Genesis 20 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Genesis 20

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all¹ who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Footnotes

[1] 20:16 Hebrew It is a covering of eyes for all

Commentary

v1: Abraham journeys south, as in 12.9-10, but not so far as Egypt.

v2: Another lie, see 12.11-15, and another batch of problems.

v3-7: Demonstrating His sovereignty and grace, God speaks in a dream to Abimelech. Some dreams need explanation, but this one is clear and, presumably, verbal. Dreams are more common in Genesis, as perhaps God's main way of speaking. Later He gives priests and prophets, who deliver God's word.

The Lord preserves Abraham, reproving kings for his sake, Ps 105.12-15. It seems that the Lord is more strict with Abimelech than with Abraham; but the truth is that Abraham is God's man, the prophet, whose prayers bring blessing to others.

v8-10: Abimelech reproves Abraham; as in v4-5; here is a righteous nation, people of integrity, a high standard in the lives of unbelievers; but this is not common, see Rom 2.14-15.

v11-13: Abraham's fear of the people of Gerar; he has judged that they are not a godly people, and that his life would be at risk; in this respect he has misjudged them. His fear lead to him speaking a lie about his relationship with Sarah.

Again, this is a lesson for him, as he seeks to walk with God.

v14-15: The Lord preserves Abraham, and prospers him. Whatever happens to him, wherever he goes, he remains God's man, the one to inherit the promises of God.

v16: The offence against Sarah; Abimelech regretted his actions, and pays Abraham money as an atonement.

v17-18: It seems that Abraham and Sarah were with Abimelech for several months, during which the Lord closed the wombs of the women of Abimelech's family. Isaac is born during this time also; 21.22 finds Abraham still with Abimelech.