Focused Passage

Genesis 20:1-7

God Preserves Sarah, Exposes Abraham’s Fear, and Protects the Promise Through Abimelek

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,

2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

3 One 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.”

4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?

5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”

6 Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.

7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

Now Abraham אַבְרָהָם֙ H85 Noun - proper - masculine singular journeyed וַיִּסַּ֨ע H5265 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular from there מִשָּׁ֤ם H8033 Preposition-m | Adverb to the region אַ֣רְצָה H776 Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular of the Negev הַנֶּ֔גֶב H5045 Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular and settled וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular between בֵּין־ H996 Preposition Kadesh קָדֵ֖שׁ H6946 Noun - proper - feminine singular . . . וּבֵ֣ין H996 Conjunctive waw | Preposition and Shur שׁ֑וּר H7793 Noun - proper - feminine singular While he was staying וַיָּ֖גָר H1481 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular in Gerar בִּגְרָֽר׃ H1642 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Verse 2

Original words

Abraham אַבְרָהָ֛ם H85 Noun - proper - masculine singular said וַיֹּ֧אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular of אֶל־ H413 Preposition his wife אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Sarah שָׂרָ֥ה H8283 Noun - proper - feminine singular She הִ֑וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular is my sister אֲחֹ֣תִי H269 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular So Abimelech אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ H40 Noun - proper - masculine singular king מֶ֣לֶךְ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Gerar גְּרָ֔ר H1642 Noun - proper - feminine singular had Sarah שָׂרָֽה׃ H8283 Noun - proper - feminine singular brought וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח H7971 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to him וַיִּקַּ֖ח H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker
Verse 3

Original words

One night, however הַלָּ֑יְלָה H3915 Article | Noun - masculine singular God אֱלֹהִ֛ים H430 Noun - masculine plural came וַיָּבֹ֧א H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Abimelech אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ H40 Noun - proper - masculine singular in a dream בַּחֲל֣וֹם H2472 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular and told וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular him ל֗וֹ Preposition | third person masculine singular - הִנְּךָ֥ H2009 Interjection | second person masculine singular You are as good as dead מֵת֙ H4191 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular because of עַל־ H5921 Preposition the woman הָאִשָּׁ֣ה H802 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative you have taken לָקַ֔חְתָּ H3947 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular for she וְהִ֖וא H1931 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person feminine singular is a married בְּעֻ֥לַת H1166 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular construct woman. בָּֽעַל׃ H1167 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

Now Abimelech וַאֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ H40 Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular had not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle gone קָרַ֖ב H7126 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular near her אֵלֶ֑יהָ H413 Preposition | third person feminine singular so he replied וַיֹּאמַ֕ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Lord אֲדֹנָ֕י H136 Noun - proper - masculine singular would You destroy תַּהֲרֹֽג׃ H2026 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular a nation הֲג֥וֹי H1471 Article | Noun - masculine singular even though גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction it is innocent צַדִּ֖יק H6662 Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

Didn’t הֲלֹ֨א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle [Abraham] ה֤וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular tell אָֽמַר־ H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular me לִי֙ Preposition | first person common singular She הִ֔וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular is my sister אֲחֹ֣תִי H269 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular And she וְהִֽיא־ H1931 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person feminine singular . . . גַם־ H1571 Conjunction herself הִ֥וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular said אָֽמְרָ֖ה H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular He ה֑וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is my brother אָחִ֣י H251 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular I have done עָשִׂ֥יתִי H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular this זֹֽאת׃ H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular in the integrity בְּתָם־ H8537 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of my heart לְבָבִ֛י H3824 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and the innocence וּבְנִקְיֹ֥ן H5356 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of my hands כַּפַּ֖י H3709 Noun - feminine dual construct | first person common singular
Verse 6

Original words

Then God הָֽאֱלֹהִ֜ים H430 Article | Noun - masculine plural said וַיֹּאמֶר֩ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to [Abimelech] אֵלָ֨יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular in the dream בַּחֲלֹ֗ם H2472 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Yes גַּ֣ם H1571 Conjunction I אָנֹכִ֤י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular know יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular that כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction you did עָשִׂ֣יתָ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular this זֹּ֔את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular with a clear בְתָם־ H8537 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct conscience לְבָבְךָ֙ H3824 Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular and so I אָנֹכִ֛י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular . . . גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction have kept וָאֶחְשֹׂ֧ךְ H2820 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular you אֽוֹתְךָ֖ H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine singular from sinning מֵחֲטוֹ־ H2398 Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct against Me לִ֑י Preposition | first person common singular That is why עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . כֵּ֥ן H3651 Adverb I did not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle let נְתַתִּ֖יךָ H5414 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular you touch לִנְגֹּ֥עַ H5060 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct her אֵלֶֽיהָ׃ H413 Preposition | third person feminine singular
Verse 7

Original words

Now וְעַתָּ֗ה H6258 Conjunctive waw | Adverb return הָשֵׁ֤ב H7725 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular the man’s הָאִישׁ֙ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular wife אֵֽשֶׁת־ H802 Noun - feminine singular construct for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction he ה֔וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is a prophet נָבִ֣יא H5030 Noun - masculine singular he will pray וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל H6419 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular for you בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ H1157 Preposition | second person masculine singular and you will live וֶֽחְיֵ֑ה H2421 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular But if וְאִם־ H518 Conjunction you do not אֵֽינְךָ֣ H369 Adverb | second person masculine singular restore her מֵשִׁ֗יב H7725 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular be aware דַּ֚ע H3045 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular that כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction you will surely die מ֣וֹת H4191 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . תָּמ֔וּת H4191 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular you אַתָּ֖ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular and all וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct who belong אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative to you לָֽךְ׃ Preposition | second person feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.