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The Torah · Old Testament

Genesis 20

Abimelech returns Sarah after a warning

General context

In Gerar, Abraham calls Sarah his sister, and King Abimelech takes her. God warns the king in a dream that she is married. Abimelech has not approached her sexually; God acknowledges his integrity and says he has prevented him from touching her. He must return Sarah, and Abraham is to pray for him; refusal will bring death to him and his household. The king confronts Abraham, who says he feared being killed because of his wife and explains their shared father but different mothers. Abimelech returns Sarah with gifts and offers Abraham a place in his land. Abraham prays, and God heals the king, his wife and his female servants. The closing explanation says the Lord had prevented childbearing in the household because of Sarah.

Cited passages: Genesis 20:1, Genesis 20:2, Genesis 20:3, Genesis 20:4, Genesis 20:5, Genesis 20:6, Genesis 20:7, Genesis 20:8, Genesis 20:9, Genesis 20:10, Genesis 20:11, Genesis 20:12, Genesis 20:13, Genesis 20:14, Genesis 20:15, Genesis 20:16, Genesis 20:17, Genesis 20:18

Genesis 20 (KJV)

1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

4But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

5Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

6And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

7Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.

12And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

17So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

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Historical context

Abraham is described as a sojourner in Gerar, and Abimelech is its king. Both Abraham and Sarah have presented their relationship as brother and sister. Abraham explains that this was their arrangement as they traveled; the guide does not treat his belief that Gerar lacked fear of God as an established fact about its people. The gifts include sheep, oxen and male and female servants. Abimelech tells Sarah that he has given her brother a thousand pieces of silver. The chapter reports the household's inability to bear children and its restoration through prayer, but gives no diagnosis or duration.

Cited passages: Genesis 20:1, Genesis 20:2, Genesis 20:5, Genesis 20:8, Genesis 20:11, Genesis 20:12, Genesis 20:13, Genesis 20:14, Genesis 20:15, Genesis 20:16, Genesis 20:17, Genesis 20:18

Literary context

The dream gives Abimelech information Abraham's account concealed. The king's defense is followed by God's acknowledgment and command to restore Sarah. In the morning, the king's servants are afraid, and his questions expose Abraham's fear about his own safety. The story calls Abraham a prophet while also recording the king's rebuke of his conduct. The promised prayer then occurs at the end. The final sentence explains the household's childbearing problem after the healing has been reported, linking the closing scene back to Sarah's marriage.

Cited passages: Genesis 20:3, Genesis 20:4, Genesis 20:5, Genesis 20:6, Genesis 20:7, Genesis 20:8, Genesis 20:9, Genesis 20:10, Genesis 20:11, Genesis 20:17, Genesis 20:18

Key moments

  1. The dream reveals Sarah is married (Genesis 20:3). God warns Abimelech that the woman he has taken is another man's wife.
  2. Sarah must be returned (Genesis 20:7). God commands Abimelech to restore Sarah and says Abraham will pray for him.
  3. Abimelech restores Sarah (Genesis 20:14). The king returns Sarah and gives Abraham livestock and servants.
  4. Abraham prays (Genesis 20:17). Abraham prays to God, and the account reports healing and restored childbearing in Abimelech's household.

For reflection

What does the exchange between Abimelech and Abraham reveal about acting on an untested fear of other people?

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