Genesis Chapter 20
Showing all 18 verses for Genesis Chapter 20.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. "
"Abraham moved on from there towards the region in the south, and settled between Kadesh and Shur. Then he stayed for a while in Gerar."
Abraham keeps moving, still living the nomadic, uncertain life God called him into. Faithfulness doesn't always look settled or secure; you can be right in the centre of God's will and still be journeying through unfamiliar territory.
"And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. "
"There Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her."
Abraham repeats an old fear-driven lie, even after everything he's already seen God do for him. Old patterns of fear can resurface even after real growth; don't be discouraged if a familiar weakness shows up again, but take it as a signal to bring that fear honestly to God.
"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. "
"But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead, because of the woman you have taken — she is another man's wife.""
God intervenes directly to protect Sarah before any harm is done, speaking to Abimelech in a dream. Trust that God is capable of protecting the people you love even in situations you never see and couldn't control yourself.
"But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? "
"Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her. He said, "Lord, would you destroy a nation that hasn't done anything wrong?"
Abimelech's plea, 'wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?', shows a real concern for justice even from someone outside God's covenant people. Recognise that a sincere desire for fairness and justice can be found in people you might not expect; don't assume goodness only exists inside your own circle.
"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. "
"Didn't he tell me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.""
Abimelech explains he acted in good faith, misled by what Abraham and Sarah both told him. Be honest about how the words and choices of people you trust can shape decisions you make in good conscience; integrity doesn't always prevent innocent mistakes.
"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. "
"God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience — that's exactly why I kept you from sinning against me. That's why I didn't let you touch her."
God affirms that He already knew Abimelech's heart was clear, and that He had actively kept him from sinning. Take comfort that God sees your genuine intentions clearly, and that He is willing and able to protect you from stumbling into wrongs you never meant to commit.
"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. "
"Now give the man back his wife. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. But if you don't give her back, know for certain that you will die — you and everyone in your household.""
God calls Abraham a prophet whose prayers Abimelech will need. However flawed someone's recent conduct has been, don't assume that disqualifies their ongoing usefulness and calling before God; grace continues to work through imperfect people.
"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. "
"So Abimelech got up early the next morning, called all his officials together, and told them everything that had happened — and the men were terrified."
Abimelech acts immediately and transparently, telling his whole household the truth of what happened. When you've received a serious warning or correction, let your response be prompt and open rather than private or delayed; honesty with those around you often matters as much as obedience itself.
"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. "
"Then Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? What wrong did I do to you, that you would bring this terrible sin on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.""
Abimelech confronts Abraham directly, naming the real harm his deception could have caused. It's right to hold people accountable plainly and honestly when their actions have endangered others, even when you still intend to remain at peace with them.
"And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? "
"Abimelech also asked Abraham, "What were you thinking, that made you do this?""
Abimelech genuinely wants to understand Abraham's reasoning, not just express anger. When someone has wronged you, seeking to understand what drove them, alongside naming the harm, can open the door to real reconciliation rather than lingering resentment.
"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. "
"Abraham replied, "I thought there was no fear of God at all in this place, and that they would kill me because of my wife."
Abraham admits his fear plainly: he assumed there was no reverence for God in this place. Be careful about the harsh assumptions you make of others before you've actually gotten to know them; Abraham's fear here turned out to be unfounded and cost him his integrity.
"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. "
"And besides, she really is my sister — my father's daughter, though not my mother's daughter — and she became my wife."
Abraham defends himself with a technically true but deliberately misleading half-truth. A partial truth told to create a false impression is still a form of deception; let your words be fully honest, not merely defensible.
"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. "
"So when God had me leave my father's household and wander from place to place, I said to her, 'Here is how you can show your loyalty to me: everywhere we go, tell people I'm your brother.'""
Abraham reveals this deception was a long-standing pattern, agreed with Sarah from the very start of their journey. Notice how an old, unaddressed fear can quietly shape your habits and decisions for years; real freedom comes from bringing those patterns into the light rather than letting them run unexamined.
"And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. "
"Then Abimelech gave Abraham sheep, cattle, and male and female servants, and returned his wife Sarah to him."
Abimelech responds to being wronged with generosity rather than retaliation, giving freely and restoring Sarah. Let grace, not payback, be your instinct when someone else's failure has cost you something; generosity in the face of being wronged reflects God's own character.
"And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. "
"Abimelech said, "My land is open to you — settle wherever you like.""
Abimelech offers Abraham the freedom of his whole land, extending hospitality even after being deceived. Real forgiveness often shows itself in continued generosity, not just the absence of punishment; let your peace-making be practical and open-handed.
"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. "
"To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. This is to make right whatever was done to you in front of everyone, so your honour is fully restored." In this way she was publicly vindicated."
Abimelech ensures Sarah's honour is publicly and visibly restored, not left in question. When someone's reputation has been unfairly clouded through no real fault of their own, look for ways to help restore it openly, not just privately.
"So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. "
"Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so that they were able to have children again."
Abraham prays for the very household his own deception had endangered, and God answers him. Let your prayers extend even to situations shaped by your own past mistakes; God can still use you to bring healing to circumstances you had a hand in causing.
"For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife. "
"For the LORD had completely closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Sarah, Abraham's wife."
The chapter closes by naming exactly why God had acted: to protect Sarah and honour marriage. Trust that God takes seriously the protection of the people and relationships you might overlook or take for granted; His care reaches into details you may never fully see.