Genesis 20
20
Abraham and Abimelek
Ge 12:10–20; 26:1–11
1#Ge 26:6; 18:1Abraham journeyed from there toward the Negev, settled between Kadesh and Shur, and then he sojourned in Gerar. 2#Ge 12:15; 26:7Then Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelek, king of Gerar, sent for her and took Sarah.
3#Job 33:15; Ps 105:14But God came to Abimelek in a dream by night and said to him, “You are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
4#Ge 18:23–25; 1Ch 21:17Abimelek had not gone near her, and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation? 5#1Ki 9:4; Ps 7:8Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and did not even she herself say, ‘He is my brother’? In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
6#1Sa 25:26; 25:34And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore, I did not let you touch her. 7#1Sa 7:5; Job 42:8Therefore return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet and he will pray for you. Moreover, you will live. However, if you do not return her, know that you will surely die, you and all who are yours.”
8So Abimelek rose early in the morning, and called all his servants and told them all these things, and the men were very afraid. 9#Ge 12:18; 26:10Then Abimelek called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you that you would bring on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done things to me that should not have been done.” 10Then Abimelek said to Abraham, “What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?”
11#Ge 12:12; 26:7Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife. 12#Ge 11:29Still, indeed, she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. She became my wife. 13#Ge 12:1; 12:9When God caused me to travel from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is your kindness which you must show me: Every place where we go, say concerning me, He is my brother.’ ”
14#Ge 12:16Then Abimelek took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15#Ge 13:9; 34:10Abimelek said, “My land is before you; settle wherever it pleases you.”
16#Ge 20:5; Pr 27:5To Sarah he said, “I have given your brother a thousand shekels of silver.#About 25 pounds, or 12 kilograms. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.”
17#Jas 5:16So Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children. 18#Ge 12:17For the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelek because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
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Genesis 20: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Genesis 20
20
Abraham and Abimelech
1From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between #ch. 16:7, 14 Kadesh and Shur; and he #ch. 26:3 sojourned in #ch. 26:6Gerar. 2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, #See ch. 12:13-20; 26:7-11“She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3#Ps. 105:14 But God came to Abimelech #Job 33:15, 16; Matt. 1:20; 2:12in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, #ch. 18:23; [1 Chr. 21:17]“Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5Did 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.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning #ch. 39:9; Ps. 51:4against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7Now then, return the man’s wife, #1 Sam. 7:5; Job 42:8 for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you #[Num. 16:32, 33]and all who are yours.”
8So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9Then 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 my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, #Prov. 16:6 ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and #ch. 12:12; 26:7they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12Besides, #[ch. 11:29]she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13And when #ch. 12:1 God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, #ch. 12:13say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14Then Abimelech #ch. 12:16took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15And Abimelech said, “Behold, #ch. 13:9; 34:10my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given #[ver. 5] your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is #[ch. 24:65]a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all#20:16 Hebrew It is a covering of eyes for all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17Then #[James 5:16]Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18For the Lord #[ch. 12:17]had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
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