Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah, his wife, to him. Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.” To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, it is for you a covering of the eyes to all that are with you. In front of all you are vindicated.”
Abraham prayed to God. God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his female servants, and they bore children. For Yahweh had closed up tight all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv14, 16, 17 14. And Abimelech took sheep. Abraham had before received…
14. And Abimelech took sheep. Abraham had before received possessions and gifts in Egypt; but with this difference, that whereas Pharaoh had commanded him to depart elsewhere; Abimelech offers him a home in his kingdom. It therefore appears that both kings were stricken with no common degree of fear. For when they perceived that they were reproved by the Lord, because they had been troublesome to Abraham; they found no method of appeasing God, except that of compensating, by acts of kindness, for the injury they had brought on the holy man. The latter difference alluded to flowed hence; that Pharaohs being more severely censured, was so terrified, that he could scarcely bear the sight of Abraham: whereas Abimelech, although alarmed, was yet soon composed by an added word of consolation, when the Lord said to him, He is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee. For there is no other remedy for the removal of fear, than the Lord’s declaration that he will be propitious. It is indeed of little advantage for the sinner to present to God only what fear extorts. But it is a true sign of penitence, when, with a composed mind and quiet conscience, he yields himself, as obedient and docile, to God. And seeing that Abimelech allowed Abraham a habitation in his realm, a blessing of no trivial kind followed this act of humanity; because Isaac was born there, as we shall see in the next chapter (Genesis 20:1.)
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 18 Or, is at thy commandment.
Or, is at thy commandment.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv14–18 Gen 20:14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and…
Gen 20:14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave [them] unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
Ver. 14. And Ablmelech took sheep and oxen.] Great men should be bountiful to good men. Aeneas Sylvius was wont to say of learning - how much more may it be said of grace? - popular men should esteem it as silver, noblemen as gold, princes prize it as pearls. Arcadius the emperor gave his schoolmaster Arsenes, a holy man, the revenues of all Egypt, desiring him to pray for him. Arsenes promised him his prayers, but refused his rich offer; saying, that he wanted no money, as being long since dead to the world. {a}
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{a} Pecunia non egere, quod mundo iampridem mortuus esset . - Parei Hist. Profan. Medul., p. 495.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv15, 16, 18 My land is before thee, i.e. free for thy…
My land is before thee, i.e. free for thy view and choice, as Gen 13:9.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v14 Here is, I. The kindness of a prince which…
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 (Gen 20:16) a thousand pieces of silver. This he gave when he restored Sarah, either, [1.] By way of satisfaction for the wrong he had offered to do, in taking her to his house: when the Philistines restored the ark, being plagued for detaining it, they sent a present with it. The law appointed that when restitution was made something should be added to it, Lev 6:5. Or, [2.] To engage Abraham's prayers for him; not as if prayers should be bought and sold, but we should endeavour to be kind to those of whose spiritual things we reap, Co1 9:11. Note, It is our wisdom to get and keep an interest with those that have an interest in heaven, and to make those our friends who are the friends of God. [3.] He gives to Sarah good instruction, tells her that her husband (her brother he calls him, to upbraid her with calling him so) must be to her for a covering of the eyes, that is, she must look at no other, nor desire to be looked at by any other. Note, Yoke-fellows must be to each other for a covering of the eyes. The marriage-covenant is a covenant with the eyes, like Job's, Job 31:1.
II. The kindness of a prophet which Abraham showed to Abimelech: he prayed for him, Gen 20:17, Gen 20:18. This honour God would put upon Abraham that, though Abimelech had restored Sarah, yet the judgment he was under should be removed upon the prayer of Abraham, and not before. Thus God healed Miriam, when Moses, whom she had most affronted, prayed for her (Num 12:13), and was reconciled to Job's friends when Job, whom they had grieved, prayed for them (Job 42:8-10), and so did, as it were, give it under his hand that he was reconciled to them. Note, The prayers of good men may be a kindness to great men, and ought to be valued.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv14–18 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and…
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 that Sarah might be continued with him, since it follows:
and restored him Sarah his wife; untouched by him, as he was directed by God to do.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v16 Thy brother is to thee a covering of the…
Thy brother is to thee a covering of the eyes - Thou must look at no other, nor desire to be looked at by any other. Yoke-fellows must be to each other for a covering of the eyes. The marriage- covenant is a covenant with the eyes, like Job's, Job xxxi, 1.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv16–18 Verse 16. And unto Sarah he said] But what…
Verse 16. And unto Sarah he said] But what did he say? Here there is scarcely any agreement among interpreters; the Hebrew is exceedingly obscure, and every interpreter takes it in his own sense.
