Chapter 20

1 Abraham sojourneth at Gerar, 2 denieth his wife, and loseth her. 3 Abimelech is reproved for her in a dream. 9 He rebuketh Abraham, 14 restoreth Sarah, 16 and reproveth her. 17 He is healed by Abraham’s prayer.

1. Abraham journeyed from thence. No reason is given for Abraham’s departure from the grove of Mamre near Hebron (chs. 13:18; 14:13; 18:1) for the southland, the Negeb (see on ch. 13:1). It is likely that God directed his footsteps thither, either in the pursuance of his pilgrim life or that he might be a witness to the inhabitants of the region. Again, his flocks may have required fresh grazing land, or political changes may have disturbed the peace and security of the country. While Abraham’s early confederates at Hebron, Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner, were Amorites (see ch. 14:13), the Hittites were apparently in control of the region some years later (see ch. 23:3). Critics have declared it impossible for the Hittites to have reached southern Palestine as early as the 19th century b.c., but more recent discoveries prove this to have been so. Some perhaps reached Hebron and expelled the Amorites. If so, Abraham may have moved to the Negeb to avoid the unsettled conditions of the transition period. Whatever may have led him to the southland, he made it his home for about 20 years.

Kadesh and Shur. Kadesh-barnea was about 80 mi. southwest of Hebron, and Shur lay to the west of Kadesh, not far from Egypt (see ch. 16:7). The word “dwelled” seems to indicate that Abraham spent some time in this region, a stay which must have awakened sacred memories in Hagar’s heart (see ch. 16:7–14).

Gerar. Since the southern Negeb was a semidesert region, its pasturelands may have in time proved inadequate. This area, which had but few oases, was later called the “wilderness of Zin.” Turning northward again, Abraham made his temporary abode at Gerar, which lay in a very fertile valley to the south of Gaza. Huge grain silos of the Persian period uncovered in the great mound of Gerar show that it was then the center of a grain-producing area. Though evidence is lacking, the city may have been equally important in earlier times.

2. She is my sister. Although Abraham lived in peace and security wherever he had previously pitched his tent in the land of Canaan, he seems to have mistrusted the king of Gerar, a Philistine prince (see on ch. 21:32). It is paradoxical to find one who had defeated the combined expeditionary forces of four Mesopotamian powers suddenly cowering in mortal fear before a single city prince. It is even more puzzling to discover Abraham, that paragon of faith, abruptly reverting to the very ruse that had brought him so much embarrassment and anxiety in Egypt (see ch. 12:10–20). After the many evidences of the power and protection of God he had witnessed, another dismal failure of faith such as this is strange indeed. Some 20 years had passed since that former mistake, and it may be that time had erased the impression then made.

Abimelech. The name Abimelech, “my father the king,” may in reality have been a Philistine title like that of Pharaoh in Egypt, instead of a proper name. The king of Gerar in Isaac’s time is called Abimelech (ch. 26:8), as is also King Achish of Gath in David’s time (1 Sam. 21:10; cf. Ps. 34, title). The ruler of Gerar seems to have taken into his harem all the unmarried women of this domain who captured his fancy. Even more so than 25 years earlier, it seems strange that Sarah, at the age of 90, was still so attractive as to be desired by a Palestinian prince. To be sure, nearly 40 years of her life still remained. Abimelech may also have intended this marriage to seal an alliance between himself and Abraham. He apparently felt the presence of Abraham a benefit to him (see ch. 20:15).

Abraham’s Wanderings in the Negeb

3. A dream. The dream was God’s usual mode of revealing Himself to the heathen, as He did to Pharaoh (ch. 41:1) and to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:5). To the patriarchs and prophets God gave visions, though He sometimes spoke to them in dreams also.

Thou art but a dead man. Literally, “you are about to die.” Abimelech contracted the malady that had fallen upon his house (see v. 17).

4. Not come near her. Abimelech was prevented from dishonoring Sarah by the peculiar disease that had overtaken him, but concerning whose nature little is revealed. This statement was made to avoid the possibility that Isaac, soon to be born, might be considered a child of Abimelech rather than of Abraham.

Lord, wilt thou slay? In ancient times dreams were considered as of divine origin, and Abimelech therefore believed that the one who appeared to him was a divine being. The authority with which the one addressing him spoke was obviously superior even to his own, as king.

