroy the city if I find twenty."

International Standard Version
"Look," Abraham said, "I've presumed to speak to my LORD… so what if 20 are found there?" "For the sake of those 20," the LORD responded, "I won't destroy it."

Majority Standard Bible
And Abraham said, ?Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?? He answered, ?On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.?

NET Bible
Abraham said, "Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?" He replied, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."

New Heart English Bible
He said, "Look, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?" He said, "I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake."

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord: Peradventure there will be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

World English Bible
He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?” He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he says, “Now behold, I have willed to speak to the Lord: perhaps there are found there twenty?” And He says, “I do not destroy [it], because of the twenty.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there are found there twenty?' and He saith, 'I do not destroy it, because of the twenty.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, Behold now, I have begun to speak to the Lord If twenty shall be found there? And he will say, I will not destroy for sake of twenty.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Since now I have begun,” he said, “I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty were found there?” He said, “I will not put to death, for the sake of the twenty.”

New American Bible
Abraham went on, “Since I have thus presumed to speak to my Lord, what if there are no more than twenty?” I will not destroy it, he answered, for the sake of the twenty.

New Revised Standard Version
He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said, Behold, I have ventured to speak before the LORD; suppose there shall be twenty found there? And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said, “Behold, I have begun to speak before LORD JEHOVAH; and if twenty are found there?” And he said, “I shall not destroy for twenty.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said: 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord. Peradventure there shall be twenty found there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said, Since I am able to speak to the Lord, what if there should be found there twenty? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I should find there twenty.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Abraham Begs for Sodom
30Then 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.” 31And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord, suppose twenty are found there?” He answered, “On account of the twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak once more. Suppose ten are found there?” And He answered, “On account of the ten, I will not destroy it.”…

Cross References
Exodus 32:11-14
But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? / Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. / Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’” ...

Numbers 14:17-19
So now I pray, may the power of my Lord be magnified, just as You have declared: / ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’ / Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

Jeremiah 5:1
“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.

Ezekiel 22:30
I searched for a man among them to repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I should not destroy it. But I found no one.

Amos 7:2-6
And when the locusts had eaten every green plant in the land, I said, “Lord GOD, please forgive! How will Jacob survive, since he is so small?” / So the LORD relented from this plan. “It will not happen,” He said. / This is what the Lord GOD showed me: The Lord GOD was calling for judgment by fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the land. ...

Isaiah 1:9
Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.

Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

Psalm 106:23
So He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.

Job 42:8-10
So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.” / So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer. / After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions.

1 Samuel 12:23
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

2 Chronicles 30:18-20
A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD, who is good, provide atonement for everyone / who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.” / And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

1 John 2:1
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Romans 8:34
Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.

Hebrews 7:25
Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.


Treasury of Scripture

And he said, Behold now, I have taken on me to speak to the LORD: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

Genesis 18:27
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

Matthew 7:7,11
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: …

Luke 11:8
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

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Abraham Account Bold Destroy Found Mercy Peradventure Perhaps Sake Speak Suppose Thoughts Twenty Undertaken Ventured Willed
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Abraham Account Bold Destroy Found Mercy Peradventure Perhaps Sake Speak Suppose Thoughts Twenty Undertaken Ventured Willed
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.














And Abraham said, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord,
This phrase highlights Abraham's boldness and humility in approaching God. In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, speaking directly to a deity was a rare and audacious act, indicating a special relationship. Abraham's approach is reminiscent of Moses' later intercessions for Israel (Exodus 32:11-14). It also foreshadows the New Testament teaching of believers having direct access to God through Christ (Hebrews 4:16).

suppose twenty are found there?”
Abraham's negotiation with God reflects the ancient practice of bargaining, common in Middle Eastern cultures. The number twenty signifies a further reduction in Abraham's plea for mercy, demonstrating his deep concern for the righteous in Sodom. This intercession is a type of Christ's mediatory role, as Jesus intercedes for humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). The focus on the righteous minority underscores the biblical theme of God's justice and mercy.

He answered, “On account of the twenty,
God's response reveals His willingness to spare the city for the sake of a few righteous individuals, emphasizing His mercy and justice. This principle is echoed in Ezekiel 22:30, where God seeks someone to stand in the gap for the land. It also prefigures the New Testament concept of believers being the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), preserving and influencing the world through their presence.

I will not destroy it.”
God's assurance to Abraham highlights His character as both just and merciful. This promise reflects the biblical theme of divine patience and the opportunity for repentance, as seen in 2 Peter 3:9. The sparing of Sodom for the sake of the righteous parallels the ultimate salvation offered through Christ, who bore the judgment for sin so that believers might be spared (Romans 5:9).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Abraham
The patriarch of the Israelites, known for his faith and obedience to God. In this passage, he is interceding for the city of Sodom.

2. The Lord
Refers to God, who is in dialogue with Abraham. This interaction highlights God's justice and mercy.

3. Sodom
A city known for its wickedness, which God plans to destroy due to its sinfulness. Abraham is negotiating for its preservation if righteous people are found there.
Teaching Points
The Power of Intercession
Abraham's dialogue with God shows the importance and power of intercessory prayer. Believers are encouraged to pray for others, trusting in God's mercy and justice.

God's Justice and Mercy
This passage illustrates God's willingness to spare the wicked for the sake of the righteous, highlighting His just and merciful nature.

Boldness in Prayer
Abraham's boldness in approaching God serves as an example for believers to come confidently before God with their requests.

The Value of Righteousness
The negotiation underscores the value God places on righteousness, encouraging believers to live upright lives that can impact their communities.Verse 31. - And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me (vide Ver. 27) to speak unto the Lord (Adonai): Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

“Now that
הִנֵּֽה־ (hin·nêh-)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

I have ventured
הוֹאַ֙לְתִּי֙ (hō·w·’al·tî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2974: To show willingness, be pleased, determine, undertake (to do anything)

to speak
לְדַבֵּ֣ר (lə·ḏab·bêr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the Lord,
אֲדֹנָ֔י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

suppose
אוּלַ֛י (’ū·lay)
Adverb
Strong's 194: Perhaps

twenty
עֶשְׂרִ֑ים (‘eś·rîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

are found
יִמָּצְא֥וּן (yim·mā·ṣə·’ūn)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

there?”
שָׁ֖ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

He replied,
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“On account
בַּעֲב֖וּר (ba·‘ă·ḇūr)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5668: Crossed, transit, on account of, in order that

of the twenty,
הָֽעֶשְׂרִֽים׃ (hā·‘eś·rîm)
Article | Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

I will not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

destroy [it].”
אַשְׁחִ֔ית (’aš·ḥîṯ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin


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OT Law: Genesis 18:31 He said See now I have taken (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 18:30
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