Genesis 20:2

Genesis 20:2

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

a. NLT: Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.

b. NIV: and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

c. YLT: and Abraham saith concerning Sarah his wife, 'She is my sister;' and Abimelech king of Gerar sendeth and taketh Sarah.

d. Amplified Bible: And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah [into his harem].

e. Septuagint: And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife, She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarrha.

f. Stone Edition Chumash: Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister”; So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah.

1. “And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister…”

a. Abraham [85 * ‘Abraham] [Strong: contracted from 1 and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram:--Abraham.]

b. said [559 * ‘amar] [Strong: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

c. of [413 * ‘el] [Strong: a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. Sarah [8283 * Sarah] [Strong: the same as 8282; Sarah, Abraham's wife:--Sarah.]

e. she is my sister [269 * ‘achowth] [Strong: irregular feminine of 251; a sister (used very widely (like 250), literally and figuratively):--(an-)other, sister, together.]

1). There was much at stake here regarding Abraham and Sarah’s deception. God had told them just days or weeks earlier that the couple together would have a son, but not just any son. This “son” would also be the “seed” of the fulfillment of the Covenant that would bring redemption to the human race. The whole plan was in jeopardy of being hijacked and destroyed. This is why God literally stepped in and took over and gave the most severe warning to Abimelech as we shall see. This deception was a pattern they both engaged in more than once. The first time was when they went down to Egypt during a famine.

a). Genesis 12:10-20 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land

12:11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

12:12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, this is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

12:14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

12:15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

12:16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

12:17 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

12:18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

12:19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

12:20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

b). The King James translation is the only translation that clearly mentions they were not intimate.

2). During the two previous appearances of God to Abraham God mentioned to Abraham that Sarah would be the vessel through which the covenant seed would come. In the first account in Genesis 17 the LORD tells Abraham it would be a exactly a year later that Sarah would bear a son.

a). Genesis 17:21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

3). The next time God appears to Abraham is in Genesis 18 and His wording concerning the birth of Isaac is a little bit different and Sarah was present.

a). Genesis 18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

b). The phrase, “according to the time of life”, might mean the period of pregnancy, nine months. The NASB says, “at this time next year”. In the margin of the NASB, it reads, “when the time revives”. The majority of different translations agree with the NASB. It could also refer to, as Henry Morris writes in his commentary on Genesis to the “reviving of Sarah’s bodily functions.” Whatever the exact meaning, it was no more than a year between the promise in Genesis 17 and Sarah giving birth. In that short amount of time, approximately three months where a miraculous conception would occur, is when this deception by Abraham and Sarah of Abimelek occurred. This is what makes this lapse of faith on Abraham and Sarah so serious, it had only been between a few weeks or months that God had appeared in the flesh to both Abraham and Sarah and promised them that within a year they would have a son. Then, horribly they again are gripped by fear and revert back to the plan, “She is my sister.” This is well established by a verse later in the chapter.

(1). Genesis 20:10, 11 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

20:12 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.

c). This lapse not only puts the plan of God for Abraham and Sarah in jeopardy, it also puts God’s plan for the creation of the nation of Israel in jeopardy, and also jeopardizes the bringing forth the Messiah of Israel and the redeemer of mankind through the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. This is no doubt why the reaction and intervention by God is so strong. As will be seen in the following Scriptures, God not only threatens Abimelek’s life, but also his whole family and possibly the whole nation if he does not give Sarah back to Abraham.

2. “…and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah”.

a. Abimelech [40 * ‘Abiymelek] [Strong: from 1 and 4428; father of (the) king; Abimelek, the name of two Philistine kings and of two Israelites:--Abimelech.]

b. king [4428 * melek] [Strong: from 4427; a king:--king, royal.]

c. Gerar [1642 * Grar] [Strong: probably from 1641; a rolling country; Gerar, a Philistine city:--Gerar.]

d. sent [7971 * shalach] [Strong:  a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications):--X any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, X earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).]

e. took [3947 * laqach][BLB: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away][Strong: to take (in the widest variety of applications):--accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, X many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.]

1). The word is used as Strong’s says in the widest variety of applications. It is used of taking something by force or just to get. It is used in Genesis 14 when telling how the Mesopotamian kings ransacked the cities of the plain.

a). Genesis 14:11, 12  And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.

And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

2). In spite of the wide use of the word I believe that the situation was voluntary on Abraham and Sarah’s part. I can’t believe Abraham would allow his wife to be taken forcibly by Abimelech.

f. Sarah [8283 * Sarah] [Strong: the same as 8282; Sarah, Abraham's wife:--Sarah.]