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 to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. 3One 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.” 4Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?

Genesis 20:2 word by word

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

• Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• ofאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• Sarahשָׂרָהώârâh · SarahH8283
• Sheהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• is my sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• So Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Gerarגְּרָרgerâr · GerarH1642
• broughtשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• to himלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853

Cross-references for Genesis 20:2

• Genesis 12:11As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
• Genesis 26:7But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
• 2 Chronicles 19:2Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
• 2 Chronicles 20:37Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.
• 2 Chronicles 32:31And so when ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon were sent to him to inquire about the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone to test him, that He might know all that was in Hezekiah’s heart.
• Proverbs 24:16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
• Ecclesiastes 7:20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
• Galatians 2:11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
• Ephesians 4:25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
• Colossians 3:9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
• Genesis 12:15When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
• Genesis 26:1Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.

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