Genesis 20:11
in Genesis 20Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
KJV
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.
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This verse in Genesis 20
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place--From the horrible vices of Sodom he seems to have taken up the impression that all other cities of Canaan were equally corrupt. There might have been few or none who feared God, but what a sad thing when men of the world show a higher sense of honor and a greater abhorrence of crimes than a true worshipper!
This site's exposition
What prompted you to do such a thing
on Genesis 20:10-11
The king asks what prompted it. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read Abraham's answer, that he assumed there was no fear of God in this place, as a judgment carried out of Sodom and laid on an untested town. He had feared for his life on account of his wife.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Notice at this point, dearly beloved, the just man's noble purpose in presenting them with a lesson in the knowledge of God under the guise of an explanation. "I said to myself, 'Surely there is no respect for God in this place, and they will kill me on account of my wife.' " I was concerned, he is saying, that as a result of being still held in ignorance you would have no regard for justice, and so I made allowance for the fact that when you discovered she was my wife you would, out of lust, have wanted to kill me—that was the reason I did it. See how in a few words he takes them to task and at the same time teaches them that the person who has God uppermost in mind ought commit no crime but rather fear that unsleeping eye and in view of the heavy judgment impending from that source have regard for justice.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me - There are many places and persons that have more of the fear of God in them than we think they have; perhaps they are not called by our name, they do not wear our badges, they do not tie themselves to that which we have an opinion of; and therefore we conclude they have not the fear of God in their hearts!
1 . [3.] Uncharitableness and censoriousness are sins that are the cause of many other sins. When men have once persuaded themselves concerning such and such that they have not the fear of God, they think this will justify them in the most unjust and unchristian practices towards them.
And Abraham said,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And Abraham said - The best excuse he could make for his conduct, which in this instance is far from defensible.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
I know not the sense of this apology. Even if it were true that she was his sister and his wife, nevertheless when they wanted to take her as a wife and he told them, She is my sister, 278 Verse 2 here.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
ויאמר, Avimelech wanted to know why Avraham had not personally protested the forced abduction of Sarah instead of allowing the king to become guilty of a greater crime. Surely a man such as he must have had a good reason for allowing this to happen without protest!?
Avimelech [then] said to Avraham, What did you see that you did such a thing?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַבְרָהָ֔ם | ʾavraham | Abraham | H85 → | 175 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָמַ֗רְתִּי | ʾamarti | I said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| רַ֚ק | rak | certainly | H7535 → | 109 times |
| אֵין־ | ʾein- | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| יִרְאַ֣ת | yirat | [is] [the] fear of | H3374 → | |
| אֱלֹהִ֔ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בַּמָּק֖וֹם | bamakom | in the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וַהֲרָג֖וּנִי | vaharaguni | and they will kill me | H2026 → | 167 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| דְּבַ֥ר | devar | [the] matter of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| אִשְׁתִּֽי׃ | ʾishti | wife my | H802 → | 781 times |
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙and he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אַבְרָהָ֔םAbraham
ʾavrahamH85 →175 times
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אָמַ֗רְתִּיI said
ʾamartiH559 →5305 times
רַ֚קcertainly
rakH7535 →109 times
אֵין־there not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
יִרְאַ֣ת[is] [the] fear of
yiratH3374 →
אֱלֹהִ֔יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
בַּמָּק֖וֹםin the place
bamakomH4725 →401 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וַהֲרָג֖וּנִיand they will kill me
vaharaguniH2026 →167 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
דְּבַ֥ר[the] matter of
devarH1697 →1440 times
אִשְׁתִּֽי׃wife my
ʾishtiH802 →781 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Nehemiah 5:15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 5:9
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 5:9
Through
Proverbs 16:6By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:16
A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- 2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Daniel 4:27
Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be…
- Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
- Proverbs 14:16
Through
Genesis 26:7But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men…
it leads to
- Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Proverbs 29:25
Through
Genesis 42:18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
it leads to
- Leviticus 25:43
You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.
- Leviticus 25:43
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 45.18; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.