d.
A hidden weakness and a shameful intercession
20:1-18
Gen. 20
:1
20:1
And Abraham journeyed from
1there toward the region of the Negev and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar.
Gen. 20
:2
20:2
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife,
1She is my
asister. And Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
Gen. 20
:3
20:3
But God came to Abimelech in a
adream by night and said to him, You are now about to die because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.
Gen. 20
:4
20:4
But Abimelech had not come near her, so he said, Lord, will You slay even a righteous nation?
Gen. 20
:5
20:5
Did he himself not say to me, She is my sister? And even she herself said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.
Gen. 20
:6
20:6
And God said to him in the dream, Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also prevented you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.
Gen. 20
:7
20:7
Now therefore return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; and he will
apray for you, and you will live. But if you do not return
her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.
Gen. 20
:8
20:8
And Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and spoke all these things in their hearing. And the men were very afraid.
Gen. 20
:9
20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.
Gen. 20
:10
20:10
And Abimelech said to Abraham,
1What were you thinking, that you have done this thing?
Gen. 20
:11
20:11
And Abraham said, Because I
1thought, Surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will
aslay me because of my wife.
Gen. 20
:12
20:12
But she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
Gen. 20
:13
20:13
And 1when aGod caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, This is your kindness which you must do to me: At every place where we go, say of me, He is my brother.
Gen. 20
:14
20:14
Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen and male servants and female servants, and gave
them to Abraham; and he
1returned Sarah his wife to him.
Gen. 20
:15
20:15
And Abimelech said, My land is now before you; dwell wherever it pleases you.
Gen. 20
:16
20:16
And to Sarah he said, I have now given your brother a thousand
pieces of silver. It is now your
1vindication in the eyes of all who are with you. And in every respect you have been cleared.
Gen. 20
:17
20:17
And Abraham
1aprayed to God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his female servants, so that they bore children.
Gen. 20
:18
20:18
For Jehovah had completely shut up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s
awife.
