Hebrew Bible · Genesis 18:1–8; 19:1–11

Three men who eat lunch

ReferenceGenesis 18:1–8; 19:1–11

Writtenc. 900–500 BCE

SetAbraham, c. 2000–1800 BCE by the Bible's own dating

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him… and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat… And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great.

Translation: KJV

Read it literally

The visitors look fully human, eat real food, and carry a weapon that blinds a crowd at once. Then Sodom is destroyed by 'fire from the LORD out of heaven' (19:24). Field agents with air support.

What scholars say

Read by scholars as a hospitality tale; the visitors are 'the LORD' and two angels.

From the sky Looks like technology

People and places hereSodom

Quick answers about Genesis 18:1–8

Where is Genesis 18:1–8 found?

Genesis 18:1–8; 19:1–11 (Hebrew Bible). Translation quoted: King James Version (1611; standard 1769 text), with Apocrypha.

When was Genesis 18:1–8 written?

c. 900–500 BCE.

What do scholars say about Genesis 18:1–8?