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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Genesis 20:2

And Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, She is my sister; and Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah. As in Egypt, Genesis 12:13, Abraham did not tell the exact and complete truth when he stated that Sarah was his sister. So the king of Gerar, whose standing title was Abimelech, acted in good faith when he added her to his harem. Either the transformation worked in Sarah as a result of God's promise had renewed her youth, or Abimelech found it to his advantage to be related to the rich Abraham by marriage.

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See also Genesis 20:2 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 20:2. _SHE IS MY SISTER_] See the parallel account, Genesis 12:11-1, and the notes there. Sarah was now about ninety years of age, and probably pregnant with Isaac. Her beauty, therefor...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Abraham in Gerar 2. אבימלך .2 _'ǎbı̂ymelek_, Abimelekh, “father of the king.” 7. נביא _nābı̂y'_ “prophet,” he who speaks by God, of God, and to God, who declares to people not merely things futu...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 20 ABRAHAM IN GERAR _ 1. Abraham in Gerar (Genesis 20:1)_ 2. Second denial of Sarah (Genesis 20:2) 3. God's dealing with Abimelech (Genesis 20:3) 4. Abimelech and Abraham ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    GENESIS 20. ABRAHAM PASSES OFF SARAH AS HIS SISTER AT GERAR. The first complete narrative from E. The writer uses Elohim, but P's characteristics are absent. Phraseology as well as the use of Elohim i...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    SAID. Abraham's expedient. the next assault on Abraham in the Great Conflict for the destruction of the promised seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). See App-23. God had to intervene (Genesis 20:3), for...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _She is my sister_ See notes on Genesis 12:13. It seems almost incredible that, after the event recorded in Genesis 12:13-20, Abraham should once again have displayed the same faults of cowardice and...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 19 CALL OF ABRAM Genesis 20:1. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I wil...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    ABRAHAM SAID OF SARAH HIS WIFE, SHE IS MY SISTER— It appears from Genesis 20:13 that it was mutually agreed between Abraham and Sarah to pass for brother and sister, in the strange places and courts w...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART THIRTY-THREE THE STORY OF ABRAHAM: SOJOURN IN THE NEGEB (Genesis 20:1 to Genesis 21:34) 1. _Abraham and Abimelech_ (Genesis 20:1-18) 1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND ABRAHAM SAID OF SARAH HIS WIFE, SHE IS MY SISTER: AND ABIMELECH KING OF GERAR SENT, AND TOOK SARAH._ Abraham said of Sarah ... She is my sister - fear of the people among whom he was, tempted hi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ABRAHAM AT GERAR 1. Abraham leaves Mamre (Hebron) for Gerar, SW. of Philistia. It seems from Genesis 21:34 that he remained in that district for some years....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SHE _is_ MY SISTER] Twenty years earlier Abraham had used the same device in Egypt and now again he incurs a rebuke from one outside the Covenant. See Genesis 12:11 and notes. ABIMELECH] perhaps, 'Mol...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 20 ABIMELECH TAKES SARAH V1 Abraham travelled away from the big trees at Mamre. He went toward the region that is called the Negeb. He lived betw...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    When Abraham went to Egypt, he said that Sarah was his sister. (See Genesis 12:11-13 and the comment. At that time, Abraham was called ‘Abram’ and his wife Sarah was called ‘Sarai’.) When Abraham went...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    SHE IS MY SISTER. — Twenty years before, Abraham had acted in the same way in Egypt, and Pharaoh had rebuked him, but sent him away with large presents. We learn from this chapter, Genesis 20:13, that...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יֹּ֧אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל ־שָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתֹּ֖ו...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    ABRAHAM AGAIN DENIES HIS WIFE Genesis 20:1 It is wonderful that Abraham should fall like this. He had walked with God for so many years, and experienced so many deliverances, that we should have expe...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Once again we have to face Abraham's deflection from faith. We see him journeying south to Gerar. This was the center of a race of men who, having driven out the original possessors of the land, were...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    WHEN ABRAHAM FAILED TO TRUST GOD A book that only claimed to be from God would not record the failings of a great man like Abraham. since the Bible is from God, it tells us of a second time Abraham fa...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, (b) She [is] my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. (b) Abraham had now twice fallen into this sin: such is man's frailty....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    He said to the king, and to all others who made inquiry, as it was his custom, whenever he came into a strange land, ver. 13. He was encouraged to do this, by the protection which God had shewn him in...