Genesis 20:2 BSB — MannaFest

Genesis 20:2

Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

KJV

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

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Commentary

4 voices

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

She is my sister - See the parallel account, Genesis 12 (note), and the notes there. Sarah was now about ninety years of age, and probably pregnant with Isaac. Her beauty, therefore, must have been considerably impaired since the time she was taken in a similar manner by Pharaoh, king of Egypt; but she was probably now chosen by Abimelech more on the account of forming an alliance with Abraham, who was very rich, than on account of any personal accomplishments.

The record, by era

The Reformation1 voice

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife. In this history, the Holy Spirit presents to us a remarkable instance, both of the infirmity of man, and of the grace of God. It is a common proverb, that even fools become wise by suffering evil.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

The peril that Sarah was brought into by this means: The king of Gerar sent, and took her to his house, in order to the taking of her to his bed. Note, The sin of one often occasions the sin of others; he that breaks the hedge of God's commandments opens a gap to he knows not how many; the beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

His conduct was highly culpable. It was deceit, deliberate and premeditated--there was no sudden pressure upon him--it was the second offense of the kind [see on Ge 12:13] --it was a distrust of God every way surprising, and it was calculated to produce injurious effects on the heathen around.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

14 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר	vai.Yo.mer	and he said	H559 →
אַבְרָהָ֛ם	'av.ra.Ham	Abraham	H85 →
אֶל־	'el-	concerning	H413 →
שָׂרָ֥ה	sa.Rah	Sarah	H8283 →
אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ	'ish.To	wife his	H802 →
אֲחֹ֣תִי	'a.Cho.ti	[is] sister my	H269 →
הִ֑וא	hi'	she	H1931 →
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח	vai.yish.Lach	and he sent	H7971 →
אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙	'a.vi.Me.lekh	Abimelech	H40 →
מֶ֣לֶךְ	Me.lekh	[the] king of	H4428 →
גְּרָ֔ר	ge.Rar	Gerar	H1642 →
וַיִּקַּ֖ח	vai.yi.Kach	and he took	H3947 →
אֶת־	'et-	<obj.>	H853 →
שָׂרָֽה׃	sa.Rah	Sarah	H8283 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Genesis 26:7
But 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…
leads to
- Genesis 12:13
  Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- Proverbs 29:25
  The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
- Genesis 24:16
  Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again.
- Genesis 20:12–13
  Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.
- Colossians 3:9
  Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
Through
Genesis 26:16
Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
leads to
- Exodus 1:9
  “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.
Through
Genesis 20:12
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.
leads to
- Genesis 11:29
  And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.
Through
Genesis 12:15
When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
leads to
- Proverbs 29:12
  If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.

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Type-Scenes: the Stories Scripture Tells Twice

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Sarah: Mother of Nations · MannaFest

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About Genesis

The Creation of Light — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Genesis: the study guide →Read chapter 20 →The featured study →

Continue: Genesis 20 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Genesis

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Genesis