Genesis 20:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid.

NIV: Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid.

NASB: So Abimelech got up early in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these things in their presence; and the people were greatly frightened.

CSB: Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things, and the men were terrified.

NLT: Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified.

KJV: Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

NKJV: So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid.

Abimelech, king of Gerar, has taken Abraham's wife Sarah for his own wife. Abraham had said plainly that Sarah was his sister. Abimelech believed him. Apparently, some time passed during which God kept all of the women in Abimelech's household from bearing children and during which Abimelech, and possibly others, had become very ill (Genesis 20:17–18).

The previous verses describe a conversation between God and Abimelech in a dream. God said Abimelech would die for taking away another man's wife (Genesis 20:3). Abimelech said, truthfully, that he didn't know Sarah was married, and he had not yet touched her (Genesis 20:4–5). God agreed, stating that Abimelech and his household would live if he would return Sarah to Abraham and Abraham would pray for them (Genesis 20:6–7).

Now Abimelech gets up early in the morning and tells all his servants about the dream. Everyone is afraid. They believe, apparently, that God will do as He says. Their fear of God demonstrates more faith in Him than Abraham's fearful lie to Abimelech.

Genesis 20:1–18 describes what happens when Abraham once again moves to a new place and insists on lying that Sarah is merely his sister and not his wife. Abimelech, the king of Gerar, takes Sarah as one of his wives. He is soon struck with an illness and visited in a dream with a warning from God that he will die if he doesn't return Sarah to Abraham and if Abraham doesn't pray for him. Sarah is returned untouched, Abraham prays, and all are healed.

Here, Abraham practically duplicates one of the oddest episodes in his earlier life. As he did with the Egyptians in Genesis chapter 12, Abraham moves through a new area and claims that Sarah is his sister. The king of Gerar, Abimelech, takes Sarah for one of his wives, but he is soon struck ill. God appears and tells Abimelech he will die for taking a married woman. Abimelech insists he did not know and has not slept with Sarah. The Lord says that if he returns her, and if Abraham prays for them, all will be healed.

After the dramatic events of the previous chapters, Abraham moves south of Gaza to Gerar. As he did in Egypt, he claims that his wife is his sister. The king of Gerar, Abimelech, takes Sarah as his wife, but is soon struck ill and never approaches her. The Lord offers to spare Abimelech and his household if he will return Sarah and if Abraham will pray for them. Sarah is returned. All are healed, including all the women who have been unable to bear children. In the following chapter, Sarah herself will finally bear Abraham a son—an outcome God safeguards through His actions in this chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 11/22/2024 12:08:44 PM