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True Words Baptist Church — Revelation 21:5
BOOK 1 OF 66 · LAW · KING JAMES BIBLE

Genesis 20

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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Genesis 20 Overview

Genesis 20 records Abraham sojourning in Gerar and again identifying Sarah as his sister. Abimelech takes Sarah, but God appears to him in a dream, warns him that she is a married woman, and prevents him from sinning. Abimelech confronts Abraham, restores Sarah, gives gifts, and provides vindication. Abraham prays, and God heals Abimelech’s household, which had been closed because of Sarah.

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Before you read Genesis 20

Coming from

Genesis 19 records Sodom’s destruction and Lot’s departure into the mountains.

In this chapter

Abraham repeats an old fear-driven failure, but God protects Sarah and the promised line immediately before Isaac’s birth.

Leads into

Genesis 21 finally records Isaac’s birth, Hagar and Ishmael’s departure, and Abraham’s covenant with Abimelech.

Key understanding

Genesis 20 records Abraham sojourning in Gerar and again identifying Sarah as his sister. Abimelech takes Sarah, but God appears to him in a dream, warns him that she is a married woman, and prevents him from sinning. Abimelech confronts Abraham, restores Sarah, gives gifts, and provides vindication. Abraham prays, and God heals Abimelech’s household, which had been closed because of Sarah.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

God can restrain a person from committing a sin unknowingly.

Truth 2

Abraham’s fear reappears despite years of covenant experience.

Truth 3

Sarah’s protection is essential because the promised son is about to be born.

Truth 4

Abimelech shows moral concern and confronts Abraham’s deception.

Truth 5

Abraham remains a prophet despite personal failure.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Genesis 12 contains the earlier sister-wife episode in Egypt.

Connection 2

Genesis 21 follows with Isaac’s birth, emphasizing divine protection of the promise.

Connection 3

Psalm 105:9–15 poetically recalls God protecting patriarchs and rebuking kings for their sake.

Connection 4

Romans 4 emphasizes that promise rests on God’s faithfulness rather than Abraham’s flawless conduct.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Sarah is Abraham’s half-sister, but the strategy is still deceptive because it conceals the marriage relationship.

Keep this clear 2

God’s recognition of Abimelech’s integrity in this matter does not declare him sinless in every respect.

Keep this clear 3

Abraham’s title as prophet shows that God’s servants can fail seriously without the narrative endorsing the failure.

Keep this clear 4

The closed wombs belong to this specific divine intervention and should not be generalized as an explanation for every case of infertility.

Read Genesis 20 watching for…Explore deeper

God’s direct warning to Abimelech.

The phrase about God withholding Abimelech from sinning.

Abimelech’s questions to Abraham.

Abraham’s explanation of his fear.

How God protects Sarah immediately before Genesis 21.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline3 sections
1-7Abimelech takes Sarah and God warns him8-13Abimelech confronts Abraham14-18Sarah is restored and God heals the household
1

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

2

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

3

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

4

But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

5

Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

6

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

7

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8

Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

9

Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10

And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11

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.

12

And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13

And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14

And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15

And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16

And 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.

17

So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18

For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

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Genesis 20:15

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