6.1.8 Gen. 18: Visit to Mamre and Abraham’s Intercession
Again the announcement of a progenitor. But this time Sarah laughs incredulously, while Abraham is drawn again as exemplary: He almost rolls over with hospitality toward the three men. The men are interpreted as Yahweh by v.1. Also in 13f Yahweh is explicitly mentioned.
The following story of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom begins in a similarly dazzling way: v. 16 the men break off, while from v. 17 – 21 the Lord is mentioned exclusively. V.22, on the other hand, the three men are clearly distinguished from God. The Most High appears dazzlingly in the form of the men and vice versa. Jesus can then continue this thought in Mt. 10, 40: “Whoever welcomes you welcomed me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ” Likewise, we can think of Mt. 25: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ” In other texts, the three men become angels. Quite true, because lat. angelus translated means nothing else than messenger. The number of three causes a lot of headaches for the Jewish interpretation. One God appears in three persons. Of course, the church has interpreted this trinitarian from the beginning.
The fact that it remains dazzlingly open whether God himself, angels or men are portrayed can be seen as a key for the interpretation. God’s angels can mean Yahweh himself in the OT, on the other hand also men can become angels.
Even vRad sees Yahweh appear in all three men. Because if the two others were only companions, the invitation to the banquet would not be valid for them. That God had eaten already disturbed the old interpreters. But the three men know about childlessness and know the name of Sara. Behind this is the intention of the narrator, who surrounded Yahweh with the veil of incognito. Adonai was already interpreted by the Jews as a form of address to God.
The guests move on and Abraham moves with them. God sometimes walks around in everyday human form. He is not always the fear inducing saint, in this respect one can interpret Mamre also messianically: God becomes man. But there is no work of redemption, but rather a promise. Abraham probably recognized him (nice double meaning of polite phrase and adonai!).
Delitzsch, curiously, interprets the Trinity as the God of grace, mercy, and judgment, and considers a distinctly Trinitarian interpretation inadmissible. “But because the message of grace is above the message of mercy and judgment, the Two are subordinate to the One. ”
One could read Emmaus as a mirror image of Mamre. Finally the insight: the guest is identified – even if late. Now the ambiguity becomes clear. And the invited becomes the inviting, the hospitable the infinitely given.
The little story of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom, which is appended here, is wonderful. As in an oriental bazaar, Abraham haggles with God by every trick in the book, and God actually haggles with him and lets himself be softened. The license to haggle: God sometimes wants to be asked very hard.