A thousand pieces of silver] SHEKELS are very probably meant here, and so the Targum understands it. The Septuagint has χιλια διδραχμα, a thousand didrachma, no doubt meaning shekels; for in Ge 23:15-16, this translation uses διδραχμα for the Hebrew שקל shekel. As shakal signifies literally to weigh, and the shekel was a coin of such a weight, Mr. Ainsworth and others think this to be the origin of our word scale, the instrument to weigh with.
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The shekel of the sanctuary weighed twenty gerahs, Ex 30:13. And according to the Jews, the gerah weighed sixteen grains of barley. R. Maimon observes, that after the captivity the shekel was increased to three hundred and eighty-four grains or barley-corns. On the subject of ancient weights and measures, very little that is satisfactory is known.
Behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes] It - the one thousand shekels, (not he-Abraham,) is to thee for a covering - to procure thee a veil to conceal thy beauty (unto all that are with thee, and with all other) from all thy own kindred and acquaintance, and from all strangers, that none, seeing thou art another mans wife; may covet thee on account of thy comeliness.
Thus she was reproved] The original is ונכחת venochachath, but the word is probably the second person preterite, used for the imperative mood, from the root נכח nachach, to make straight, direct, right; or to speak rightly, correctly; and may, in connection with the rest of the text, be thus paraphrased: Behold, I have given thy BROTHER (Abraham, gently alluding to the equivocation, Ge 20:2; Ge 20:5) a thousand shekels of silver; behold, IT is (that is, the silver is, or may be, or let it be) to thee a covering of the eyes (to procure a veil; see above) with regard to all those who are with thee; and to all (or and in all) speak thou the truth. Correctly translated by the Septuagint, και παντα αληθευσον, and in all things speak the truth-not only tell a part of the truth, but tell the whole; say not merely he is my brother, but say also, he is my husband too. Thus in ALL things speak the truth. I believe the above to be the sense of this difficult passage, and shall not puzzle my readers with criticisms. See Kennicott.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v16 Gen 20:16. He, or this, is to thee a…
Gen 20:16. He, or this, is to thee a covering of the eyes — For the words may be expounded either of the money given to Abraham to buy a veil for the covering of her face, and to be worn in token of her subjection to her husband; or of Abraham, that he must be a covering of her eyes, that she should look at no other, nor desire to be looked at by any other. Yoke- fellows must be to each other for a covering of the eyes. The marriage covenant is a covenant with the eyes, like Job’s; Job 31:1. Thus she was reproved — Or instructed. The Septuagint is και παντα αληθευσον, speak thou the truth in all things, referring, no doubt, to the equivocation she and Abraham had used.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv14, 16, 17 Gave, by way of satisfaction, for having detained his…
Gave, by way of satisfaction, for having detained his wife; as also to shew his respect for him who was a prophet. (1 Kings ix. 7.) (Haydock)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv14, 16, 17, 18 14. Took sheep and oxen — Compare the similar…
14. Took sheep and oxen — Compare the similar present of the king of Egypt, Gen_12:16.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv14–18 14. And Abimelech took] Abimelech’s gift is intended to…
14. And Abimelech took] Abimelech’s gift is intended to compensate Abraham for injury to his honour. The head of the household is regarded as embodying the rights of all who belong to him. The LXX and Heb. Sam. insert “a thousand pieces of silver and” before “sheep and oxen.” This is due to a misunderstanding of Gen_20:16.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv14, 16, 17 (14) Abimelech. . . . gave them unto Abraham.—Pharaoh’s…
(14) Abimelech. . . . gave them unto Abraham.—Pharaoh’s presents were given when he took Sarah, and though he did not exact them back, yet he bade Abraham “go his way” in displeasure. More generously, the Philistine gives presents on restoring Sarah, and grants her husband permission to dwell in his land wherever it pleased him. He also acknowledges thereby that he had done Abraham a wrong.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv14–18 And Abimelech as Pharaoh did, (Gen_12:18) but with a…
And Abimelech as Pharaoh did, (Gen_12:18) but with a different motive took sheep, and oxen, and men-servants, and women-servants. The LXX and Samaritan insert "a thousand didrachmas" after "took," in order to include Sarah"s present, mentioned in Ver. 16; but the two donations are separated in order to distinguish them as Abraham"s gift and Sarah"s respectively (Rosenm Delitzsch), or the sum of money may indicate the value of the sheep and oxen, &c. which Abraham received (Keil, Knobel, Lange, "Speaker"s Commentary"). ;And gave them unto Abraham. To propitiate his favor for the wrong he had suffered. Pharaoh"s gifts were "for the sake of Sarah". (Gen_12:16) And restored him Sarah his wife.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech
Gen_20:17-18
So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech
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An efficacious interesting prayer
Abrahams prayer for the doomed cities was not granted, but his prayer for Abimelech was answered in full.
