Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech
Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, Gen 26:1Gen 26:62Ch 14:13-14Gen 18:1Psa 29:8Deu 1:19Deu 32:51Gen 10:19 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. Gen 12:15Gen 26:7Gen 12:11-132Ch 19:22Ch 32:31Col 3:9Ecc 7:20Eph 4:25
One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” Gen 20:7Mat 27:19Job 33:15Psa 105:14Gen 28:12Mat 1:20Gen 31:24Gen 37:5
Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 1Ch 21:172Sa 4:11Gen 18:23-25Gen 19:24Gen 20:17-18Gen 20:6 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.” 1Ki 9:4Psa 7:81Ch 29:171Th 2:101Ti 1:132Co 1:122Ki 20:3Dan 6:22
Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her. 1Sa 25:341Sa 25:26Pro 21:1Gen 31:7Gen 35:52Th 2:7Exo 34:24Psa 84:11 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.” Job 42:81Sa 7:5Heb 13:42Sa 24:171Ch 16:221Ki 13:62Ki 5:11Num 16:32-33
Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified.
Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.” Gen 12:18Gen 26:10Gen 39:91Sa 26:18-192Sa 12:10-112Sa 12:52Sa 13:12Exo 32:21 Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”
Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’ Gen 26:7Gen 12:12Gen 22:12Gen 42:18Job 28:28Neh 5:15Pro 16:6Pro 2:5 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife. Gen 11:291Th 5:22Gen 12:13 So when God had me journey from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” Gen 12:1Gen 12:91Sa 23:21Act 5:9Act 7:3-5Gen 12:11-20Heb 11:8Psa 64:5
So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him. Gen 12:16Gen 12:19-20Gen 20:11Gen 20:2Gen 20:7 And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.” Gen 13:9Gen 34:10Gen 47:6 And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. 1 It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.” Gen 20:5Pro 27:5Gen 24:651Ch 21:3-6Gen 26:11Jon 1:6Pro 12:1Pro 25:12
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children— Jas 5:16Job 42:9-10Mat 21:22Php 4:6Pro 15:81Sa 5:11-121Th 5:25Ezr 6:10 for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household. Gen 12:17Gen 30:21Sa 1:61Sa 5:10Gen 16:2Gen 20:7