Abraham Deceives Abimelech
Study note
Abraham travels south and settles between Kadesh and Shur, near the city of Gerar. Once again, Abraham says Sarah is his sister, and King Abimelech takes her. But God comes to Abimelech in a dream and warns him that Sarah is a married woman. Abimelech protests that he acted innocently — both Abraham and Sarah told him they were siblings. God acknowledges Abimelech's innocence and says he prevented Abimelech from sinning. God tells him to return Sarah because Abraham is a prophet who will pray for him.
1 Abraham traveled south from there and settled for a while in the area between Kadesh and Shur. During that time he stayed in Gerar. And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 While there, Abraham told people that Sarah was his sister. So Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But that night, God came to Abimelech in a dream and warned him, "You are a dead man! The woman you took is already married." But 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.
4 Now Abimelech had not touched her, so he said, "Lord, would you truly destroy an innocent man?" But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 "Abraham himself told me, 'She is my sister.' And she backed up his story by saying, 'He is my brother.' I had no idea! My conscience is completely clear." Said 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.
6 God replied in the dream, "I know your intentions were honest. That's exactly why I stepped in and kept you from sinning against me. I ensured you did not touch her." And 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.
7 "Now send the man's wife back to him. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you refuse to give her back, understand that you and everyone connected to you will die." Now 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.
Abimelech Confronts Abraham
Study note
Abimelech is frightened by the dream and demands an explanation from Abraham. Abraham explains that he thought there was no fear of God in this place and that people would kill him to get Sarah. He also reveals that Sarah actually is his half-sister — they share the same father but have different mothers. Abraham says this has been their arrangement since they started traveling: Sarah always says she is his sister. This is the second time Abraham uses this deception, and it reveals an ongoing weakness in his faith.
8 Abimelech got up early the next morning and called all his officials together. When he explained everything, they were terrified. Therefore 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.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and demanded, "What have you done to us? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? You have brought serious guilt on me and my entire kingdom. No one should ever do what you've done!" Then 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.
10 Abimelech also asked Abraham, "What in the world were you thinking?" And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 Abraham explained, "I thought, 'The people here probably do not respect God at all. They will kill me just to take my wife.'" And 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.
12 "Besides, she is my sister — we have the same father but different mothers. That's how she came to be as my wife." And 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.
13 "When God first led me from my father's home, I made a deal with her. I said, 'Everywhere we go, say I am your brother.'" And 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.
Abimelech Restores Sarah
Study note
Abimelech gives Abraham sheep, cattle, and servants, and returns Sarah to him. He also tells Abraham he is welcome to live anywhere in his land. To Sarah he gives a thousand pieces of silver as compensation. Abraham prays for Abimelech, and God heals Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants so they can have children again, for God had closed every womb in Abimelech's household because of Sarah.
14 Then Abimelech gave Abraham sheep, cattle, and male and female servants. He also gave Sarah back to him. And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 Abimelech told him, "My land is wide open to you. Live wherever you'd like." And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 He told Sarah, "I'm giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Consider this a formal clearing of your name in front of everyone. You are completely in the right." And 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.
17 Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech along with his wife and servant girls so they could have children again. So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
18 The Lord had stopped every woman in Abimelech's household from having children. This was because of what happened with Sarah, Abraham's wife. For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.