Kejadian 18:6-8

18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take ¹  three measures ²  of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” ³  18:7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, ⁴  who quickly prepared it. ⁵  18:8 Abraham ⁶  then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food ⁷  before them. They ate while ⁸  he was standing near them under a tree.

Kejadian 21:8

21:8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared ⁹  a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. ¹⁰ 

[18:6]  ¹ tn The word “take” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the sentence lacks a verb other than the imperative “hurry.” The elliptical structure of the language reflects Abraham’s haste to get things ready quickly.

[18:6]  ² sn Three measures (Heb “three seahs”) was equivalent to about twenty quarts (twenty-two liters) of flour, which would make a lot of bread. The animal prepared for the meal was far more than the three visitors needed. This was a banquet for royalty. Either it had been a lonely time for Abraham and the presence of visitors made him very happy, or he sensed this was a momentous visit.

[18:6]  ³ sn The bread was the simple, round bread made by bedouins that is normally prepared quickly for visitors.

[18:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “the young man.”

[18:7]  ⁵ tn The construction uses the Piel preterite, “he hurried,” followed by the infinitive construct; the two probably form a verbal hendiadys: “he quickly prepared.”

[18:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ⁷ tn The words “the food” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text the verb has no stated object.

[18:8]  ⁸ tn The disjunctive clause is a temporal circumstantial clause subordinate to the main verb.

[21:8]  ⁹ tn Heb “made.”

[21:8]  ¹⁰ sn Children were weaned closer to the age of two or three in the ancient world, because infant mortality was high. If an infant grew to this stage, it was fairly certain he or she would live. Such an event called for a celebration, especially for parents who had waited so long for a child.