Genesis 20:14-18 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 20:14-18

Here is, I. The kindness of a prince which Abimelech showed to Abraham. See how unjust Abraham's jealousies were. He fancied that if they knew that Sarah was his wife they would kill him; but, when they did know it, instead of killing him they were kind to him, frightened at least to be so by the divine rebukes they were under. 1. He gives him his royal licence to dwell where he pleased in his country, courting his stay because he gives him his royal gifts (Gen. 20:14), sheep and oxen, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:14

And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham ,.... In a good measure satisfied with what Abraham had said to excuse himself; and these gifts he gave unto him, that he might, as Jarchi observes, pray and intercede for him, that he and his family might be healed, having understood by the divine oracle that he was a prophet, and if he prayed for him he would be restored to health: and these were not given to bribe him to give his consent... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:15

And Abimelech said, behold, my whole land is before thee ,.... Instead of bidding him be gone, and sending him away in haste out of his country, as the king of Egypt did in a like case, he solicits his stay in it; and to encourage him to it, makes an offer of his whole kingdom to him, to choose which part of it he would to dwell in: dwell where it pleaseth thee ; if there was anyone part of it better than another, or more convenient for him, his family and his flocks, he was welcome to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:16

And unto Sarah he said, behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver ,.... Or shekels of silver, as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, which, if two shillings and sixpence of our money, amount to one hundred and twenty five pounds; though perhaps little pieces of silver, current in this country, may be meant, that were not worth so much. Some think that the sheep, oxen, &c.; Abimelech had given to Abraham, were worth so many pieces of silver: but it rather seems... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:17

So Abraham prayed unto God ,.... As the Lord had told Abimelech be would, Genesis 20:7 ; he might pray for the forgiveness of him and his wife, and might give thanks that Sarah had been restored to him; but chiefly it was on account of Abimelech and his family: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants : who by reason of some disease were rendered unfit for and incapable of cohabitation with their husbands, and they with them; but upon Abraham's prayer for them, who... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:18

For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech ,.... With large tumours probably, so that they could not cohabit with their husbands and conceive; nor could those that had conceived bring forth: and this disorder they were smitten with: because of Sarah Abraham's wife ; who was taken into the house of Abimelech, in order to be his; to rebuke and punish for which, and to convince of the evil of it, and cause to abstain from it, this disorder was inflicted on them. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:16

And unto Sarah he said - But what did he say? Here there is scarcely any agreement among interpreters; the Hebrew is exceedingly obscure, and every interpreter takes it in his own sense. A thousand pieces of silver - Shekels are very probably meant here, and so the Targum understands it. The Septuagint has χιλια διδραχμα , a thousand didrachma, no doubt meaning shekels; for in Genesis 23:15 , Genesis 23:16 , this translation uses διδραχμα for the Hebrew שקל shekel . As shakal... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:17

So Abraham prayed - This was the prime office of the נביא nabi ; see Genesis 20:7 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:18

For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs - Probably by means of some disease with which he had smitten them, hence it is said they were healed at Abraham's intercession; and this seems necessarily to imply that they had been afflicted by some disease that rendered it impossible for them to have children till it was removed. And possibly this disease, as Dr. Dodd conjectures, had afflicted Abimelech, and by this he was withheld, Genesis 20:6 , from defiling Abraham's bed. 1. On the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:14

Verse 14 14.And Abimelech took sheep. Abraham had before received possessions and gifts in Egypt; but with this difference, that whereas Pharaoh had commanded him to depart elsewhere; Abimelech offers him a home in his kingdom. It therefore appears that both kings were stricken with no common degree of fear. For when they perceived that they were reproved by the Lord, because they had been troublesome to Abraham; they found no method of appeasing God, except that of compensating, by acts of... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 20:14-18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:18

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:16

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:17

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:18

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 20:14

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