Genesis 20
PATwas a man of great virtue in those days: and not an idolator, but a worshipper of the true God, as Mclchizedcc, the high-priest of that country, was: yet not so well acquainted with Divine revelations as Abraham was.. Vcr. 8. Abimclech rose up early in the morning.] This is a further token of his goodness, that lie delayed not to obey the Divine command. Called all his servants.] His privy-council, (as we speak) who were all of the same mind with him: that this was a Divine admonition, which it was not safe to disobey. From whence we may probably gather his court was not so corrupted as Abraham suspected. What hast thou done unto us.? ] Into what danger hast thou brought us? Thou hast brought on me and my kingdom a great sin.] Run me into the hazard of committing a great sin, or suffering a heavy punishment (for so sin is sometimes taken), in not telling me the truth. Thou hast done deeds unto me, that ought not to be done.] This is not fair dealing, such as I might have expected from thee.
Genesis 20:1
JOURNEYED from thence. i. e. From Mamrc, where he had dwelt a great while, and where many remarkable passages had happened, (xiii. 18. xviii. 1.) Toward the south country.] Toward Egypt: for some fancy the very stench of the lake of Sodom was offensive to him in Mamre. Sojourned in Gerar.] The metropolis of Palestine; and, as some compute it, not much above sixmiles from Mamre.
Genesis 20:2
Abraham said of Sarah, &c. Just as he had done in Egypt, (xii.l3.)when there was greater reason for it, she being then thirty years younger thannow, when she was no less than ninety years old. But it seems her beauty remained at this age, being healthful, and having born and suckled no children: and women in those days living so long, that they were as fresh at ninety as they are now at forty or fifty. When many that are of excellent constitutions, and naturally handsome, continue very lovely. Abimelech.] The nam$ of all the kings of Palestine, as Pharaoh was of the kings of Egypt. It is not improbable, as the author of Tzemath David conjectures, that the succeeding kings took the name of him who was the first king of the country. Ad A. M. 2600. Sent and took Sarah.] By violence, some think; but I sec no ground for it. He desired to have her, and might think Abraham would look upon it as a great honour to have his sister become wife to a king: and Abraham, it is likely, shewed no unwillingness, not being in a condition to deny him.
Genesis 20:3
And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night. Two differences are observed by Maimonides, between this manifestation, which God made of his mind to Abimelech, and that which he made to the prophets. For it is only said here, " God came to Abimelech/’ and that he came “in a dream by night.” The very same is said of Laban, the Syrian, who doth not seem to have been so good a man as Abimelech, (xxxi. 24.) But of Jacob it is said, “God spake unto Israel,” and he spake to him in the visions of the “night (not in a dream), and said, u Jacob, Jacob/’ xlvi. 2. (See More Nevoch. par. ii. cap. 41.) God was not a stranger to other nations, when he was peculiarly kind to Abraham: but spake to them in dreams, and sometimes in visions, as appears in Eliphaz and Elihu, Jobiv. 13. xxxiii. 14, 15, &c. Thou art but a dead man.] viz. If thou dost not restore Abraham his wife, (ver. 7.) She is a man’s wife.] Or, married to a husband (as we translate it in the margin) so completely, that he hath enjoyed her as his wife. For from this place the Jewish doctors prove, that the marriage contract was not perfected in these days till the parties had lain together: after which, if any other person lay with the woman, he was to be put to death as an adulierer; but not if he lay with her after the contract, before it was consummated by actual enjoyment. (See Mr. Selden, de Jure N. et G. lib. v. cap. 4. p. 551.)
Genesis 20:4
But Abimelech had not come near her. To use her as his wiTe. Wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?] He was afraid (as became a good man, and a good king) lest his people should suffer upon his account, who, in this particular, had no guilt upon them. Ver; 5. Said he notxmto me, &c] The fault is in them, not in me: for I had both their words for it, that he was her brother, and he said nothing of her being his wife. In the integrity of my heart.] Not With any intention to defile her; but to make her my wife. And innocence of my hands.] I did not take her by violence from Abraham; but he and she consented to it.
Genesis 20:6
And God said unto him in a dream. The same expression is still retained/which we had (ver. 3.) to shew that this was a lower degree of Divine manifestation than was in Abraham’s family. I know thou didst this in the integrity, &c] i. e. Thafrthou didst not design any evil. Fori also, &c] Or, rathe’r, u and I also withheld thee.” I dealt well with thee, because of thy integrity. Some think he was withheld by a disease in the secret parts, (ver. 17.) From sinning against me.] From committing adultery. Ver. 7*. He is a prophet.] This is the first time we meet with the word Nabi, a prophet: and Abraham is the first that is honoured witli this name. Which signifies one familiar with God, who might come to him to consult him upon all occasions, and be authorized to declare God’s mind and will to others; and also prevail with him by his prayers for a blessing upon them. So it here follows: lie shall pray for thee.] Obtain life and health to thee. The greater any prophet was, the more powerful he was, in prayer, as appears by the stories of Moses, Elias, and Samuel. (See Psalm xcix. G.) It appears by this whole history of Abimelech, that he
Genesis 20:10
What sawest thou, &cj What didst thou observe in my country, that made thee think we would meddle with thy wife? What tokens of injustice, or impurity, Ididst thou see among us?
