Bible Study Genesis 20
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Genesis 20 · WEB

Abraham and Abimelech

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Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.
2Abraham said about Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man's wife."
4Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, "Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?
5Didn't he say to me, 'She is my sister?' She, even she herself, said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this."
6God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn't allow you to touch her.
7Now therefore, restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don't restore her, know for certain that you will die, you, and all who are yours."
8Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very afraid.
9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, "What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!"
10Abimelech said to Abraham, "What did you see, that you have done this thing?"
11Abraham said, "Because I thought, 'Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife's sake.'
12Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13When God caused me to wander from my father's house, I asked her, 'This is the kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"
14Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah his wife to him.
15Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you."
16To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated."
17Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.
18For Yahweh had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
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Summary

Abraham repeats his earlier mistake, telling Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. Abimelech takes Sarah, but God intervenes in a dream, warning Abimelech of his peril. Abimelech pleads his innocence and God vindicates him, but commands him to return Sarah. Abimelech confronts Abraham, who rationalizes his deception as technically true (she is his half-sister) and motivated by fear. Abimelech generously compensates Abraham, and Abraham — called a prophet — prays for the healing of Abimelech's household.

Themes

  • Repeated failure and the persistence of old sins
  • God's protection of Sarah for the sake of the covenant
  • The surprising integrity of a "pagan" king compared to the patriarch
  • God's sovereignty working even through human failure
  • Intercession as the calling of God's chosen representatives

Key verses

  • Gen 20:3 — “But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, 'Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man's wife.'”
  • Gen 20:6 — “God said to him in the dream, 'Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me.'”
  • Gen 20:7 — “Now therefore, restore the man's wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live.”

Context & background

This is the second time Abraham uses the "she is my sister" strategy (compare chapter 12 in Egypt), showing that patterns of sin can persist even in the life of great faith. Interestingly, God appears to the Gentile king Abimelech in a dream — showing that God is not limited to working through covenant people. The text explicitly says Abimelech acted with "integrity of heart," while Abraham's fear led him to deception. Abraham's designation as a "prophet" (v. 7) is the first use of that word in the Bible, indicating his role as one who intercedes and speaks for God. The healing of Abimelech's household by Abraham's prayer foreshadows the priestly, intercessory role Israel was called to play among the nations.

Cross-references

  • 1 Corinthians 10:13 — God is faithful and provides a way out from temptation that Abraham failed to use
  • Genesis 12:10-20 — the earlier parallel episode in Egypt
  • Genesis 26:7 — Isaac repeats the same deception with Abimelech
  • James 5:14-16 — the prayer of a righteous person (like Abraham's here) heals
  • Romans 3:4 — even if every man is a liar, God remains true

Check your reading

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  1. Observe

    What was Abraham's stated reason for calling Sarah his sister, and what technical justification did he offer?

  2. Observe

    How did Abimelech behave compared to Abraham in this story, and what did God acknowledge about Abimelech's conduct?

  3. Interpret

    God appeared to a Gentile king, Abimelech, in a dream to protect Sarah and the covenant. What does this reveal about the scope of God's activity beyond his covenant people?

  4. Interpret

    Abraham repeated the same sin he committed in Egypt (ch. 12) — even after years of covenant relationship with God. What does this recurrence reveal about the nature of deeply ingrained patterns of fear and sin?

  5. Apply

    Abraham's old fear-driven deception resurfaced in a new place, years after the Egypt incident. What patterns of sin or fear keep reappearing in your life despite spiritual growth, and what does Abraham's story suggest about how to address them?

  6. Apply

    God called Abraham "a prophet" and directed Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him — even while Abraham had just behaved dishonestly. How does God's continued use of Abraham despite his failure encourage you in your own calling?

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