Gen. 20 Abraham sojourns in Gerar, Gen. 20:1; denies Sarah to be his wife: Abimelech sends and takes her, Gen. 20:2. God warns Abimelech in a dream, Gen. 20:3. He expostulates with God, who answers and commands him to restore Sarah, Gen. 20:4–7. Abimelech warns his servants, Gen.

From thence; from the plain of Mamre, Gen. 18:1, where he had long dwelt; and whence he removed, either because of its nearness to that filthy lake, which now was in the place of that late fruitful plain; or for other reasons and conveniences needless to be here inquired or determined.

Abraham said this lest they should slay him for his beautiful wife’s sake, as himself tells us, Gen. 20:11. For though Sarah was ninety years old, yet she retained her beauty in good measure, partly, because she had not been broken by bearing and nursing of children; partly, because in that age of…

God then used to manifest his mind in dreams, not only to his people, but even to heathens for their sakes, or in things wherein they were concerned. Thou art but a dead man, thou deservest a present and untimely death; and if thou proceedest in thy intended wickedness, it shall be inflicted upon…

Abimelech had not come near her, i.e. had not yet lain with her. A modest expression, like that of knowing a woman, Gen. 4:1, or going in to her, Gen. 6:4, or touching her, Prov. 6:29, 1 Cor.

Without any adulterous design in my heart, or outward actions tending to it, being wholly ignorant of what thou now informest me.

I know that thou didst not this knowingly and maliciously, but imprudently and inconsiderately, which is indeed an extenuation of thy sin, though not a total excuse. Compare 1 Kings 9:4, 1 Chron. 29:1.

He is a prophet, a person very dear to me, and familiarly acquainted with me, and therefore the injuries done to him I take as done to myself. See Ps. 105:15. He shall pray for thee, which is one part of a prophet’s work, Jer. 14:11, Jer. 15:1.

His servants; his counsellors and principal officers, as that word is used, 1 Kings 1:2, 1 Kings 10:13.

What hast thou done unto us? How great a danger hast thou exposed us to! A great sin: even the heathens, who thought fornication harmless, judge adultery to be a very great and heinous crime. See Gen. 38:24, Lev. 20:10, Ezek. 16:38, Ezek. 23:45, Ezek. 23:47.

What levity or miscarriage didst thou discern in us which moved thee to deal thus with us?

The fear of God is not in this place, i.e. true piety, or the knowledge of the true God, which is the only effectual restraint from the grossest wickedness.

She is my sister, my near kinswoman; even as Lot upon the same account is called Abraham’s brother, Gen. 13:8. She is the daughter of my father, i.e. the granddaughter; for grandchildren are commonly called the sons and daughters of their grandparents, as Gen. 31:28, Ex. 2:18.

To wander. This word he useth because God did not direct him to any certain place, but sent him out he knew not whither, Heb. 11:8. And being to travel and sojourn amongst persons of divers tempers and manners, and all pagans, he thought this equivocal expression convenient for his security.

My land is before thee, i.e. free for thy view and choice, as Gen. 13:9.

Thy brother; a sharp rebuke and irony: q.d. he whom thou didst miscall thy brother. A thousand pieces of silver, to wit, shekels, which is commonly understood when a sum of silver or gold is indefinitely mentioned, as Num. 7:13, Num. 7:85, 2 Sam. 18:12, 2 Kings 6:25.

This phrase elsewhere notes barrenness, as 1 Sam. 1:5–6, and so many understand it here. Against which some learned men object that that could not so soon be discovered, for all this happened between the conception and birth of Isaac.