Genesis 18 · Verse 7

Genesis 18:7

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
Genesis 18:7, King James Version

Genesis 18:7 in other translations

BSBMeanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd, selected a tender and choice calf, and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.
WEBAbraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress it.
ASVAnd Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it.
YLTand Abraham ran unto the herd, and taketh a son of the herd, tender and good, and giveth unto the young man, and he hasteth to prepare it;
DARBYAnd Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf tender and good, and gave it to the attendant; and he hasted to dress it.
BBEAnd running to the herd, he took a young ox, soft and fat, and gave it to the servant and he quickly made it ready;
WebsterAnd Abraham ran to the herd, and brought a calf tender and good, and gave it to a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

What does Genesis 18:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf--Animal food is never provided, except for visitors of a superior rank when a kid or lamb is killed. A calf is still a higher stretch of hospitality, and it would probably be cooked as is usually done when haste is required--either by roasting it whole or by cutting it up into small pieces and broiling them on skewers over the fire. It is always eaten along with boiled corn swimming in butter or melted fat, into which every morsel of meat, laid upon a piece of bread, is dipped, before being conveyed by the fingers to the mouth.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 18:1-8

Abraham was waiting to entertain any weary traveller, for inns were not to be met with as among us. While Abraham was thus sitting, he saw three men coming. These were three heavenly beings in human bodies. Some think they were all created angels; others, that one of them was the Son of God, the Angel of the covenant. Washing the feet is customary in those hot climates, where only sandals are worn. We should not be…

Read the full comment on Genesis 18:1-8 →

Genesis 18:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413
הַבָּקָ֖רha.ba.Karthe herdH1241
רָ֣ץratzhe ranH7323
אַבְרָהָ֑ם'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
וַיִּקַּ֨חvai.yi.Kachand he tookH3947
בֶּן\־ben-a young one ofH1121
בָּקָ֜רba.Kar[the] herdH1241
רַ֤ךְrakhtenderH7390
וָטוֹב֙va.tOvand goodH2896
וַיִּתֵּ֣ןvai.yi.Tenand he gave [it]H5414
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַנַּ֔עַרha.Na.'arthe servantH5288
וַיְמַהֵ֖רvay.ma.Herand he hurriedH4116
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹתla.'a.Sotto prepareH6213
אֹתֽוֹ\׃'o.To<obj.> itH853

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 18:7

  • Judges 13:15-16

    And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.

  • Matthew 22:4

    Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

  • Luke 15:27

    And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

  • Amos 6:4

    That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

  • Luke 15:30

    But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

  • Malachi 1:14

    But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

  • Genesis 19:3

    And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

  • Luke 15:23

    And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
19:3; Jud 13:15,16; Am 6:4; Mal 1:14; Mt 22:4; Lu 15:23,27,30

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 18:6

    And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

  • Genesis 18:7

    And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

  • Genesis 18:8

    And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Read all of Genesis 18

Genesis 18:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y corrió Abraham á las vacas, y tomó un becerro tierno y bueno, y diólo al mozo, y dióse éste priesa á aderezarlo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Abraham courut au troupeau, et prit un veau tendre et bon, et le donna à un jeune homme qui se hâta de l’apprêter.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Abraham lief zu den Rindern und nahm ein Kalb, zart und gut, und gab es dem Knaben; und der beeilte sich, es zuzubereiten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ipse vero ad armentum cucurrit, et tulit inde vitulum tenerrimum et optimum, deditque puero: qui festinavit et coxit illum.