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Genesis 20:11 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

11 And Abraham H85 said, H559 Because I thought, H559 Surely H7535 the fear H3374 of God H430 is not in this place; H4725 and they will slay me H2026 for my wife's H802 sake. H1697

Cross Reference

Psalms 36:1-4 STRONG

[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm of David H1732 the servant H5650 of the LORD.]] H3068 The transgression H6588 of the wicked H7563 saith H5002 within H7130 my heart, H3820 that there is no fear H6343 of God H430 before his eyes. H5869 For he flattereth H2505 himself in his own eyes, H5869 until his iniquity H5771 be found H4672 to be hateful. H8130 The words H1697 of his mouth H6310 are iniquity H205 and deceit: H4820 he hath left off H2308 to be wise, H7919 and to do good. H3190 He deviseth H2803 mischief H205 upon his bed; H4904 he setteth H3320 himself in a way H1870 that is not good; H2896 he abhorreth H3988 not evil. H7451

Commentary on Genesis 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 20

Ge 20:1-18. Abraham's Denial of His Wife.

1. Abraham journeyed from thence … and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur—Leaving the encampment, he migrated to the southern border of Canaan. In the neighborhood of Gerar was a very rich and well-watered pasture land.

2. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister—Fear of the people among whom he was, tempted him to equivocate. His conduct was highly culpable. It was deceit, deliberate and premeditated—there was no sudden pressure upon him—it was the second offense of the kind [see on Ge 12:13]—it was a distrust of God every way surprising, and it was calculated to produce injurious effects on the heathen around. Its mischievous tendency was not long in being developed.

Abimelech (father-king) … sent and took Sarah—to be one of his wives, in the exercise of a privilege claimed by Eastern sovereigns, already explained (see on Ge 12:15).

3. But God came to Abimelech in a dream—In early times a dream was often made the medium of communicating important truths; and this method was adopted for the preservation of Sarah.

9. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said … What hast thou done?—In what a humiliating plight does the patriarch now appear—he, a servant of the true God, rebuked by a heathen prince. Who would not rather be in the place of Abimelech than of the honored but sadly offending patriarch! What a dignified attitude is that of the king—calmly and justly reproving the sin of the patriarch, but respecting his person and heaping coals of fire on his head by the liberal presents made to him.

11. And Abraham said … I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place—From the horrible vices of Sodom he seems to have taken up the impression that all other cities of Canaan were equally corrupt. There might have been few or none who feared God, but what a sad thing when men of the world show a higher sense of honor and a greater abhorrence of crimes than a true worshipper!

12. yet indeed she is my sister—(See on Ge 11:31). What a poor defense Abraham made. The statement absolved him from the charge of direct and absolute falsehood, but he had told a moral untruth because there was an intention to deceive (compare Ge 12:11-13). "Honesty is always the best policy." Abraham's life would have been as well protected without the fraud as with it: and what shame to himself, what distrust to God, what dishonor to religion might have been prevented! "Let us speak truth every man to his neighbor" [Zec 8:16; Eph 4:25].