Genesis 20:9-18 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 20:8-13

Abimelech, being thus warned of God in a dream, takes the warning, and, as one truly afraid of sin and its consequences, he rises early to obey the directions given him. I. He has a caution for his servants, Gen. 20:8. Abraham himself could not be more careful than he was to command his household in this matter. Note, Those whom God has convinced of sin and danger ought to tell others what God has done for their souls, that they also may be awakened and brought to a like holy fear. II. He has... read more

Matthew Henry

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 20:9

Then Abimelech called Abraham ,.... Who might be in the king's palace, being taken into it caressed by the king for the sake of Sarah: and said unto him ; not in a passion, as might have been expected, but in a mild and gentle manner, yet with great strength of reasoning, and making very just expostulations with him: what hast thou done unto us ? what evil to him, his family, and his subjects? this was very probably said in the presence of his servants he had called, and therefore... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:10

And Abimelech said unto Abraham ,.... Continuing his discourse with him: what sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing ? he desires to know what he had observed, either in him or his people, that gave him any reason to conclude that they were a lustful people, and would stick at nothing to gratify their lusts, which put him upon taking such a method to secure his life, lest they should kill him for his wife's sake. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:11

And Abraham said ,.... In defence of himself, as well as he could: because I thought ; within himself, concluding from the general depravity of the Canaanites, that this was the case of the inhabitants of Gerar: surely the fear of God is not in this place ; this is a certain truth, which he thought might be depended upon, and taken for granted, since so it was everywhere: or "only" F5 רק "tantum", Montanus; so Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius; so the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:12

And yet indeed she is my sister ,.... In the same sense as Lot was his brother; for she was sister to Lot, and both were the children of Haran, the brother of Abraham: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother ; she was the daughter of his father, being his granddaughter, grandchildren are sometimes called children, but not the daughter or granddaughter of Abraham's mother; Terah having had two wives, by the one he had Haran, the father of Sarah, and by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:13

And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house ,.... In Ur of the Chaldees, from whence God called him to go forth; which laid him under an obligation to depart from thence, and move from place to place, and go he knew not where, as in Hebrews 11:8 ; or "the Gods", as it is in the plural number, and so the verb in construction with it; not the idol gods, the gods of the Gentiles, as the Targum of Jonathan, who interprets the words thus,"and it was when the... 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

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 20:8-13

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 20:13

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

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