1 And Abraham H85 journeyed H5265 from thence toward the south H5045 country, H776 and dwelled H3427 between Kadesh H6946 and Shur, H7793 and sojourned H1481 in Gerar. H1642
2 And Abraham H85 said H559 of H413 Sarah H8283 his wife, H802 She is my sister: H269 and Abimelech H40 king H4428 of Gerar H1642 sent, H7971 and took H3947 Sarah. H8283
3 But God H430 came H935 to Abimelech H40 in a dream H2472 by night, H3915 and said H559 to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, H4191 for the woman H802 which thou hast taken; H3947 for she is a man's H1167 wife. H1166
4 But Abimelech H40 had not come near H7126 her: and he said, H559 Lord, H136 wilt thou slay H2026 also a righteous H6662 nation? H1471
5 Said H559 he not unto me, She H1931 is my sister? H269 and she, H1931 even H1571 she H1931 herself said, H559 He is my brother: H251 in the integrity H8537 of my heart H3824 and innocency H5356 of my hands H3709 have I done H6213 this.
6 And God H430 said H559 unto him in a dream, H2472 Yea, H1571 I know H3045 that thou didst H6213 this in the integrity H8537 of thy heart; H3824 for I also withheld H2820 thee from sinning H2398 against me: therefore suffered H5414 I thee not to touch H5060 her.
7 Now therefore restore H7725 the man H376 his wife; H802 for he is a prophet, H5030 and he shall pray H6419 for thee, H1157 and thou shalt live: H2421 and if thou restore H7725 her not, know H3045 thou that thou shalt surely H4191 die, H4191 thou, and all that are thine.
8 Therefore Abimelech H40 rose early H7925 in the morning, H1242 and called H7121 all his servants, H5650 and told H1696 all these things H1697 in their ears: H241 and the men H582 were sore H3966 afraid. H3372
9 Then Abimelech H40 called H7121 Abraham, H85 and said H559 unto him, What hast thou done H6213 unto us? and what have I offended H2398 thee, that thou hast brought H935 on me and on my kingdom H4467 a great H1419 sin? H2401 thou hast done H6213 deeds H4639 unto me that ought not to be done. H6213
10 And Abimelech H40 said H559 unto Abraham, H85 What H4100 sawest thou, H7200 that thou hast done H6213 this thing? H1697
11 And Abraham H85 said, H559 Because I thought, H559 Surely H7535 the fear H3374 of God H430 is not in this place; H4725 and they will slay me H2026 for my wife's H802 sake. H1697
12 And yet indeed H546 she is my sister; H269 she is the daughter H1323 of my father, H1 but not the daughter H1323 of my mother; H517 and she became my wife. H802
13 And it came to pass, when God H430 caused me to wander H8582 from my father's H1 house, H1004 that I said H559 unto her, This is thy kindness H2617 which thou shalt shew H6213 unto me; at every place H4725 whither we shall come, H935 say H559 of me, He is my brother. H251
14 And Abimelech H40 took H3947 sheep, H6629 and oxen, H1241 and menservants, H5650 and womenservants, H8198 and gave H5414 them unto Abraham, H85 and restored H7725 him Sarah H8283 his wife. H802
15 And Abimelech H40 said, H559 Behold, my land H776 is before thee: H6440 dwell H3427 where it pleaseth H2896 H5869 thee.
16 And unto Sarah H8283 he said, H559 Behold, I have given H5414 thy brother H251 a thousand H505 pieces of silver: H3701 behold, he is to thee a covering H3682 of the eyes, H5869 unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved. H3198
17 So Abraham H85 prayed H6419 unto God: H430 and God H430 healed H7495 Abimelech, H40 and his wife, H802 and his maidservants; H519 and they bare H3205 children.
18 For the LORD H3068 had fast H6113 closed up H6113 all the wombs H7358 of the house H1004 of Abimelech, H40 because H1697 of Sarah H8283 Abraham's H85 wife. H802
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 20
Commentary on Genesis 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
Ge 20:1-18. Abraham's Denial of His Wife.
1. Abraham journeyed from thence … and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur—Leaving the encampment, he migrated to the southern border of Canaan. In the neighborhood of Gerar was a very rich and well-watered pasture land.
2. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister—Fear of the people among whom he was, tempted him to equivocate. His conduct was highly culpable. It was deceit, deliberate and premeditated—there was no sudden pressure upon him—it was the second offense of the kind [see on Ge 12:13]—it was a distrust of God every way surprising, and it was calculated to produce injurious effects on the heathen around. Its mischievous tendency was not long in being developed.
Abimelech (father-king) … sent and took Sarah—to be one of his wives, in the exercise of a privilege claimed by Eastern sovereigns, already explained (see on Ge 12:15).
3. But God came to Abimelech in a dream—In early times a dream was often made the medium of communicating important truths; and this method was adopted for the preservation of Sarah.
9. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said … What hast thou done?—In what a humiliating plight does the patriarch now appear—he, a servant of the true God, rebuked by a heathen prince. Who would not rather be in the place of Abimelech than of the honored but sadly offending patriarch! What a dignified attitude is that of the king—calmly and justly reproving the sin of the patriarch, but respecting his person and heaping coals of fire on his head by the liberal presents made to him.
11. And Abraham said … I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place—From the horrible vices of Sodom he seems to have taken up the impression that all other cities of Canaan were equally corrupt. There might have been few or none who feared God, but what a sad thing when men of the world show a higher sense of honor and a greater abhorrence of crimes than a true worshipper!
12. yet indeed she is my sister—(See on Ge 11:31). What a poor defense Abraham made. The statement absolved him from the charge of direct and absolute falsehood, but he had told a moral untruth because there was an intention to deceive (compare Ge 12:11-13). "Honesty is always the best policy." Abraham's life would have been as well protected without the fraud as with it: and what shame to himself, what distrust to God, what dishonor to religion might have been prevented! "Let us speak truth every man to his neighbor" [Zec 8:16; Eph 4:25].