Again he spoke to him: he refers to Abraham and him to the LORD. Throughout this dialogue a literal translation of the pronouns may make it very difficult to identify the speakers, so most translations substitute the names as required in their languages. Abraham does not repeat his humble introduction after verse 27.

Suppose forty are found there: again Abraham lowers the total by five. Are found translates the passive form of “find” and may also be rendered as an active “Perhaps you will find only forty” or “What if you find only forty?” In many languages it is not necessary or natural to repeat the verb found in each of Abraham’s speeches from here on. Good News Translation says “Perhaps there will be only forty.” Others say, for example, “How about if there are only forty?”

He answered means “The LORD answered Abraham.”

For the sake of forty I will not do it: For the sake of means “because they are there” or “in order to save them” (compare “for their sake,” verse 26). Do it substitutes for “destroy Sodom.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .