Genesis · Majority Standard Bible
Genesis 20 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,
1 Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.
2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
2 Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
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.”
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the 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.”
4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?
4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?
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.”
5 Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even 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.
6 God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn’t allow you to 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.”
7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t restore her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”
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.
8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared.
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.”
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!”
10 Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”
10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this 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.’
11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife’s sake.’
12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.
12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but 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.”’”
13 When God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.
14 Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.
15 And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”
15 Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.”
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.”
16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—
17 Abraham prayed to God. So God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.
18 for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.
18 For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abimelech
King of Gerar who took Sarah, was warned by God in a dream and returned her to Abraham, and made a covenant with Abraham at Beersheba; an Abimelech king of the Philistines at…
Cited in the guide: Genesis 20:2–3; Genesis 21:22–27; Genesis 26:1
Abraham
Called by God, he left home in faith to become the father of a chosen people.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 12–25
Sarah
Wife of Abraham who bore Isaac in her old age, long after hope seemed gone.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 17-21
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Genesis 26:6; Genesis 26:1; Psalm 29:8; 2 Chronicles 14:13–14; Genesis 18:1
- 2 Genesis 12:15; Genesis 26:7; Genesis 12:11–13; Proverbs 24:16; Genesis 20:12
- 3 Genesis 20:7; Matthew 27:19; Job 33:15; Psalm 105:14; Genesis 28:12
- 4 Genesis 18:23–25; 1 Chronicles 21:17; 2 Samuel 4:11; Genesis 20:6; Genesis 19:24
- 5 Psalm 7:8; 1 Kings 9:4; Proverbs 11:3; Proverbs 20:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:10
- 6 1 Samuel 25:34; 1 Samuel 25:26; Proverbs 21:1; Genesis 35:5; Genesis 31:7
- 7 Job 42:8; 1 Samuel 7:5; Hebrews 13:4; 2 Samuel 24:17; Revelation 11:5–6
- 9 Genesis 12:18; Genesis 39:9; Genesis 26:10; 2 Samuel 13:12; Romans 2:11
- 11 Genesis 26:7; Genesis 12:12; Psalm 36:1–4; Proverbs 2:5; Genesis 42:18
- 12 Genesis 11:29; Genesis 12:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:22
- 13 Genesis 12:1; Genesis 12:9; Acts 7:3–5; Psalm 64:5; Acts 5:9
- 14 Genesis 12:16; Genesis 20:2; Genesis 12:19–20; Genesis 20:11; Genesis 20:7
- 15 Genesis 13:9; Genesis 34:10; Genesis 47:6
- 16 Genesis 20:5; Proverbs 27:5; Genesis 24:65; Jonah 1:6; Revelation 3:19
- 17 James 5:16; Job 42:9–10; Proverbs 15:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; Philippians 4:6
- 18 Genesis 12:17; Genesis 30:2; Genesis 16:2; 1 Samuel 1:6; Genesis 20:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… when the king rebuked Abraham for not saying she was his wife, and calling her his sister, he explained what he had been afraid of, and added this further, "And yet indeed she is my sister by the father's side, but not by the mother's; for she was Abraham's sister by his own father, and so near of kin.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)