Genesis 20:1-18 — TLB

Read Genesis 20:1-18 (The Living Bible) on maBible, the Bible online. Other reference formats: Genesis 20.1-18, Genesis 20v1-18, Gen. 20:1-18. Now Abraham moved south to the Negeb and settled between Kadesh and Shur. One day, when visiting the city of Gerar, he declared that Sarah was his sister! T…

1 Now Abraham moved south to the Negeb and settled between Kadesh and Shur. One day, when visiting the city of Gerar,

2 he declared that Sarah was his sister! Then King Abimelech sent for her, and had her brought to him at his palace.

3 But that night God came to him in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you took is married.”

4 But Abimelech hadn’t slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you slay an innocent man?

5 He told me, ‘She is my sister,’ and she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I hadn’t the slightest intention of doing anything wrong.”

6 “Yes, I know,” the Lord replied. “That is why I held you back from sinning against me; that is why I didn’t let you touch her.

7 Now restore her to her husband, and he will pray for you (for he is a prophet) and you shall live. But if you don’t return her to him, you are doomed to death along with all your household.”

8 The king was up early the next morning, and hastily called a meeting of all the palace personnel and told them what had happened. And great fear swept through the crowd.

13 And when God sent me traveling far from my childhood home, I told her, ‘Have the kindness to mention, wherever we come, that you are my sister.’”

14 Then King Abimelech took sheep and oxen and servants—both men and women—and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him.

15 “Look my kingdom over, and choose the place where you want to live,” the king told him.

16 Then he turned to Sarah. “Look,” he said, “I am giving your ‘brother’ a thousand silver pieces as damages for what I did, to compensate for any embarrassment and to settle any claim against me regarding this matter. Now justice has been done.”

17 Then Abraham prayed, asking God to cure the king and queen and the other women of the household, so that they could have children;

18 for God had stricken all the women with barrenness to punish Abimelech for taking Abraham’s wife.

Passage themes

Abraham moves on — And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country
A stop in the desert — dwelled between Kadesh and Shur
A stranger among the Philistines — sojourned in Gerar
Abraham's lie — And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister
Sarah taken by the king — and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah
God speaks in a dream — in a dream by night
The warning of death — thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken
The wife preserved — had not come near her
Striking an innocent people — wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
An upright heart before God — the integrity of my heart
Innocence in action — innocency of my hands
A king found innocent — thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart
God holds him back — I also withheld thee
Offending God himself — from sinning against me
The woman protected — therefore suffered I thee not to touch her
A spokesman for God — he is a prophet
Prayer that saves — he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live
The sentence of death — know thou that thou shalt surely die
The whole household affected — thou, and all that are thine
The call to leave — God caused me to wander from my father’s house
A favor requested — This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me
Posing as brother and sister — say of me, He is my brother
The king's gifts — took sheep, and oxen
Sarah returned — restored him Sarah his wife
The supposed brother — thy brother
The price paid — a thousand pieces of silver
Honour covered — he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee
Accepting the rebuke — thus she was reproved

Genesis 20:1-18 — TLB | maBible

Passage themes

Events in this chapter

Did you know?

About this book

This chapter in other translations