What does Genesis 20:14 mean?
God had said to Abimelech that he and all those who were his would die if he failed to return Sarah to Abraham. They would live, however, when Abraham prayed for them (Genesis 20:7). Abimelech had taken Sarah as a wife, thanks to Abraham's lie that she was only his sister. Confronted by God in a dream, Abimelech had proclaimed his ignorance, and obeyed God's instructions to return her to her husband (Genesis 20:3–6).Now, Abimelech does return Sarah, but he goes well beyond that. He also gives Abraham sheep, oxen, and servants, in addition to a large sum of silver mentioned in verse 16. Abimelech seems eager to clear away any hint of this potential sin and any scandal between him, Abraham, and Sarah.
This is not only a sign of good will from Abimelech, it is an important part of God protecting the promise he made to provide Abraham and Sarah with a natural-born son (Genesis 17:15–16). The fact that Abimelech, in no uncertain terms, never touched Sarah maintains the upcoming birth of Abraham's son, Isaac, as legitimate.