Genesis 20:6

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;)

Genesis 20:6 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 20:6

And God said unto him in a dream
The same dream continued: yea,
or "also" I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart;
not only thou knowest, but I, who know all things, know and acknowledge that this was so done by thee. Abimelech's plea is admitted, and a very great testimony borne to his integrity in this matter; and throughout the whole account he appears to be a man of great honour and uprightness, especially in this affair, if not a good man: for I also withheld thee from sinning against me;
for had he committed adultery with her, it had been not only a sin against her, and against her husband, but against God being contrary to his will revealed in the minds of men by the law and light of nature, before the law of Moses was given: and indeed all sin against the neighbour is ultimately against God, see ( Psalms 51:4 ) ; and now from the commission of this sin God restrained Abimelech, either by some impulse upon his mind not to take her to be his wife as yet, or by throwing some thing or other in the way of it, in his providence, or by inflicting some disease upon him, which rendered him incapable of it, ( Genesis 20:17 ) ; therefore suffered I thee not to touch her;
that is, to have carnal knowledge of her, see ( 1 Corinthians 7:1 ) ; as there is nothing done but what is done by divine permission, so many more evils would be committed than there are, were it not that men are restrained from them by the power and providence of God, not suffering them to do them; and in particular this sin was prevented, that it might not in any respect be a doubtful point whether Isaac, whom Sarah had now conceived, was a legitimate son of Abraham; and these expressions of Abimelech not coming near her, ( Genesis 20:4 ) ; and not touching her as here, are used for that purpose.

Genesis 20:6 In-Context

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;)

7 now therefore yield thou the wife to her husband, for he is a prophet; and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; soothly if thou wilt not yield her, know thou that thou shalt die by death, thou, and all things that be thine (but if thou wilt not give her back to him, know thou that thou shalt die, thou, and all who be thine).

8 And at once Abimelech rose (up) by night, and called (for) all his servants, and spake all these words in the ears of them; and all men dreaded greatly (and all the men had great fear).