Genesis 20: Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech
Abraham again calls Sarah his sister, and God protects her by warning King Abimelech in a dream.
Genesis 20 (WEB)
1 Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.
2 Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
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.”
4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation?
5 Didn’t he tell 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 have I done this.”
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. Therefore I didn’t allow you to touch her.
7 Now 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 sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.”
8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. The men were very scared.
9 Then 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!”
10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?”
11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife’s sake.’
12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13 When God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is your kindness which you shall show to me. Everywhere that we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
14 Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him.
15 Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.”
16 To 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.”
17 Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children.
18 For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Genesis 20 (KJV)
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
8 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.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.
Genesis 20 (ASV)
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
4 Now Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay even a righteous nation?
5 Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God said unto him in the dream, Yea, I know that in the integrity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
8 And 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.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and wherein have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
12 And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:
13 and it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me: at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, it is for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee; and in respect of all thou art righted.
17 And Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants; and they bare children.
18 For Jehovah had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Summary
Abraham journeys to Gerar and again claims that Sarah is his sister, so Abimelech the king sends and takes her. But God comes to Abimelech in a dream, warning that he is a dead man because he has taken a married woman. Abimelech protests his innocence, having not touched her, and God acknowledges that he acted with integrity and was kept from sinning. God commands him to restore Sarah, since Abraham is a prophet who will pray for him. Abimelech rises early, confronts Abraham, and learns his reasoning rooted in fear. He generously restores Sarah with gifts of livestock, servants, silver, and an offer of land. Abraham prays, and God heals Abimelech's household, whose wombs Yahweh had closed because of Sarah.
Main Characters
- Abraham — Out of fear he again calls Sarah his sister, yet he is named a prophet whose prayer brings healing.
- Sarah — Abraham's wife, taken by Abimelech but protected by God and restored with vindication and gifts.
- Abimelech — The king of Gerar who takes Sarah in innocence, is warned by God in a dream, and acts with integrity to restore her.
- God — The one who guards Sarah, restrains Abimelech from sin, and heals his household when Abraham prays.
Key Verse
Genesis 20:6 (WEB)
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. Therefore I didn’t allow you to touch her.
Lessons Learned
- Fear can lead even faithful believers to repeat old failures and half-truths.
- God restrains people from sin and protects his purposes even through outsiders.
- Integrity of heart matters to God, who sees motives as well as actions.
- God can use his people to bless others through intercessory prayer, even after their failures.
- Old fears resurface in new places. Abraham repeats his earlier deception, assuming the fear of God is not in Gerar and that they will kill him for his wife (Genesis 20:11, WEB).
- God restrains people from sin. God tells Abimelech he withheld him from sinning and did not allow him to touch Sarah, showing God's active guarding hand (Genesis 20:6, WEB).
- God weighs the integrity of the heart. Abimelech pleads the integrity of his heart and innocence of his hands, and God affirms that he sees and honors this (Genesis 20:5, WEB).
- God preserves his promise through protection. By keeping Abimelech from Sarah, God safeguards the line through which the promised son will come (Genesis 20:6, WEB).
- Failure does not end a calling. Despite his lapse, Abraham is still called a prophet who will pray for Abimelech so that he may live (Genesis 20:7, WEB).
- Intercession brings healing. Abraham prays to God, and God heals Abimelech, his wife, and his servants so they bear children again (Genesis 20:17, WEB).
- Why does Abraham resort again to calling Sarah his sister, and what does this reveal about fear (Genesis 20:11)?
- How does God protect both Sarah and Abimelech in this account (Genesis 20:6)?
- What does God's response to Abimelech teach us about the importance of integrity of heart (Genesis 20:5-6)?
- Where do you find yourself repeating familiar patterns of fear or self-protection?
- How does Abraham praying for Abimelech, despite his own failure, encourage you about your usefulness to God?
- Abraham assumes there is no fear of God in Gerar and that he will be killed for Sarah's beauty, so he falls back on a half-truth he had used before. It shows how unaddressed fear can drive even a man of faith into repeated self-protective deception rather than trust.
- God comes to Abimelech in a dream before he can sin, keeping him from touching Sarah, and thus protects Sarah's purity and the promised line while sparing Abimelech from guilt. God guards both the innocent king and his own covenant purposes.
- God explicitly acknowledges that Abimelech acted in the integrity of his heart and innocence of his hands, and says he himself withheld him from sinning. It shows God sees motives and honors a sincere heart, while still calling for the wrong to be put right.
- Personal: encourage members to identify recurring fears or coping strategies they reach for under pressure. Invite them to bring these patterns honestly to God and ask for deeper trust in his protection.
- Personal: remind the group that God still calls Abraham a prophet and uses his prayers right after his failure. Encourage them that stumbling does not disqualify them from being a blessing and channel of God's grace to others.