Genesis 20:3

3 And God came to Abimelech by nyghte in a dreame and sayde to him: Se thou art but a deed man for the womas sake which thou hast taken awaye for she is a mans wyfe.

Genesis 20:3 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 20:3

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night
Put a dream into his mind, by which he cautioned him against taking Sarah to be his wife; so careful was the Lord that no wrong should be done to such a godly and virtuous person, to which she was exposed through the weakness of her husband. Aben Ezra wrongly interprets this of an angel, when it was God himself: and said unto him, behold, thou [art but] a dead man, for the woman
which thou hast taken;
that is, God would punish him with death, unless he restored the woman, whom he had taken, to her husband; not for any uncleanness he had committed with her, but for taking her without her free and full consent, and without inquiring more strictly into her relation to Abraham, and connection with him, and for his impure and unlawful desires after her, if persisted in: for she [is] a man's wife,
or "married to an husband" ^F3; and therefore it was unlawful in him to take her to be his wife.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F3 (leb tleb) "maritata marito", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Schmidt.

Genesis 20:3 In-Context

1 And Abraham departed thence towarde the southcontre and dwelled betwene Cades and Sur ad sogeorned in Gerar.

2 And Abraham sayde of Sara his wyfe that she was his sister. Than Abimelech kynge of Gerar sent and fett Sara awaye.

3 And God came to Abimelech by nyghte in a dreame and sayde to him: Se thou art but a deed man for the womas sake which thou hast taken awaye for she is a mans wyfe.

4 But Abimelech had not yet come nye her and therfore sayde: lorde wilt thou sley rightewes people?

5 sayde not he vnto me that she was hys sister? yee and sayde not she herself that he was hir brother? wyth a pure herte and innocent handes haue I done this.