King James Version

Genesis 18:27

And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:

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Hebrew

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וַיַּ֥עַןvayaanand shoutעָנָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and shout”, the next action in the storyH6030properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announcegive account, afflict (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), (cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for H6031 (עָנָה)), cry, hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, [idiom] scholar, (give a) shout, sing (together by course), speak, testify, utter,…אַבְרָהָ֖םavrahamAbrahamאַבְרָהָםnoun, proper name — “Abraham”H85Abraham, the later name of AbramAbraham.וַיֹּאמַ֑רvayomarand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…הִנֵּהhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.נָ֤אnaI beseech theeנָאparticle, exhortation — “I beseech thee”H4994'I pray', 'now', or 'then'; added mostly to verbs (in the Imperative or Future), or to interjections, occasionally to an adverb or conjunctionI beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh.הוֹאַ֨לְתִּי֙hoaltiassayיָאַלverb, hiphil, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “assay”, a completed actionH2974properly, to yield, especially assent; hence (pos.) to undertake as an act of volitionassay, begin, be content, please, take upon, [idiom] willingly, would.לְדַבֵּ֣רledaberto speakדָבַרpreposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “to speak”, the to-form of the verbH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אֲדֹנָ֔יadonayLordאֲדֹנָיnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “Lord”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH136the Lord (used as a proper name of God only)(my) Lord.וְאָנֹכִ֖יveanokhiand meאָנֹכִיconjunction, pronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “and me”H595II, me, [idiom] which.עָפָ֥רafardustעָפָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “dust”, the ordinary formH6083dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mudashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.וָאֵֽפֶרvaeferand ashesאֵפֶרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and ashes”, the ordinary formH665ashesashes.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And Abraham answered and said: 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:

Young’s Literal Translation

And Abraham answereth and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have willed to speak unto the Lord, and I — dust and ashes;

World English Bible

Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.

Darby Translation

And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak unto the Lord; I, who am dust and ashes.

Douay-Rheims

And Abraham answered, and said: Seeing I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And Abraham answered and said: 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Abraam answered and said, Now I have begun to speak to my Lord, and I am earth and ashes.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς Ἁβραὰμ εἶπε, νῦν ἠρξάμην λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν Κύριόν μου· ἐγὼ δὲ εἰμὶ γῆ καὶ σποδός.