Genesis 18:9 Commentary and Bible Study

No doubt, there was another conversation besides this, but the question is now put to him: ‘Where is Sarah thy wife?’ Again, some say, by now, he definitely knows the visitor is divine; he knows all about his wife. Yet on the other hand, that is not conclusive, because Abraham would have been extremely famous in the area, and his wife too, the princess of his enormous tented camp, would have been well-known in the vicinity, and these travellers would be bound to have picked up information about people they would meet or could stop off with on their route. But anyway he answers, ‘In the tent.’ The Lord ‘said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.’ Now that had been announced already in chapter 17, and even the name that the son would be given when he was born, and the promises that attended the son and the wonderful things, and how God would through that son bring about the promises and fulfil them for the great nation that would arise from Abraham, and from which the Messiah would be born. Sarah has not joined them for the meal, but remained in the background, according to their custom, but in line with the previous revelation that Abraham’s son would come through Sarah and not Hagar (Genesis 17:19), she is now called, and although the Lord speaks with Abraham, this is for Sarah to hear.