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
Wherefore the well H875 was called H7121 Beerlahairoi; H883 H2416 behold, it is between Kadesh H6946 and Bered. H1260
Because ye trespassed H4603 against me among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 at the waters H4325 of Meribah-Kadesh, H4808 H6946 in the wilderness H4057 of Zin; H6790 because ye sanctified H6942 me not in the midst H8432 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
The voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 shaketh H2342 the wilderness; H4057 the LORD H3068 shaketh H2342 the wilderness H4057 of Kadesh. H6946
And Asa H609 and the people H5971 that were with him pursued H7291 them unto Gerar: H1642 and the Ethiopians H3569 were overthrown, H5307 that they could not recover H4241 themselves; for they were destroyed H7665 before H6440 the LORD, H3068 and before H6440 his host; H4264 and they carried away H5375 very H3966 much H7235 spoil. H7998 And they smote H5221 all the cities H5892 round about H5439 Gerar; H1642 for the fear H6343 of the LORD H3068 came upon them: and they spoiled H962 all the cities; H5892 for there was exceeding much H7227 spoil H961 in them.
And Saul H7586 smote H5221 the Amalekites H6002 from Havilah H2341 until thou comest H935 to Shur, H7793 that is over against H6440 Egypt. H4714
And the border H1366 of the Canaanites H3669 was from Sidon, H6721 as thou comest H935 to Gerar, H1642 unto Gaza; H5804 as thou goest, H935 unto Sodom, H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 and Admah, H126 and Zeboim, H6636 even unto Lasha. H3962
And when we departed H5265 from Horeb, H2722 we went through H3212 all that great H1419 and terrible H3372 wilderness, H4057 which ye saw H7200 by the way H1870 of the mountain H2022 of the Amorites, H567 as the LORD H3068 our God H430 commanded H6680 us; and we came H935 to Kadeshbarnea. H6947
And when we cried H6817 unto the LORD, H3068 he heard H8085 our voice, H6963 and sent H7971 an angel, H4397 and hath brought us forth H3318 out of Egypt: H4714 and, behold, we are in Kadesh, H6946 a city H5892 in the uttermost H7097 of thy border: H1366
And they went H3212 and came H935 to Moses, H4872 and to Aaron, H175 and to all the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 unto the wilderness H4057 of Paran, H6290 to Kadesh; H6946 and brought back H7725 word H1697 unto them, and unto all the congregation, H5712 and shewed H7200 them the fruit H6529 of the land. H776
And the herdmen H7462 of Gerar H1642 did strive H7378 with Isaac's H3327 herdmen, H7462 saying, H559 The water H4325 is ours: and he called H7121 the name H8034 of the well H875 Esek; H6230 because they strove H6229 with him.
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].