Genesis 20:5

_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._ Said he not unto me She is my sister? This as the first isit of Abraham to Gerar; and in his ignorance SAID HE NOT UNTO ME, SHE IS MY SISTER? This was the first visit of Abraham to Gerar; and in his ignorance whether there was any moral or religious principle among the people of that place, he apprehended that he would be brought into danger from the rare attractions of his wife. By the disingenuous artifice he resorted to, and which he persuaded Sarah to support, he showed an indifference about the chastity of his wife, and through a slavish dread of death seemed eager to provide for his own safety at the expense of her honour; although a moment's reflection on the splendid promises made to him would have been sufficient to...

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 have not knowingly sinned against God, it will be our rejoicing in the day of evil. It is matter of comfort to those who are honest, that God knows their honesty, and will acknowledge it. It is a great mercy to be hindered from committing sin; of this God must have the glory. But if we have ignorantly done wrong, that will not excuse us, if we knowingly persist in it. He that does wrong, whoever he is, prince or peasant, shall certainly receive for the wrong which he has done, unless he repent, and, if possible, make restitution....

Verse Genesis 20:5. _IN THE INTEGRITY OF MY HEART, C._] Had Abimelech any other than honourable views in taking Sarah, he could not have justified himself thus to his Maker and that these views were of the most honourable kind, God himself, to whom the appeal was made, asserts in the most direct manner, _Yea, I know that thou_ _didst this in the integrity of thy heart_....

- 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 radical, and the verb may thus really be singular. 16. נכהת _nokachat_ an unusual form, either for נכחת noka

EXPOSITION GENESIS 20:1 AND ABRAHAM JOURNEYED (_vide_ Genesis 12:9) FROM THENCE. Mamre (Genesis 18:1). In search of pasture, as on a previous occasion (Keil); or in consequence of the hostility of his neighbors (Calvin); or because he longed to escape from the scene of so terrible a calamity as he had witnessed (Calvin, Wilier, Murphy); or in order to benefit as many places and peoples as possible by his residence among them (A Lapide); or perhaps being impelled by God, who designed thereby to remind him that Canaan was not intended for a permanent habitation, but for a constant pilgrimage (Poole, Kalisch). Toward the south c

SAID HE NOT UNTO ME, SHE [IS] MY SISTER?.... By this it appears, that Abimelech had a personal conversation with Abraham, and inquired of him about Sarah, who she was, and what relation she was to him, who told him that she was his sister; and for the truth of this he appeals to the omniscient God, who knew that Abraham had told him this: AND SHE, EVEN SHE HERSELF SAID, HE [IS] MY BROTHER; when Sarah was asked what relation she stood in to Abraham, and he to her, she declared he was her brother; so that Abimelech had reason to conclude, from what both of them had said, that this was the truth of the matter, and especially from what Sarah said, who he thought might be depended on, and would speak out the whole truth on such an occasion: IN THE INTEGRITY OF MY HEART, AND INNOCENCY OF MY HANDS, HAVE I DONE THIS; hereby declaring, that his design was not to defile the woman, and to gratify...

CHAPTER 20 ABRAHAM IN GERAR _ 1. Abraham in Gerar (Genesis 20:1)_ 2. Second denial of Sarah (Genesis 20:2) 3. God's dealing with Abimelech (Genesis 20:3) 4. Abimelech and Abraham (Genesis 20:8) Note Abraham's going down to Egypt in chapter 12 and now going to Gerar and denying again Sarah. In chapter 26 Isaac goes also to Gerar and denies Rebekah. It shows what the flesh is. But Abraham is greatly honored by the Lord. The Lord called him a prophet. Abraham prayed and God healed Abimelech....

GENESIS 20. ABRAHAM PASSES OFF SARAH AS HIS SISTER AT GERAR. The first complete narrative from E. The writer uses Elohim, but P's characteristics are absent. Phraseology as well as the use of Elohim instead of Yahweh forbid us to assign it to J, who has also a variant of the story (Genesis 12:1); contrast Genesis 20:13 with Genesis 12:11. Features which point to E are the phraseology, the representation of Abraham as a prophet (Genesis 20:7) and his home as in the Negeb (Genesis 20:1), also the speaking of God in a dream; Sarah is obviously of an age a

_integrity_ Heb. "perfectness." Cf. Genesis 6:9. _innocency of my hands_ Cf. Psalms 26:6....

LORD, WILT THOU SLAY ALSO, &C.— Abimelech here deprecates the Divine wrath, and enters into a justification of his conduct; declaring that both Abraham and Sarah had united in attesting that Sarah was the sister of Abraham; and that he had not the least apprehension or design of committing so atrocious a crime, as that of taking away a man's wife, and defiling his bed; _in the integrity of my heart, and the innocency of my hands, have I done this:_ a plea which the Almighty graciously admits, assuring Abimelech, that he knew this to be the case; _yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart,_ without any knowledge of the connection, and consequently without any design to violate the marriage-bed: _And_ (not _for_) _I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore,_ &c. Observe hence, that immoral actions derive their chief turpitude from being offences against Go...