6. The integrity of thy heart. Abimelech had inadvertently wronged an ambassador of the heavenly King. It would seem that this heathen ruler must have been a man of principle, for his conscience was obviously clear in the matter. This fact indicates that the Philistines were at this time by no means as degenerate as the men of Sodom. Perhaps the same might also be said of other peoples of Canaan. Their iniquity was “not yet full” (ch. 15:16).

7. He is a prophet. This is the first occurrence of the term “prophet,” nabiХ. It is derived from the root word nabaХ, which means “to proclaim,” “to call out,” “to declare.” As used in the Bible, the word “prophet,” nabiХ, therefore describes one who proclaims divine messages. These may relate to the past, the present, or the future, and may consist of description, exhortation, instruction, consolation, or prediction. The term conveys, furthermore, the idea of being an intermediary. The English word “prophet” comes from the Greek prophetes, a combination of the preposition pro, “for,” or “on behalf of,” with the verb phemi, “to speak.” He speaks for someone. He may speak to man on behalf of God, or vice versa. It seems clear from v. 7 that Abraham was here spoken of as a prophet in the latter sense; he was to pray to God on behalf of Abimelech.

The fact that the term nabiХ is first used here does not preclude belief that the Spirit of prophecy was found among men from the very beginning (Gen. 9:25–27; Acts 3:21; Jude 14, 15). The charge that the use of this term in the books of Moses proves that they cannot be older than the time of Samuel, before which a prophet was called a “seer” (1 Sam. 9:9), is likewise invalid. As used by Moses the term usually applies to a recipient of divine revelations. During the period of the judges the term “seer,” roХeh, appears to have come into use and to have held its ground until the time of Samuel, when the older term in turn replaced it.

He shall pray for thee. The value of intercessory prayer is stated forcefully in James 5:16. The promise to Abimelech that he would regain his health through the intercession of Abraham supports the principle that a righteous man may become the channel through which divine blessing can flow to others (see Acts 9:17, 18). It is the purpose of God to direct to His human representatives those who are susceptible to truth.

8. Abimelech … called all his servants. The Hebrew word here translated “servants” includes officials of all ranks. They too were vitally concerned with the situation, and were no doubt with the situation, and were no doubt looking to their king for a solution to the problem.

9. Abimelech called Abraham. The earlier rebuke administered by Pharaoh (ch. 12:18, 19) was even more justified now. Abimelech’s words of censure must have been most humiliating. He who had been commissioned to represent, by precept and example, the true God to the people of Canaan was now the deserving recipient of reproof from one of their pagan rulers. His misconduct not only had marred the happiness of his own home but had also become the occasion of suffering to the people whose hospitality he enjoyed.

12. She is my sister. Abraham defended his conduct on the assumption that there was no “fear of God” in Gerar, and that consequently his life was in danger (see ch. 12:4–13). Furthermore, he justified the subterfuge by the excuse that Sarah was indeed his “sister”—his half sister—as well as his wife. He sought to make it appear that he had not deviated from the strict letter of truth. But his failure to tell the whole truth made him a deceiver. On marriage between brothers and sisters, see on ch. 4:17.

13. At every place. This was not the first occasion on which Abraham had passed Sarah off as his sister. It would almost seem to have been his usual practice, but that heretofore Egypt had been the only place where the ruse caused trouble. Years of success in employing the same deception, since that bitter experience with Pharaoh, had made Abraham forgetful of its lesson of strict rectitude (see Eccl. 8:11). Perhaps the comparative ease with God had rescued him from serious difficulty also tended to make him less cautious.

The secluded life of women, typical in the East, made it relatively easy for Abraham to follow the practice he did. Spending much of their time in the tents, beyond the gaze of curious eyes, few men ever even so much as saw them (see Gen. 18:9). Abimelech’s contact with her must have been accidental, possibly at an unguarded moment when she was away from home, such as drawing water at a public well (see ch. 34:1–4). However that may be, the time for the birth of the promised seed was rapidly approaching (see ch. 21:1), and Satan took advantage of Abraham’s weakness to thwart the divine plan (see on Gen. 12:12–20; cf. Rev. 12:1–4).

