John Calvin Commentary Genesis 18:2

"and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth," — Genesis 18:2 (ASV)

And, lo, three men stood by him. Before Moses proceeds to his principal subject, he describes to us the hospitality of the holy man. He calls the angels men because, being clothed with human bodies, they appeared to be nothing other than men. And this was done intentionally, so that he, by receiving them as men, might give proof of his charity.

For angels do not need those services of ours, which are the true evidences of charity. Moreover, hospitality holds the chief place among these services, because it is no common virtue to assist strangers, from whom there is no hope of reward. For people in general are accustomed, when they do favors for others, to look for a return; but he who is kind to unknown guests and individuals proves himself to be genuinely generous.

Therefore, the humanity of Abraham deserves no slight praise, because he freely invites men who were unknown to him, from whom he gained no advantage, and from whom he had no hope of mutual favors. What, then, was Abraham’s purpose? Truly, that he might relieve the necessity of his guests.

He sees them weary from their journey and has no doubt that they are overcome by heat. He considers that the time of day was becoming dangerous to travelers, and therefore he wishes both to comfort and to relieve people so oppressed. And certainly, natural human feeling itself dictates that strangers are to be especially assisted, unless blind self-love instead drives us to actions done for gain.

For no one is more deserving of compassion and help than those whom we see deprived of friends and domestic comforts. Therefore, the right of hospitality has been held most sacred among all people, and no disgrace was ever more detestable than to be called inhospitable. For it is a brutal cruelty to proudly despise those who, lacking ordinary support, turn to us for assistance.

However, it is asked whether Abraham was accustomed to receive indiscriminately all kinds of guests in this way. I answer that, with his usual prudence, he distinguished between his guests. And indeed, the invitation that Moses relates here has something uncommon about it. Undoubtedly, the angels bore in their countenance and manner marks of extraordinary dignity, so that Abraham would conclude they were worthy not only of food and drink but also of honor.

Those who think that he was thus attentive to his duty because he had been taught by his ancestors that angels often appeared in the world in human form, reason too philosophically. Even the authority of the Apostle is contrary to this, for he denies that they were at first known to be angels either by Abraham or by Lot, since they thought they were entertaining men (Hebrews 13:2). This, then, is the position to hold: when he saw men of venerable appearance, showing marks of singular excellence and advancing on their journey, he greeted them with honor and invited them to rest.

But at that time, there was greater honesty than is found at present amidst the prevailing treachery of humankind, so that the right of hospitality could be exercised with less danger. Therefore, the great number of inns is evidence of our depravity and proves that it has arisen from our own fault that this principal duty of humanity has become obsolete among us.

And bowed himself toward the ground. This sign of reverence was in common use among Eastern nations. The hidden meaning that some ancient writers have endeavored to draw out from this act—namely, that Abraham adored one out of the three whom he saw, and therefore perceived by faith that there are three persons in one God—I am more than content to omit, since it is frivolous and liable to ridicule and slander.

For we have said before that the angels were received by the holy man as if he intended to fulfill a duty towards men. But he was not aware that God honored his kindness and granted him the reward of angels as his guests, until they revealed themselves at the end of the meal.

It was therefore a purely human and civil honor that he paid them. As for his having greeted one in particular, it was probably because that one surpassed the other two. For we know that angels often appeared with Christ their Head; here, therefore, among the three angels, Moses points out one as the chief of the embassy.