Genesis 20:1

Genesis 20:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
• New International Version (NIV)Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar,
• English Standard Version (ESV)From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.

Context of Genesis 20:1

Abraham travelled south to the Negev desert. He lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a time he stayed in Gerar. 2While he was there, Abraham told people that his wife, Sarah, was his sister. Because of this, the king of Gerar took Sarah so that she would become his wife. The king's name was Abimelech. 3But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream. He said to Abimelech, ‘Now you will die! The woman that you have taken to be your wife is already a married woman.’

Genesis 20:1 word by word

וַיִּסַּ֨ע מִשָּׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אַ֣רְצָה הַנֶּ֔גֶב וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בֵּין־קָדֵ֖שׁ וּבֵ֣ין שׁ֑וּר וַיָּ֖גָר בִּגְרָֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• journeyedנָסַעnâsa‛ · to set outH5265
• from thence toward the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · NegebH5045
• countryאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and dwelledיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• between Kadeshקָדֵשׁqâdêsh · KadeshH6946
• and Shurשׁוּרshûr · ShurH7793
• and sojournedגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
• in Gerarגְּרָרgerâr · GerarH1642

Cross-references for Genesis 20:1

• Genesis 13:1Abram left Egypt and he travelled north to the Negev. He took his wife and everything that belonged to him. Lot also went with him.
• Genesis 18:1The Lord appeared to Abraham near the special oak trees of Mamre. It was the hot time of day and Abraham was sitting by the door of his tent.
• Genesis 24:62At this time Isaac had returned from Beer Lahai Roi. He was now living in the Negev.
• Genesis 14:7They then went back. They went to En Mishpat. (That is Kadesh.) They took the whole land of the Amalekites. They also took the land of the Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.
• Genesis 16:1Abram's wife, Sarai, had not given birth to any children. She had an Egyptian servant. The servant's name was Hagar.
• Numbers 13:26The men came back to Kadesh in the Paran desert. They brought their message to Moses and Aaron and to all the Israelites there. They told them all about the land of Canaan and they showed its fruit to them.
• Numbers 20:16But when we asked the Lord to help us, he heard us. He sent an angel and he brought us out from Egypt. Now we are here at Kadesh, which is a town at the border of your land.
• Deuteronomy 1:19Then we left Sinai, as the Lord our God had commanded us to do. We travelled through the desert towards the hill country of the Amorites. You saw that the desert was very big and it made you very afraid. Finally, we arrived at Kadesh-Barnea.
• Deuteronomy 32:51Both of you refused to obey me at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Zin desert. You did not show the Israelites that you respected me as God.
• 1 Samuel 15:7Then Saul attacked the Amalekites. He fought them all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.
• Psalms 29:8When the Lord shouts, the desert shakes! He makes the Kadesh desert shake!
• Genesis 10:19The land of Canaan went from Sidon to Gerar, as far as Gaza. It went to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
• Genesis 26:26During that time, Abimelech came from Gerar to visit Isaac. He came with Ahuzzath his officer and with Phicol the leader of his army.
• Genesis 26:1There was another famine in the land. This had happened before, when Abraham was alive. Now Isaac went to Gerar to visit Abimelech, the king of the Philistines.
• 2 Chronicles 14:13Asa and his soldiers chased after them until they reached Gerar. So many Ethiopian soldiers died there that their army could not fight any more. The Lord and his army completely destroyed them. Judah's soldiers carried away lots of their enemies' things for themselves.

Commentaries on Genesis 20:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1And Abraham journeyed - It is very likely that this holy man was so deeply affected with the melancholy prospect of the ruined cities, and not knowing what was become of his nephew Lot and his family, that he could no longer bear to dwell within sight of the place. Having, therefore, struck his tents, and sojourned for a short time at Kadesh and Shur, he fixed his habitation in Gerar, which was a city of Arabia Petraea, under a king of the Philistines…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
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Abraham's sojourn at Gerar, Sarah is taken by Abimelech. (1-8) Abimelech's rebuke to Abraham. (9-13) Abimelech restores Sarah. (14-18) Verses 1-8 Crooked policy will not prosper: it brings ourselves and others into danger. God gives Abimelech notice of his danger of sin, and his danger of death for his sin. Every wilful sinner is a dead man, but Abimelech pleads ignorance. If our consciences witness, that, however we may have been cheated into a snare, we…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Gerar was near the coast in Philistine land, about 19 kilometers (12 miles) south of Gaza and 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Hebron.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-181. Abraham journeyed from thence ... and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur--Leaving the encampment, he migrated to the southern border of Canaan. In the neighborhood of Gerar was a very rich and well-watered pasture land.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 20:1

• Gerar
• Ignorance
• Kadesh
• Sarah
• Shur

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Gerar
• Kadesh
• Abraham, Abram
• Kadesh, Kadesh Barnea, Meribah Kadesh
• Abimelech
• Dream
• Gedor
• Restore
• Shur

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