Genesis 20:2-12

2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, 1"She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3 2But God came to Abimelech 3in 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, 4"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 5against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.
7 Now then, return the man's wife, 6for 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 7and 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, 8There is no fear of God at all in this place, and 9they will kill me because of my wife.
12 Besides, 10she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.

Cross References 10

  • 1. See Genesis 12:13-20; Genesis 26:7-11
  • 2. Psalms 105:14
  • 3. Job 33:15, 16; Matthew 1:20; Matthew 2:12
  • 4. Genesis 18:23; [1 Chronicles 21:17]
  • 5. Genesis 39:9; Psalms 51:4
  • 6. 1 Samuel 7:5; Job 42:8
  • 7. [Numbers 16:32, 33]
  • 8. Proverbs 16:6
  • 9. Genesis 12:12; Genesis 26:7
  • 10. [Genesis 11:29]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.