Genesis 20:2

Genesis 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
• New International Version (NIV)and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Context of Genesis 20:2

1Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the Negev (the South country), and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he lived temporarily in Gerar. Abraham said [again] of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah [into his harem]. 3But God came to Abimelech in a dream during the night, and said, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken [as your wife], for she is another man’s wife.” 4Now Abimelech had not yet come near her; so he said, “Lord, will you kill a people who are righteous and innocent and blameless [regarding Sarah]?

Genesis 20:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־שָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ גְּרָ֔ר וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־שָׂרָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• ofאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• Sarahשָׂרָהώârâh · SarahH8283
• his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• my sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• and Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Gerarגְּרָרgerâr · GerarH1642
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• and tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947

Cross-references for Genesis 20:2

• Genesis 12:11And when he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “Listen: I know that you are a beautiful woman;
• Genesis 26:7The men of the place asked him about his wife, and he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife”—thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, since she is very beautiful.”
• 2 Chronicles 19:2Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate the Lord and in doing so bring wrath from the Lord on yourself?
• 2 Chronicles 20:37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken down what you have built.” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to go to Tarshish.
• 2 Chronicles 32:31And so in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, in order to know everything that was in his heart.
• Proverbs 24:16For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster and collapse.
• Ecclesiastes 7:20Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who always does good and who never sins.
• Galatians 2:11Now when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him face to face [about his conduct there], because he stood condemned [by his own actions].
• Ephesians 4:25Therefore, rejecting all falsehood [whether lying, defrauding, telling half-truths, spreading rumors, any such as these], speak truth each one with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one another [and we are all parts of the body of Christ].
• Colossians 3:9Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices,
• Genesis 12:15Pharaoh’s princes (officials) also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken [for the purpose of marriage] into Pharaoh’s house (harem).
• Genesis 26:1Now there was a famine in the land [of Canaan], besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines.

Commentaries on Genesis 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2She is my sister - See the parallel account, Genesis 12 (note), and the notes there. Sarah was now about ninety years of age, and probably pregnant with Isaac. Her beauty, therefore, must have been considerably impaired since the time she was taken in a similar manner by Pharaoh, king of Egypt; but she was probably now chosen by Abimelech more on the account of forming an alliance with Abraham, who was very rich, than on account of any personal…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-18Verses 1-18 - Abraham in Gerar 2. אבימלך .2 'ǎbı̂ymelek Abimelekh, “father of the king.” 7. נביא nābı̂y' “prophet,” he who speaks by God, of God, and to God, who declares to people not merely things future, but also things past and present, that are not obvious to the sense or the reason; related: “flow, go forth.” 13. התעוּ hı̂t‛û is plural in punctuation, agreeing grammatically with אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym ו (w), however, may be regarded as the third…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Abraham lied to Abimelech, just as he had lied to Pharaoh (12:13). Isaac later did the same (26:1–11), probably learning this from his father. Abimelech (which means "my father the king") was probably a title like Pharaoh (37:36; Exodus 1:15), not a personal name (see study note on Genesis 26:1).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 20:2

• Cowardice
• Deception
• Doubting
• Falsehood
• Ignorance
• Sarah

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• Abraham
• Gerar
• Sarah
• Sarah; Sarai
• Abraham, Abram
• Dream
• Lie
• Restore
• Wander

Commentaries on Genesis 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings