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Gen 20

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Abraham in Gerara
1 Abraham removed from there to the south country, and dwelt between Cedes and Sur, and sojourned in Gerara. 2 And he said of Sara his wife: She is my sister. So Abimelech the king of Gerara sent, and took her. 3 And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: Behold you shall die for the woman you have taken: for she has a husband. 4 Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said : Lord, will you slay a nation, that is ignorant and just? 5 He himself said to me: She is my sister: and she said, He is my brother? in the simplicity of my heart, and cleanness of my hands have I done this. 6 And God said to him: And I know that you did it with a sincere heart: and therefore I withheld you from sinning against me, and I suffered you not to touch her. 7 Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet: and he shall pray for you, and you shall live: but if you will not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all that are yours. 8 And Abimelech forthwith rising up in the night, called all his servants: and spoke all these words in their hearing, and all the men were exceedingly afraid.


Abimelech reproaches Abraham
9 And Abimelech called also for Abraham, and said to him: What have you done to us? what have we offended you in, that you have brought upon me and upon my kingdom a great sin? you have done to us what you ought not to do. 10 And again he disagreed with him, and said, What you saw, that you have done this? 11 Abraham answered: I thought with myself, saying: Perhaps there is not the fear of God in this place: and they will kill me for the sake of my wife: 12 Howbeit, otherwise also she is truly my sister, the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother, and I took her to wife. 13 And after God brought me out of my father's house, I said to her: You shall do me this kindness: In every place, to which we shall come, you shall say that I am your brother.


Abimelech made fruitful through Abraham's prayers
14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and servants and handmaids, and gave to Abraham: and restored to him Sara, his wife. 16 And said: The land is before you, dwell wheresoever it shall please you. 16 And to Sara he said: Behold I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver: this shall serve you for a covering of your eyes to all that are with you, and whithersoever you shall go: and remember you were taken. 17 And when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bore children: 18 For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech on account of Sara, Abraham's wife.
 
 
Commentary on Genesis 20
 
20:2 For he did not say, She is not my wife, but he said, “She is my sister; because she was in truth so near akin, that she might without a lie be called a sister. (St. Augustine Mor 23)
We say by way of excuse for her that at that time such marriages had not yet been forbidden by the Law. (St. Jerome Heb Ques Gen)

It is well know that oriental sovereigns in all ages have
exercised the right of selecting the most beautiful females of their kingdoms for the use of their own harams, (Gen 12:15; Esth. 2:3) and that whenever a woman is taken into the haram of a prince in the East, she is secluded, without the possibility of coming out, at least during the life of the prince on the throne. (Augustin Calmet Dic Bible)
 
 
 
 
Subpages (1): Gen 21
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