Abraham and Sarah at Gerar
1 ① Abraham left there for the territory of the Negeb, and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he stayed for a time in Gerar. 2Abraham had said of his wife, “She is my sister”; so Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and had her brought to him.
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream at night. He said to him, “You are a dead man because of this woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” 4But Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, “My Lord, are you going to kill a pagan who acted with good intention? 5Didn’t he say to me: ‘She is my sister’? And she said to me: ‘He is my brother.’ I acted in the simplicity of my heart and with innocent hands.” 6God said to him in the dream, “I knew that you did that in the simplicity of your heart and I prevented you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 7Now give the woman back to the man for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not give her back, know that you will surely die; you and all yours will die.”
8So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his officials and told them all these things. The officials were terrified. 9Abimelech then called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? In what way have I wronged you, for you to bring against me and my kingdom such a grave sin? You have done to me things that should not be done.” 10Abimelech said to Abraham, “Why did you act as you did?” 11Abraham said, “I thought there is no fear of God at all in this place and they will kill me because of my wife. 12Yet it is true that she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not of my mother, and she became my wife. 13So, when the gods made me wander far from my father’s family, I said to her: Now, if you love me, I beg you to say that I am your brother wherever we go.”
14Abimelech then brought sheep and cattle, male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he had Sarah returned to her husband. 15And he told Abraham, “See, you have the run of my land; live wherever you please.” 16And to Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand silver coins. It will be as a protection for you, and an evidence for all those who are with you. So none of them will think ill of you.” 17Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his servants, so that they were able to have children again. 18For Yahweh had made it impossible for Abimelech’s wife and maids to have more children, because of Abraham’s wife, Sarah.
- Gen 20,1 The Israelites remembered the conflicts between their wandering ancestors and the people among whom they lived. The present event is related in three different parts of Genesis with different people as protagonists and in different circumstances (see 12:14 and 26:7).
