‘And Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city then will I spare all for their sake.'
Yahweh confirms Abraham's faith in His justice. If there are fifty righteous within the city all will be spared lest the fifty righteous be thought to be unfairly dealt with.
‘And Abraham answered and said, “See now, I have taken on me to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes. It may be that there will lack five of the fifty righteous. Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?'
Abraham is aware of his temerity in speaking up and abases himself to Yahweh. For ‘dust and ashes”, a token of unfitness and unworthiness, compare Job 30:19. But it is noticeable that here he refers to Yahweh as ‘the Lord'. He is Lord of Creation, Lord of Egypt, Lord of Sodom, Lord of Abraham, Lord and Judge of all. Who then is he, Abraham, to dare to question him? There is nothing brazen about Abraham's response. He recognises with Whom he deals. The title used emphasises this. It suggests the approach of a suppliant to one who judges. Abraham is not approaching Him as Yahweh the covenant God, for Sodom is not within the covenant, but as ‘the Lord', the One Who is over all.
‘And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find there forty five”.'
Again Yahweh accepts the principle. If there are any grounds for mercy He will show it.