Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 20

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 20 Abimelech desires Sarah, who is preserved by the Lord—Abraham prays for Abimelech, and the Lord blesses him and his household.
1 AND Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country^a, and dwelled between Kadesh and ^aShur^b, and sojourned in ^bGerar^c. Abraham Sojourned in Gerar To comprehend what is being said one needs to understand the 'profession' of Abraham. Abraham is a herdsman. He is a keeper of herds, as was Isaac and Jacob. As such, Abraham's 'dwelling' is not a stagnant stationary street address in a certain city. Abraham dwells in tents, not as a nomadic wanderer, but as a calculating business man, a large rancher and responsible shepherd of his flocks. Abraham's operation was not a small one man or one family 'farm'. His company consisted of many families and servants. When Abraham came to the assistance of Lot he armed 318 men, his trained servants born in his 'own house'. What ranger today employs such a troop or force of over 300 men with their families and children numbering upwards of a 1,000 persons (see Genesis 14:14)? Abraham's company was a small mobil city which in caring for his vast herds would journey from open range land to open range land according to seasonal and climatic weather conditions including drought, famine and other such conditions of the supporting range lands. And upon a slected 'range land', Abraham would 'sojourned' across the selected vast range area according to the care and needs of the herds. From the base location of the Gerar river valley (see map at right) to all of the southwest reaches of the lower open range lands extending from Kadesh on the east to the wilderness of Shur on the west (see first map above to the right), did Abraham's vast herds roam and range. The size of such an operation many a Old American West cattleman and such ranchers in Texas might envy and appreciate. In deed Abraham was like such 'Cattle Kings' and would have been a 'Shepherd King' in his own right.	1^a Abraham journey from thence toward the south country 'From thence' could only refer to the 'plains of Mamre' refered to in Genesis 18:1. This was the last location of Abraham prior to the telling of the story of Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. The Plains of Mamre (see BD Mamre) were near Hebron, thus from Hebron to the lower southwest of Palestine was a major move for Abraham's party and base for his operation of his herds. 1^b dwelled between Kadesh and Shur The 'open range' of Abraham's occupation and dwelling extended from Kadesh on the east across the River of Egypt to Shur on the west, with the Gerar river valley being his base of operation (see map below). Interestingly enough is that this southwest land of Abraham's dwelling was the first land Moses had brought the Israelites back to first to take and possess prior their subsequent 40 years in the wilderness due to their lack of faith in taking that land. 1^c sojourned in Gerar Abraham's semi-mobil base encampment home 'sojourned' within the region of the 'Gerar' river valley (see map below) though as already pointed out his open range lands utilized extended from Kadish or Kadesh to Shur.	1^a Gen. 16:7 (7, 14) ^b Gen. 10:19; Gen. 26:6 BD Gerar A Mutual Coexistence The Lord had given all the land of Palestine to Abraham as an inheritance to dwell in. Yet Abraham's very profession was requisite of there being other peoples living therein. Not that Abraham could not operate without them, but that the very size of Abraham's herds and company of operation was actually correlated to and with aiding in the providing for and serving the needs of the surrounding populous communities.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and ^aAbimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But ^aGod 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.		1^a Gen. 18:2 ^b Gen. 10:19; Gen. 26:6 HEB messengers; TG Angels Gen. 18:2 2^a TG Washings 3^a TG Hospitality ^b TG Bread, Unleavened
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also ^aa righteous nation? 5 Said he not unto me, She is my ^asister? and she, even she herself said, He is my ^bbrother: in the ^cintegrity 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 ^apray 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 ^aAbimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou ^bdone unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast ^cdone 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 ^afear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. 12 And yet indeed she is my ^asister; 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 ^awander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy ^bkindness 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 ^aland is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy ^abrother 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 ^aclosed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.