Genesis 20:11
Because I thought surely, &c. The word rah, which we translate surely, signifies only: and may be thus well translated here, " this only I saw wanting in your country, the fear of God:" u e. a sense of religion, which restrains men from all manner of wickedness. It seems the people were not so good as their king, Vcr. 12. And yet, indeed, she is my sister.] Do not condemn me of telling a lie; for she is truly my sister. Such was the language of those days, to call their wives sisters, and their nephews brothers. As he calls Lot, xiii. 8. who was his nephew, and the brother of Sarah; as was observed upon xi. 29. She is the daughter of my father.] i. e. His father’s granddaughter, who are frequently in Scripture called the children of their grandfathers. For she was daughter to Haran, eldpr brother of Abraham. But not the daughter of my mother.] It seems Terah had two wives, by one of which he had Haran, “the father of Lot and SaTah; and by the other he had Abraham. So Sarah was daughter to one who was his brother by his father’s side, but not by his mother: and with such a niece they thought it not unlawful then to marry. No regard being had to consanguinity (if we may believe R. Solomon Jarchi) by the father’s side, before the law of Moses, but only by the mother’s. The more received opinion, indeed, of the Hebrew doctors is, (as Mr. Selden observes, lib. v. de Jure N. ct G, cap. 2.) that Sarah was indeed the daughter of Terah by his second wife, and so Abraham’s half sister. And Said Batricides (patriarch of Alexandria above seven hundred years ago) in his Arabic History, tells us, the n?ime of Tcrah’s first wife was Jona; and the name of his second Tcvitha, by whom he had Sarah. But there is no other authority for this. Ver. liJ. When God caused me to wander.] The Hebrew word which Ave translate ivandcr, being in the plural number, the LXX. render the word ^lohim (God) the angels, who, by the command of God, led him from his father’s house, through divers countries But the Chaldce translates it, *’ when because of the idols of Chaldca,” I was called away from my own country, &c. For so the gods, that is, the idol gods, might be said to cause him to wander: because it was by reason of them, that God would not have him stay any longer in his own country. But there is no need of these devices: nothing being more usual in the Hebrew language than for the plural number to be put instead of the singular, especially when they speak of God, as Bochart observes, in many places, (Gen. xxxv. 7. Exod. xxxii. 4. Psalin exlix. 2. Ecclcs. xii. 1.) See Hierozoic. par. i. lib. ii. cap. 34. Nay, Hackspan hath rightly observed that there are nouns of the plural number in their termination, which, in signification, arc singular, with which it is usual to join a verb of the plural number, because of the plural termination of the noun. A plain example of w T hich we have, Gen. iv. 6. “Why is thy countenance (in the Hebrew, faces) fallen?” The lijce he observes in the Syriac language: (John i. 4.) ** The life (in the Syriac, lives) was the light of men."
Genesis 20:16
I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver. The word pieces is not in the Hebrew. But by ceseph, silver, all, in a manner, understood shekels: for anciently there were no shekels of gold or brass, but only of silver. Yet there are those who think he did not give him thus much in money; but in the goods beforementioned, (vcr, 14.) which were worth a thousand shekels. (Sec xxiii. 16.) He is unto thee a covering of the eyes, &c] These words are very variously expounded, according as the first word hu is interpreted: which may relate either to the gift beforementioned, and be translated this; or to Abraham, and be translated he, as it is by us. If they refer to the former, then the sense is, *’ I have given him that sum of money to buy thee a veil, that all who converse with thee here, or in any other country (where thou shalt come), may know thee to be a married woman." For a veil was worn in token of subjection to the power of the husband: and that thereby their chastity might be preserved safe from the snares of others. As G. Vorstius observes upon Pirke Eliezer, cap. 32. Or, as others interpret it, " this money wall be a covering to thine eyes (that is, a defence to thy modesty): it being a testimony that Abimelech paid dear for taking thee into his house." If they refer to Abraham, then the meaning is, " Thou necdest no other defence of thy modesty and chastity than he, nor hast any reason to say hereafter he is thy brother; for he is so dear to God that God will defend him, and he will defend thee, without such shifts as this thou hast used: nay, not only thee, but all that arc with thee; and that even against strangers." I omit other interpretations, and refer the reader to L. de Dicu. Thus she was reproved.] Or, instructed (as some translate it) not to dissemble her condition: or, this was the reprehension he gave her, for saying Abraham w r as her brother. Vcr. 17. So Abraham prayed unto God, 8cc] Besceehed God to restore them all to their health, now that his wife was restored to them, (ver. 14.)
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had fast closed up, Sac. By such swellings (some understand it) in the secret parts, that the men could neither enjoy their wives, nor the women whq were with child be delivered.