God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maid-servants. But in the present instance we can see some reasons why it was likely that this prayer should be answered.
I. BECAUSE FAITH WAS MAINTAINED NOTWITHSTANDING PAST FAILURES. Persevering faith, which is superior to all discouragements, must be rewarded.
II. BECAUSE THE OBJECTS OF IT WERE DISPOSED TO RECEIVE THE BLESSING. The hindrances to the gracious effects of prayer lie in mans rebellious heart. There must be a Godward direction imparted to souls which are to be blest. God meets those who are looking towards Him. Abimelech and his household had this receptivity.
III. BECAUSE GOD DELIGHTS TO PUT HONOUR UPON HIS SERVANTS. God had entered into covenant with Abraham. He was Gods prophet and faithful friend. God will set His visible marks of approval upon His own appointed means of blessing. Learn the importance of the prophet to mankind.
1. He makes known the will of God. He is a messenger who has received instructions from the Supreme Ruler of all mankind.
2. He is the human channel of spiritual blessings. He teaches men the way of righteousness, how they may find the chief good and reach true blessedness. (T. H. Leate.)
.
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v17 Gen_20:17. God healed Abimelech.] This may explain in what…
CRITICAL NOTES.—
Gen_20:17. God healed Abimelech.] This may explain in what sense he was on the point of dying (Gen_20:3), that he was to be considered dead, as regards progeny. His wife, i.e., she who was eminently such—the queen. Maid servants. Concubines are intended, a different word being used for ordinary servants. (1Sa_25:41.) And they bare. They were rendered capable of procreating children. The verb is masculine, for both sexes were involved in this judicial malady. It may be that this was inflicted with the design of preserving the purity of Sarah. Abimelech was not suffered to touch her. (Gen_20:6).
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Gen_20:18. For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech.] “To be taken with reference to both sexes. God had visited all with incapacity, which visitation was now removed.” (Alford.)
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Gen_20:17-18
AN EFFICACIOUS INTERCESSORY PRAYER
Abraham’s prayer for the doomed cities was not granted, but his prayer for Abimelech was answered in full. “God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maid-servants.” Why was this prayer successful? God has reasons for refusing the requests of His servants, which are often hid from them; and he who prays best is most satisfied calmly to accept the good pleasure of the Divine will. But in the present instance we can see some reasons why it was likely that this prayer should be answered.
I. Because faith was maintained notwithstanding past failures. Abraham had pleaded hard for the cities of the plain, yet he had seen them swept into destruction. His prayer had failed to save that wicked people from their doom. A less hardier soul than his might have been discouraged, and have lost all faith in prayer. But no difficulties daunted this believing man. It is the nature and property of genuine faith to hold out against all discouragements, to believe still in God both when He grants and when He denies. If we have proper confidence in the Divine character we have only patiently to wait and real success will come at last. Abraham still pleaded with God, notwithstanding his failure in a great instance. Persevering faith, which is superior to all discouragements, must be rewarded.
II. Because the objects of it were disposed to receive the blessing. The hindrances to the gracious effects of prayer lie in man’s rebellious heart. God willeth not the death of any sinner. Prayers for others are more likely to be answered when, on their part, there is some disposition to receive Divine blessings. There must be a Godward direction imparted to souls which are to be blest. God meets those who are looking towards Him. Abimelech and his household had this receptivity. By desire and submission they were prepared for healing and blessing. How different with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah! They maintained open defiance against God. In their rebellious souls there was nothing to answer any movement of the Divine goodness towards them. Therefore they were left to the fate of all who contend with their Maker. Thus God’s gracious purposes can be hindered by man. “I would have gathered thy children together, … and ye would not.” (Mat_23:37).
III. Because God delights to put honour upon His servants. God had entered into covenant with Abraham. He was God’s prophet and faithful friend. It was not for nought that he was called to interpret the Divine will, and to intercede for men. God will set His visible marks of approval upon His own appointed means of blessing. He will not cause his servants to become ashamed of their confidence, but will show the world that He is with them. Learn the importance of the prophet to mankind.
