Genesis 20:4

4 Forsooth Abimelech [had] touched not her; and he said, Lord, whether thou shalt slay (a) folk unknowing and just? (But Abimelech had not yet touched her; and he said, Lord, shalt thou slay an unknowing and a righteous nation?)

Genesis 20:4 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 20:4

But Abimelech had not come near her
Sarah had been put into an apartment in his palace, and not yet admitted into his company, not at least to his bed; he had not lain with her, which is the design of the expression: the Septuagint version is, "had not touched her", as in ( Genesis 20:6 ) ; which is another phrase expressive of the same thing: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
meaning either his family, the greater part of which were not accessory to this affair; or rather his kingdom, as Aben Ezra, see ( Genesis 20:9 ) ; which though not a nation of righteous men, in a strict sense, see ( Genesis 20:11 ) ; yet with regard to this business of Sarah were no ways criminal: either God had threatened to destroy his people, as well as himself, if he did not return Sarah to her husband, or committed iniquity with her; or he knew that this had been usual for people to suffer for the crimes of their governors, and like a true father of his country shows an affectionate concern for their welfare in the first place; for this may be the sense of the word "also", on which an emphasis is put; wilt thou not only slay me, but also a whole nation for my sake, a nation free from all fault and blame in this matter? though some think he has reference to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, a recent action, and fresh in his mind; as if he should say, thou hast justly destroyed a wicked people for their sins, and wilt thou also destroy a nation that at least, in comparison of them, is a just and righteous one?

Genesis 20:4 In-Context

2 and (again) he said of Sarah, his wife, She is my sister. Therefore Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent (for her), and took her (And so Abimelech, king of Gerar, had her brought to him).

3 Soothly God came to Abimelech by a sweven in the night (And God came to Abimelech by a dream in the night), and said to him, Lo! thou shalt die, for the woman which thou hast taken, for she hath an husband.

4 Forsooth Abimelech [had] touched not her; and he said, Lord, whether thou shalt slay (a) folk unknowing and just? (But Abimelech had not yet touched her; and he said, Lord, shalt thou slay an unknowing and a righteous nation?)

5 Whether he said not to me, She is my sister, and she said, He is my brother? In the simpleness of mine heart, and in the cleanness of mine hands, I did this (I did this with a pure heart, and with clean hands).

6 And the Lord said to him, And I know that thou didest by simple heart, and therefore I kept thee, lest thou didest sin against me, and I suffered not that thou touchedest her; (And the Lord said to him, Yea, I know that thou didest this with a pure heart, and so I kept thee, so that thou didest not sin against me, and I did not allow thee to touch her;)