Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 18:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The visitors rise and look toward Sodom, and Abraham walks with them to send them on their way. The hospitable meal has ended, and the story now turns from promised life to a threatened city.
Read It With
- Genesis 18:16–33
Read verses 16–19. The departure creates the setting for the LORD's deliberation about whether Abraham should hear the coming justice case.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The visitors' departure ends the promise meal and turns the narrative toward Sodom.
Read Genesis 18:16–19 together
Why these verses belong together: Departure, disclosure, worldwide blessing, and household righteousness-and-justice vocation form one transition.
Verse 16. 16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
Verse 17. 17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
Verse 18. 18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Verse 19. 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
What Remains True
Hospitality can open into moral responsibility; receiving people well does not excuse ignoring the harm toward which the story now turns.
How It Can Shape Life
- After caring for an immediate guest, remain attentive to wider harms that the encounter may bring into view.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 18:16–33 — Abraham Pleads for Righteous JudgmentSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, unit movement, vocation, outcry, investigation, intercession, numbers, and canonical links.
Exact location: Genesis 18:16–33 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 13:10–13; 14:1–24; 19:1–29; 20:7; Exodus 32:7–14; Jeremiah 15:1
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Yada, purpose clauses, righteousness and justice, outcry, cohortative investigation sequence, standing, sweep away, spare, far-be-it, Judge, dust and ashes, conditional proposals, and closure.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 18:16–33
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Know/choose, syntax, outcry, investigation wording, spare, rhetorical force, and translation alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 18:16–33 and translator notes, especially verses 17, 19, 20–25, 27, and 32
Open NET Genesis 18 ↗