Genesis 20
20
Abraham and Abimelech
1And Abraham journeyed from #Gen. 18:1there to the South, and dwelt between #Gen. 12:9; 16:7, 14Kadesh and Shur, and #Gen. 26:1, 6stayed in Gerar. 2Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, #Gen. 12:11–13; 26:7“She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and #Gen. 12:15took Sarah.
3But #Ps. 105:14God came to Abimelech #Job 33:15in a dream by night, and said to him, #Gen. 20:7“Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
4But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, #Gen. 18:23–25; Num. 16:22will You slay a righteous nation also? 5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ #1 Kin. 9:4; 2 Kin. 20:3; Ps. 7:8; 26:6In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
6And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For #Gen. 31:7; 35:5; Ex. 34:24; 1 Sam. 25:26, 34I also withheld you from sinning #Gen. 39:9; 2 Sam. 12:13against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; #1 Sam. 7:5; 2 Kin. 5:11; Job 42:8; James 5:14, 15for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, #Gen. 2:17know that you shall surely die, you #Num. 16:32, 33and all who are yours.”
8So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. 9And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, #Gen. 26:10; 39:9; Ex. 32:21; Josh. 7:25that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me #Gen. 34:7that ought not to be done.” 10Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”
11And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely #Gen. 42:18; Neh. 5:15; Ps. 36:1; Prov. 16:6the fear of God is not in this place; and #Gen. 12:12; 26:7they will kill me on account of my wife. 12But indeed #Gen. 11:29she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13And it came to pass, when #Gen. 12:1–9, 11; (Heb. 11:8)God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, #Gen. 12:13; 20:5say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
14Then Abimelech #Gen. 12:16took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. 15And Abimelech said, “See, #Gen. 13:9; 34:10; 47:6my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; #Gen. 26:11indeed this vindicates you #Mal. 2:9before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.
17So Abraham prayed #Num. 12:13; 21:7; Job 42:9; (James 5:16)to God; and God #Gen. 21:2healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; 18for the Lord #Gen. 12:17had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Genesis 20
20
1 Abraham advanced from there into the southern land, and he lived between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar.
2 And he said about his wife Sarah: "She is my sister." Therefore, Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for her and took her.
3 Then God came to Abimelech through a dream in the night, and he said to him: "Lo, you shall die because of the woman that you have taken. For she has a husband."
4 In truth, Abimelech had not touched her, and so he said: "Lord, would you put to death a people, ignorant and just?
5 Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and did she not say, 'He is my brother?' In the sincerity of my heart and the purity of my hands, I have done this."
6 And God said to him: "And I know that you have acted with a sincere heart. And therefore I kept you from sinning against me, and I did not release you to touch her.
7 Now therefore, return his wife to the man, for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you are not willing to return her, know this: you shall die a death, you and all that is yours."
8 And immediately Abimelech, rising up in the night, called all his servants. And he spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were very afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called also for Abraham, and he said to him: "What have you done to us? How have we sinned against you, so that you would bring so great a sin upon me and upon my kingdom? You have done to us what you ought not to have done."
10 And remonstrating him again, he said, "What did you see, so that you would do this?"
11 Abraham responded: "I thought to myself, saying: Perhaps there is no fear of God in this place. And they will put me to death because of my wife.
12 Yet, in another way, she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her as a wife.
13 Then, after God led me out of my father's house, I said to her: 'You will show this mercy to me. In every place, to which we will travel, you will say that I am your brother.' "
14 Therefore, Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men servants and women servants, and he gave them to Abraham. And he returned his wife Sarah to him.
15 And he said, "The land is in your sight. Dwell wherever it will please you."
16 Then to Sarah he said: "Behold, I have given your brother one thousand silver coins. This will be for you as a veil for your eyes, to all who are with you and wherever you will travel. And so, remember that you were taken."
17 Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth.
18 For the Lord had closed every womb of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.