Genesis 20

Introduction

Genesis 20 presents a troubling episode that echoes an earlier incident: Abraham again passes off Sarah as his sister in the presence of a foreign king. This time the setting is Gerar, in the western Negev, and the king is Abimelech — a Philistine ruler whose name means "my father is king." The parallel with Genesis 12:10-20 (Abraham and Pharaoh in Egypt) is unmistakable, and a similar story will occur with Isaac in Genesis 26:1-11. The repetition raises questions about Abraham's character: even after receiving God's covenant, the promise of Isaac, and the destruction of Sodom, he resorts to deception out of fear.

Yet the chapter is not simply a story of moral failure. It is rich with theological surprises. God intervenes to protect Sarah (and, implicitly, the promised child she now carries). Abimelech, the pagan king, emerges as the more morally upright figure in the exchange, acting with "integrity of heart and innocence of hands." Abraham is called a נָבִיא ("prophet") for the first time in Scripture — yet he is the one who needs a Gentile king to restore his wife. The chapter complicates simple categories of righteous and unrighteous, showing that God's purposes advance even through the flawed actions of those He has chosen.

Abraham Deceives Abimelech (vv. 1–2)

¹ Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, ² Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

¹ From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. And he sojourned in Gerar. ² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Notes

Abraham has moved from the oaks of Mamre southward into the Negev, the arid region south of the Judean hills, settling between Kadesh and Shur — along the border with Egypt. Gerar was an important city in this region, located in the western Negev. The move may have been motivated by the devastation of the plain of Sodom, which would have disrupted trade and grazing in the region.
אֲחֹתִי הִוא ("She is my sister") — The exact same claim Abraham made in Egypt (Genesis 12:13). As we learn in verse 12, it is technically a half-truth: Sarah is his half-sister. But the intent is clearly to deceive. The repetition of this stratagem, even after all God has done, reveals the persistence of fear-driven behavior in Abraham's life.
אֲבִימֶלֶךְ ("Abimelech") — The name means "my father is king" and may be a dynastic title rather than a personal name (similar to "Pharaoh"). Abimelech acts within the customs of his time: a king could take an unattached woman into his household. His actions, though presumptuous by modern standards, were considered legitimate when the woman was presented as unmarried.

God Warns Abimelech in a Dream (vv. 3–7)

³ One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman." ⁴ Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, "Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? ⁵ Didn't Abraham tell me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands." ⁶ Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die — you and all who belong to you."

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is a man's wife." ⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her. He said, "Lord, will you kill an innocent people? ⁵ Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this." ⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will surely die — you and all who are yours."

Notes

הִנְּךָ מֵת ("Behold, you are a dead man") — A stark, unqualified warning. God identifies Sarah as בְּעֻלַת בָּעַל, literally "owned by an owner/husband" — a legal term emphasizing the binding nature of the marriage. Taking another man's wife was a capital offense in ancient Near Eastern law codes.
בְתָם לְבָבְךָ וּבְנִקְיֹן כַּפֶּיךָ ("in the integrity of your heart and the innocence of your hands") — Abimelech's defense uses covenantal and moral language. The word תֹּם ("integrity, completeness") and נִקָּיוֹן ("innocence, cleanness") describe a blameless conscience. God affirms this: "Yes, I know." This is remarkable — a pagan king is credited with moral integrity by God Himself, while Abraham the covenant-bearer is the deceiver.
נָבִיא הוּא ("he is a prophet") — This is the first use of the word נָבִיא ("prophet") in the Bible. It is applied to Abraham, and in a surprising context: not when he receives visions or speaks God's word, but when he is in the wrong and needs to intercede for someone else. The prophet's role here is specifically intercessory — "he will pray for you and you will live." The Hebrew וְיִתְפַּלֵּל is the hitpael of פלל, suggesting intensive, mediating prayer.
God's statement "I kept you from sinning against me" reveals divine providence working behind the scenes. The sin would have been not merely against Abraham but against God, because it would have compromised the promised offspring. God's protection of Sarah is ultimately protection of the covenant line leading to Isaac.

