Genesis Chapter Twenty Series

GENESIS CHAPTER TWENTY OVERVIEW

Overall what is happening in this chapter is that Abraham again presents Sarah as his sister because he fears for his life.

Thomas Coke (1801) – Genesis 20

Sarah is taken from Abraham by Abimelech, king of Gerar, whom God threatens with death, unless he restore her. Abimelech restores her, excusing himself to God, because he believed her to be the sister, not the wife of Abraham.

Matthew Henry (1714) – Genesis 20

We are here returning to the story of Abraham; yet that part of it which is here recorded is not to his honor. The fairest marbles have their flaws, and, while there are spots in the sun, we must not expect anything spotless under it. The scripture, it should be remarked, is impartial in relating the blemishes even of its most celebrated characters. We have here:

I. Abraham's sin in denying his wife, and Abimelech's sin thereupon in taking her (Genesis 20:1-2).

II. God's discourse with Abimelech in a dream, upon this occasion, wherein he shows him his error (Genesis 20:3), accepts his plea (Genesis 20:4-6), and directs him to make restitution (Genesis 20:7).

III. Abimelech's discourse with Abraham, wherein he chides him for the cheat he had put upon him (Genesis 20:8-10), and Abraham excuses it as well as he can (Genesis 20:11-13).

IV. The good issue of the story, in which Abimelech restores Abraham his wife (Genesis 20:14-16), and Abraham, by prayer, prevails with God for the removal of the judgment Abimelech was under (Genesis 20:17-18).

Thomas Constable (2012) – Genesis 20

Abraham naturally moved frequently since he had to find pasture for his flocks and herds (see Genesis 19:1). He lived a semi-nomadic life.

This chapter records another crisis in the story of God's providing an heir for Abraham.

Abraham misrepresented his relationship with Sarah again. Abimelech took her into his harem as a consequence of the patriarch's deception. Nevertheless God intervened to preserve Sarah's purity. He warned Abimelech to restore Sarah to her husband, to make restitution to Abraham, and to ask Abraham the prophet to intercede with God for him.

"Apparently, shortly after the announcement of a birth one year hence, Sarah is again taken into another man's harem. The reader is to infer that if there is an heir, he is in danger of being reckoned as Abimelech's not Abraham's. But Yahweh intervenes once again and preserves Sarah and restores her to Abraham."

"Abimelech" was a title rather than a proper name (see Genesis 26:1; Judges 8:31; 2 Samuel 11:21; Psalms 34 title). It meant "royal father" or "the king”.

Dreams were one of the primary means by which God revealed Himself to individuals in the Old Testament along with visions and personal encounters (see Genesis 15:1; Numbers 12:6-8). Adultery commonly drew the death penalty in the ancient Near East, which the Mosaic Code later specified (see Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). Abimelech claimed to head a blameless nation (see Genesis 19:4), so we expect God to be gracious since Abraham had prayed that the Lord would not destroy the righteous with the wicked (see Genesis 18:23-32). God was gracious with Abimelech and his people (see Genesis 19:6; Genesis 19:17). In contrast to the Sodomites, they responded to God's warnings.

Moses identified Abraham here (see Genesis 19:7) as a "prophet." This is the first explicit reference to a prophet in the Old Testament. Prophets received direct revelations from God, spoke to others for God, and praised God (see 1 Chronicles 25:1). Here the role of the prophet includes that of intercessor, as it does elsewhere in Scripture.

Other ancient Near Eastern texts refer to adultery as a "great sin" and a "great crime," reflecting the seriousness of this offense in the eyes of society.

"In king Abimelech we meet with a totally different character from that of Pharaoh. We see in him a heathen imbued with a moral consciousness of right, and open to receive divine revelation, of which there is not the slightest trace in the king of Egypt."

"Like the sailors and the king of Nineveh in the book of Jonah (see Genesis 1:16; Genesis 3:6-9), the Philistines responded quickly and decisively to God's warning. Like Jonah, however, Abraham in this narrative was a reluctant prophet."

Fear for his safety evidently led Abraham to act as he did even though his previous deception in Egypt had been unsuccessful. Even the repeated promises of God did not drive fear of potential danger from Abraham's heart. God used a pagan king to rebuke the righteous prophet, who had boldly pleaded for Sodom, when Abraham's faith failed.

This incident shows God's faithfulness to Abraham compared to Abraham's unfaithfulness to God (see 2 Timothy 2:13). God's chosen ones cannot destroy His ultimate plans for them by failing. Abraham learned that Yahweh will maintain His covenant and fulfill His promises in spite of the opposition and interference of influential and powerful individuals.