(1) He makes known the will of God. He is a messenger who has received instructions from the Supreme Ruler of all mankind. He comes to speak on behalf of God, for warning, for reproof, for the announcement of gracious purposes.
(2) He is the human channel of spiritual blessings. He teaches men the way of righteousness, how they may find the chief good and reach true blessedness. Who is such a benefactor to the race as this—so important to the dearest interests of mankind! Abimelech could bring his gold, but Abraham could put him in the way of obtaining far better gifts.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Gen_20:17. Abraham, by his prevarication, had brought distress on Abimelech and all his household. Being now humbled by the rebuke he had received, he prayed to God for the removal of the judgments which he had been instrumental in procuring. By this means, as far as in him lay, he counteracted and reversed the mischief that he had done. It is but seldom that we can cancel in any degree the evil that we have committed; but if any way whatever present itself, we should embrace it gladly, and put forth our utmost endeavours to undo the injury we may have wrought, At all events, the course adopted by Abraham is open to us all. We may pray for those whom we have injured; we may beg of God to obliterate from their minds any bad impressions which, either by word or deed, we may have made on them. And if we find in them a kind, forgiving spirit, we should so much the more redouble our exertions to obtain for them the blessings of salvation, which will infinitely overbalance any evils that they may have suffered through our means.—(Bush.)
Our prayers have power to heal the wrongs we may have done to others by our unbelief.
The effect of Abraham’s prayer is an illustration of salvation, which is the healing of the soul of those diseases sin has brought upon it.
How great is the power of the intercession of the believer with God, when it can stay the hand of judgment, and even prevail notwithstanding the infirmities and lapses of the intercessor! What efficacy, then, must we ascribe to the intercessions of that Divine Advocate who was without sin!
Gen_20:18. The name Jehovah is employed at the end of the chapter, because the relation of the Creator and Preserver to Sarah is there prominent.—(Murphy.)
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v14 The Plague Removed from Abimelech
The Plague Removed from Abimelech
v. 14. And Abimelech took sheep and oxen and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah, his wife. The restoration of Sarah with her honor unspotted followed as a matter of course, but the giving of presents in such rich measure was an act of magnanimity on Abimelech’s part, showing that he felt no false resentment.
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v. 15. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee; dwell where it pleaseth thee. To offer to Abraham the choice of pasturage in his land in the circumstances was certainly heaping coals of fire on his head.
v. 16. But unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes unto all that are with thee and with all other. Thus she was reproved. The goods which Abimelech had given to Abraham were estimated at this sum. Now Sarah was to know that this (or he) was to her a covering of the eyes and to her entire household and to all men; that is, according to some explanations, she was to look upon the gifts as presents of atonement, also with respect to such people in whose eyes she might be covered with dishonor. Or, if the reference is to Abraham, it means that he had willfully blinded the eyes of Abimelech and all his people in this transaction, and that Sarah should now be reminded, through this present, never again to agree to such a subterfuge. In that way she stood reproved.
v. 17. So Abraham prayed unto God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maid-servants; and they bare children.
v. 18. For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. That was the manner in which God’s punishment upon Abimelech had begun, by denying offspring to his entire household, for it is in His hands, as the Creator of the universe, to grant the blessing of children. The entire story shows that the Lord holds His protecting hand over His children in the midst of all the temptations of the world, Psa 105:14-15.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv15, 17 Abimelech said
Abimelech said
"Abimelech said to Abraham"
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Look
"Pay attention, because what I am about to say is both true and important"
my land is before you
This is a way of saying "I make all of my land available to you" (See: Idiom)
Settle wherever it pleases you
"Live wherever you want"
a thousand
"1,000" (See: Numbers)
It is to cover any offense against you in the eyes of all that are with you
Giving money to prove to others that Sarah is innocent is spoken of as if he is placing a cover over an offense so no one can see it. AT: "I am giving this to him, so that those who are with you will know that you have done nothing wrong" (See: Metaphor)
in the eyes
The eyes represent seeing, and seeing represents thoughts or judgment. AT: "in the opinion" or "in the judgement" (See: Metaphor)
before everyone, you are completely made right
The passive phrase "made right" can be stated in active form. AT: "everyone will know that you are innocent" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
Abimelech
Sarah
silver
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv14, 17 20:14-16 Abimelech secured his reputation as a good man…
20:14-16 Abimelech secured his reputation as a good man (see study note on 20:4-5) and demonstrated his integrity. He made amends by allowing Abraham to live in the region and by giving him slaves, livestock (cp. 21:27), and 1,000 pieces of silver to compensate . . . for any wrong done to Sarah.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.