Abraham's Three Visitors or the Hospitality of Abraham

Basic Info

Genesis 18:1–15

One day, after the males in Abraham’s household had been circumcised as a sign of the covenant with God, Abraham was sitting by the entrance to his tent when three men came along. Abraham rushed up to greet them and offered them food, drink, and cleansing water. The Bible calls this an appearance of the Lord. Because there were three men (often understood as angels), Christians have interpreted this as an appearance of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Abraham waited on the men, and while they ate, one said that Sarah would have a child in about a year’s time. Sarah heard this and laughed, thinking that she had long since stopped having periods. But the man said, in effect, “Don’t laugh; God can do anything.” She denied laughing but he said she did laugh. The name Isaac means “laughter.”

This story leads up to the story about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Historical Notes

Icons called the “Old Testament Trinity” are depictions of this story. Whether the three men or angels should therefore look different or look the same is disputed. Many argue that the visitors weren’t the actual Trinity but are a metaphor for the Trinity, so they can look the same. By that logic, they can have wings like angels. Others say that it was the Trinity and that the three of them should look different and not be depicted with wings.

What to Look For

• Abraham’s respect for or treatment of the three visitors
• Sarah’s attitude toward the visitors
• Whether Sarah was hidden from the visitors but they heard the laughter anyway
• Whether the visitors look alike or different
• The physical appearance of the visitors (wings, age, authority, etc.)

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

Do the three visitors depicted seem to be symbols of the Trinity or the Trinity itself?

Is Abraham’s example of hospitality meant to be a model for how Christians should treat strangers, wanderers in the desert?

In the artwork, does Abraham seem to know that the visitors are from God?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

What does it take to have the inner wherewithal to welcome strangers? What is it about Abraham in this artwork that indicates that he has what it takes to welcome the stranger in faith rather than turn the stranger away out of fear?

Sarah laughed in disbelief at the words of the stranger. Does the artwork’s depiction of Sarah offer any wisdom for remaining open to the message the stranger brings?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation

Welcoming the stranger is a spiritual practice that goes in and out of favor from place to place and generation to generation. What was the local attitude toward strangers (migrants, refugees, settlers, etc.) in the artist’s place and time? Might the artwork offer a response to, or affirmation of, that practice?

Does the artwork depict the three visitors as being so obviously related to God that they would be recognizable, or does it make the question of whether the visitors are important more ambiguous?