14. Abimelech took sheep. Abimelech’s gifts were similar to Pharaoh’s (ch. 12:16), but were given with a different motive. Pharaoh’s gifts were “for the sake of Sarah,” as a dowry, while those of Abimelech were intended to avoid Abraham’s displeasure for the wrong he had suffered.

15. My land is before thee. This seemingly generous offer is precisely the opposite of Pharaoh’s request under similar circumstances (see ch. 12:19, 20). Abimelech sought to make it clear to Abraham that he had intended no wrong and wanted to live on good terms with this wealthy prince from Mesopotamia. Knowing of Abraham’s rescue of the men of Sodom some years earlier, Abimelech may also for that reason have feared reprisal for his deed.

16. A thousand pieces of silver. Although neither the word “pieces” nor the word “shekel” is in the Hebrew text, the latter word is undoubtedly the correct complement of the word “thousand.” Coined money did not exist in pre-Persian times. Precious metals were cast into bricks and evaluated according to weight. Since the weight of the shekel varied widely in different localities and at different times, it is difficult to estimate its present monetary value. A weight found in the ruins of Tell Beit Mirsim in Palestine gives a shekel of .402 oz. av. (11.4 gr.), one from Ugarit in Syria .335 oz. (9.5 gr.), whereas the Egyptian and Babylonian shekel varies from .31 to .345 oz. (8.8 to 9.8 gr.). If we take a shekel of 11.4 grams (.4 oz. av.) for a “piece of silver,” a thousand would weigh about 25 lb. av. Inasmuch as the buying power of money was much higher then than it is now, this figure should be increased considerably if it is to represent a true picture of the value of this gift. Abimelech probably used the expression “thy brother” in irony, as if he were saying “this ‘brother’ of yours.”

He is to thee a covering of the eyes. The meaning of the Hebrew statement thus translated is obscure. If literal, the “covering” would be a veil for the protection of the face; if figurative, it would be a gift intended to placate ill will. The Hebrew word translated “he” in the KJV, indicating Abraham, could be just as well translated “it,” referring to the gift. If the word refers to Abraham, Abimelech would mean either that he was herewith returning Sarah to Abraham’s protection, or that Abraham should take better care of her in the future. If, on the other hand, it refers to the gift, Abimelech would be saying, “Please accept my gift as evidence of your innocence, and also as a token of my desire to do right by you.” Three details of the context imply that this expression refers to the gift rather than to Abraham: (1) Abimelech desired the friendship of Abraham (see on v. 15). (2) The gift is the center of attention in the preceding statement. (3) The “covering” was to constitute evidence to her companions and to all others that the wrong had been righted and the case settled.

All that are with thee. Perhaps this refers to Sarah’s handmaids, who may have been with her at the time of the incident. “With all other” may refer to other members of Abraham’s large household, or may include all who might learn of it. See also the following paragraph. This suggests too that the “covering” may have been intended, in part at least, to save her “face” before the other members of her household, a most important consideration among Orientals.

Thus she was reproved. This expression in the Hebrew confronts us with two problems. (1) Some ancient versions omit the word “thus,” Heb. “and,” and combine this expression with the preceding phrase, “and with all other.” (2) Whether the original Hebrew read “she” or “you” is uncertain. The vowel pointing which makes the difference was added by the Masoretes several centuries after Christ. If the Masoretes were correct, then Sarah was “reproved” by Abimelech as being primarily to blame for the unfortunate situation. If, however, the Masoretes made the wrong choice, as some ancient versions imply, and if the preceding phrase, “and with all other,” is to be connected with “she was reproved,” the two together would read as follows: “and in all respects thou art justified,” or, “before every one you are righted,” as in the RSV. This rendering would agree more exactly with the context. The word translated “umpire” in Job 9:33, margin, is from the same root as the word here rendered “reproved.”

17. God healed Abimelech. Had restitution not been made, death would have been the result (see vs. 3, 7). The Hebrew word translated “maidservants” refers to female slaves of the royal harem. A different word is employed in v. 14 to describe the “womenservants” included in the king’s gift to Abraham.

18. Closed up. From an Oriental point of view, according to which the bearing of children was esteemed as perhaps the greatest of all blessings, there could be no greater calamity than barrenness. To be childless was a reproach (Gen. 30:23; Luke 1:25; etc.). Furthermore if no more children were to be born to the wives of the family of Abimelech, the family would eventually die out.