Genesis 20:12-18

12 in other manner forsooth and she is my sister verily, (for she is) the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother; and I wedded her into wife; (and truly in one way she is my sister, for she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and so I wedded her for a wife;)
13 soothly after that God led me out of the house of my father, I said to her, Thou shalt do this mercy with me in each place to which we shall enter; thou shalt say, that I am thy brother. (and after that God led me out of my father's house, I said to her, Thou shalt do this mercy for me in each place to which we shall enter; thou shalt say that I am thy brother.)
14 Therefore Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and servants, and handmaids, and gave to Abraham; and he yielded to him Sarah, his wife, (And so Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham; and he gave him back his wife Sarah,)
15 and said, The land is before you; dwell thou, wherever it pleaseth thee.
16 Forsooth Abimelech said to Sarah, Lo! I gave a thousand pieces of silver to thy brother; this shall be to thee into (a) covering of (the) eyes, to all men that be with thee; and whither ever thou goest, have thou mind that thou art taken. (And Abimelech said to Sarah, Lo! I have given a thousand pieces of silver to thy brother; this shall be proof to all thy own people that thou art guiltless; but wherever thou goest, remember that thou art already taken.)
17 Soothly for Abraham prayed, God cured Abimelech, and his wife, and handmaids, and they childed; (And because Abraham prayed to God, God cured Abimelech, and his wife, and his slave-girls, and they gave birth;)
18 for God had closed each womb of the house of Abimelech, for Sarah, the wife of Abraham. (for God had closed up each womb in Abimelech's household, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.)

Genesis 20:12-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 20

This chapter relates the removal of Abraham to Gerar, Ge 20:1; the king of Gerar's taking to him Sarah, whom Abraham had called his sister, Ge 20:2; who is rebuked of God for it in a dream, Ge 20:3; for which he makes an apology that is admitted, only he is ordered to restore to Abraham his wife, Ge 20:4-7; and accordingly early in the morning he called his servants, and acquainted them with what had happened, Ge 20:8; and then sent for Abraham, and expressed his resentment at his usage of him, Ge 20:9; which Abraham defended as well as he could, Ge 20:10-13; the issue of all which was, great kindness was shown to Abraham, and his wife restored to him, though with a reproof to her from the king, Ge 20:14-16; upon which Abraham prayed for the healing of Abimelech and his family, in which he was heard and answered, Ge 20:17,18.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.