Abimelech Confronts Abraham (vv. 8–13)

⁸ Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done." ¹⁰ Abimelech also asked Abraham, "What prompted you to do such a thing?" ¹¹ Abraham replied, "I thought to myself, 'Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.' ¹² Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father — though not the daughter of my mother — and she became my wife. ¹³ So when God had me journey from my father's house, I said to Sarah, 'This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

⁸ So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things, and the men were very afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done." ¹⁰ And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you did this thing?" ¹¹ Abraham said, "I thought, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.' ¹² Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, 'This is the kindness you must show me: at every place we come to, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

Notes

Abimelech's rebuke of Abraham is sharp and justified. His question echoes God's question to Cain (Genesis 4:10): "What have you done?" The phrase מַעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵעָשׂוּ ("things that ought not to be done") is a formula of moral outrage — the same language used for violations of sexual ethics elsewhere (see Genesis 34:7, 2 Samuel 13:12).
אֵין יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה ("There is no fear of God in this place") — Abraham's justification reveals his assumption that only those in covenant with God would behave morally. But the chapter has just demonstrated the opposite: Abimelech feared God more than Abraham did. The "fear of God" (יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים) is a fundamental moral concept in the Old Testament — the recognition of divine authority that restrains evil. Abraham assumed its absence; God's dream-revelation to Abimelech proved it was present.
כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְעוּ אֹתִי אֱלֹהִים מִבֵּית אָבִי ("when God caused me to wander from my father's house") — The verb הִתְעוּ ("caused to wander") is plural, used with אֱלֹהִים. This is one of the rare cases where the plural verb with Elohim may reflect an older grammatical convention, or Abraham may be accommodating his language to a polytheistic audience. Abraham reveals that the sister-deception was not a one-time decision but a standing arrangement from the very beginning of his journey — "at every place we come to." This systemic deception casts a sobering shadow over the entire patriarchal narrative.
חַסְדֵּךְ ("your kindness/loyalty") — Abraham calls the deception Sarah's חֶסֶד to him. This is a loaded word: חֶסֶד usually describes God's faithful, covenant love. Abraham uses it to describe a lie, which underscores how far his fear has distorted his moral reasoning.

Restoration and Healing (vv. 14–18)

¹⁴ So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelech said, "Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please." ¹⁶ And he said to Sarah, "See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared." ¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children — ¹⁸ for on account of Abraham's wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech's household.

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever it pleases you." ¹⁶ To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a covering of the eyes for you before all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated." ¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also his wife and his female servants, so that they bore children. ¹⁸ For the LORD had completely closed every womb of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Notes

Abimelech's generosity exceeds what was required. He gives livestock, servants, and open access to his land — and adds a thousand pieces of silver. Compare this with Pharaoh, who drove Abraham out of Egypt (Genesis 12:19-20). Abimelech restores, compensates, and invites Abraham to stay.
כְּסוּת עֵינַיִם ("a covering of the eyes") — This enigmatic phrase in verse 16 has been variously interpreted. It may mean "vindication" — the silver payment serves as public proof that Sarah's honor is intact. The "covering of the eyes" removes any suspicion of wrongdoing from Sarah. Some translate it as "a sign of innocence." The phrase וְנֹכָחַת at the end of the verse is also difficult; it is a niphal participle from יָכַח ("to prove right, vindicate"), confirming that Sarah is publicly cleared of any wrongdoing.
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אַבְרָהָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים ("Then Abraham prayed to God") — Abraham fulfills his prophetic role as intercessor, as God had promised in verse 7. The irony is thick: Abraham, the one who brought the crisis through deception, is the one whose prayer brings healing. God's gifts and callings are not revoked even when the recipient stumbles.
The closing verses reveal that God had afflicted Abimelech's household with barrenness — עָצֹר עָצַר יְהוָה ("the LORD had completely closed"), using the emphatic infinitive absolute construction. This detail is deeply ironic: Abraham, who is waiting for God to open Sarah's womb and give him a son, prays for the opening of the wombs in a foreign king's household. The God who closes and opens wombs is the same God who will shortly fulfill His promise to Sarah in Genesis 21:1-2.