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    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. By the ministry of dreams and visions of...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We have had hitherto God's account of that which He had made; then the trial and utter ruin of the creature, with the revelation of divine mercy in Christ the Lord. We have had in fine the judgment of...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    2._And Abraham said of Sarah his wife_. In this history, the Holy Spirit presents to us a remarkable instance, both of the infirmity of man, and of the grace of God. It is a common proverb, that even...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 20 AND 21. In Chapter s 20, 21 we have the question of the heir and of the path of faith in another point of view. Abraham denies his relationship with his wi...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND ABRAHAM SAID OF SARAH HIS WIFE, SHE [IS] MY SISTER,.... This he gave out in all conversation he came into, and said it to every one that asked who she was, which was little better than a lie; it a...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She [is] my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. Ver. 2. _She is my sister._] This is the second time he thus sinned, both against piety by di...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _And Abraham sojourned in Gerar_ Which belonged to the Philistines. We are not told upon what occasion he removed; whether terrified by the destruction of Sodom, or, as some of the Jewish writers say,...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 Abraham soiourneth at Gerar, 2 denieth his wife, and loseth her. 3 Abimelech is reproued for her in a dreame. 9 He rebuketh Abraham, 14 restoreth Sarah, 16 and reprooueth her. 17 Hee is healed...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    EIGHTH SECTION _Abraham and Abimelech of Gerar. His and Sarah’s renewed exposure through his human, calculating prudence, as formerly in Egypt before Pharaoh. The Divine preservation. Abraham’s inter...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ABRAHAM EXPOSED AND REPROVED Now we return to Abraham's history. He journeyed toward the south, which is typical of pleasant circumstances, but nearly always having danger in it. He dwelt between Kade...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-8 Crooked policy will not prosper: it brings ourselves and others into danger. God gives Abimelech notice of his danger of sin, and his danger of death for his sin. Every wilful sinner is a dead ma...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    ABRAHAM SAID this lest they should slay him for his beautiful wife's sake, as himself tells us, GENESIS 20:11. For though Sarah was ninety years old, yet she retained her beauty in good measure, partl...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    We have two distinct points in this chapter: first, the moral degradation to which the child of God sometimes subjects himself, in the view of the world; and, secondly, the moral dignity which _ alway...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 20:2 Abraham H85 said H559 (H8799) of H413 Sarah H8283 wife H802 sister H269 Abimelech H40 king...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ABRAHAM AND ABIMELECH (GENESIS 20:1). Genesis 20:1 ‘And Abraham journeyed from there towards the land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar.' He had been establ...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Abraham's lapse at Gerar. Lying to Abimelech about his wife. CHARACTERS: Abraham, Sarah, Abimelech. CONCLUSION: Sin has many tools but a lie is a handle that fits them all. If the truth is...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 20:1 , _Gerar,_ in the tribe of Simeon, then a royal residence. Abimelech was the common name of the kings that reigned there. Genesis 20:2. _She is my sister._ It is not said whether Sarah wa...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister_ ABRAHAM’S REPETITION OF HIS OLD FAULT; THE POWER OF FORMER TEMPTATIONS I. THEIR POWER MAY SLUMBER LONG. In this instance, twenty-four years. Ne...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 20:1 King Abimelech takes Sarah into his harem, which seems to put at risk God’s promise that Sarah will bear Abraham a son. ⇐...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 20:2 SHE IS MY SISTER. This comment assumes that the reader is familiar with Genesis 12:11, which explains the rationale behind Abraham’s words....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 20:1. Kadesh; Shur; Gerar.] All lying near the southern borders of Canaan. Gerar was the chief city of the Philistines. It is now called _Khirbet-el-Gerar, i.e.,_ the ruins o...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 20:1 AND ABRAHAM JOURNEYED (_vide_ Genesis 12:9) FROM THENCE. Mamre (Genesis 18:1). In search of pasture, as on a previous occasion (Keil);

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and he sojourned in Gerar (Genesis 20:1). So Abraham was living in the area of Hebron, but now he is still s...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    said. Genesis 12:11 Genesis 26:7 2 Chronicles 19:2 2 Chronicles 20:37...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    GENESIS 21:32; GENESIS 21:34 — Did the Bible mistakenly place the Philistines in Palestine at the time of Abraham? PROBLEM: The earliest allusion to Philistines by Palestinian or Egyptian sources is...

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