Genesis Chapter 18 verse 8 Holy Bible
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 chapter 18 in ASV
And he took butter and milk and the young ox which he had made ready and put it before them, waiting by them under the tree while they took food.
read chapter 18 in BBE
And he took thick and sweet milk, and the calf that he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood before them under the tree, and they ate.
read chapter 18 in DARBY
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 chapter 18 in KJV
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 ate.
read chapter 18 in WBT
He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and they ate.
read chapter 18 in WEB
and he taketh butter and milk, and the son of the herd which he hath prepared, and setteth before them; and he is standing by them under the tree, and they do eat.
read chapter 18 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 8. - And he took butter, - חֶמְאָה, from the root חמא, to curdle or become thick, signifies curdled milk, not butter (βούτυτρον, LXX.; butyrum, Vulgate), which was not used among Orientals except medicinally. The word occurs seven times in Scripture with four letters (Deuteronomy 32:14; Judges 5:25; 2 Samuel 17:29; Isaiah 7:15, .22; Proverbs 30:33; Job 20:17), and once without א (Job 29:6; vide Michaelis, 'Supplement,' p. 807) - and milk, - חָלָב, milk whilst still fresh, or containing its fatness, from a root signifying to be fat (cf. Genesis 49:12; Proverbs 27:27) - and the calf which he - i.e. the young man - had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, - a custom still observed among the Arabs, who honor their guests not by sitting to eat with, but by standing to wait upon, them - and they did eat. Not seemed to eat (Josephus, Philo, Jonathan), nor simply ate after an allegorical fashion, as fire consumes the materials put into it (Justin Martyr), but did so in reality (Tertullian, Delitzsch, Keil, Kurtz, Lange). Though the angel who appeared to Manoah (Judges 13:16) refused to partake of food, the risen Savior ate with his disciples (Luke 24:43). Physiologically inexplicable, this latter action on the part of Christ was not a mere φαινόμενον or simulation, but a veritable manducation of material food, to which Christ appealed in confirmation of the reality of his resurrection; and the acceptance of Abraham's hospitality on the part of Jehovah and his angels may in like manner have been designed to prove that their visit to his tent at Mamre was not a dream or a vision, but a genuine external manifestation.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) Butter.--Heb. curds, or curdled milk. Neither the Hebrews, Greeks, nor Romans knew how to make butter, and the word itself signifies cheese made of cows' milk. This is less prized in the East than that made from the milk of sheep, or of goats, while camels' milk is regarded by the Arabs as best for drinking. In a hot climate milk is more refreshing when slightly sour; but Abraham brought both fresh milk (probably from the camels) and sour milk (from the sheep), and this with the cakes and the calf made a stately repast. With noble courtesy "he stood by them, and they did eat." The Targum of Jonathan and other Jewish authorities translate "and they made show of eating," lest it should seem as though angels ate (Judges 13:16). There is the same mystery as regards our risen Lord (Luke 24:43).
