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New King James Version
Genesis 20:12
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- CondensedParallel Translations
Moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
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.
Besides, she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife.
And it is true that she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but she is not the daughter of my mother.
What's more, she is indeed my sister, my father's daughter, but not my mother's daughter. She became my wife.
"Besides, she actually is my [half] sister; she is the daughter of my father [Terah], but not of my mother; and she became my wife.
"Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife;
Yet in very deede she is my sister: for she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she is my wife.
Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife;
Besides, she is my half sister. We have the same father, but different mothers.
But she actually is also my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother, and so she became my wife.
But she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
She is my wife, but she is also my sister. She is the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother.
Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
And yet truly she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
She really is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not of my mother, and I married her.
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
And yet she really is my sister, daughter of my father; only not daughter of my mother. And she became my wife.
And of a trueth she is my sister, for she is my fathers doughter, but not my mothers doughter, and is become my wife.
And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:
And, in fact, she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:
Yet in very deede she is my sister, for she is ye daughter of my father, though she be not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wyfe.
And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and so she became my wife.
And yet indeed shee is my sister: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and shee became my wife.
For truly she is my sister by my father, but not by my mother, and she became my wife.
And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father-though not the daughter of my mother-and she became my wife.
in other maner forsothe and sche is my sister verili, the douyter of my fadir, and not the douyter of my moder; and Y weddide hir in to wijf;
and also, truly she is my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becometh my wife;
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.
Moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.
And it is true she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not of my mother. And she became my wife.
Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
Moreover also, in truth, my sister daughter of my father, she is, only not daughter of my mother, - so she became my wife.
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.
Besides she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:
"Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife;
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
And yet: Genesis 11:29, Genesis 12:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:22
she is the: Ebn Batrik, in his annals, among other ancient traditions, has preserved the following: "Terah first married Yona, by whom he had Abraham; afterwards he married Tehevita, by whom he had Sarah.
Reciprocal: Genesis 26:7 - She is my sister Leviticus 20:17 - General Song of Solomon 4:9 - my sister
Cross-References
Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.
Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I [fn] may live because of you."
Abstain from every form of evil.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And yet indeed [she is] my sister,.... In the same sense as Lot was his brother; for she was sister to Lot, and both were the children of Haran, the brother of Abraham:
she [is] the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; she was the daughter of his father, being his granddaughter, grandchildren are sometimes called children, but not the daughter or granddaughter of Abraham's mother; Terah having had two wives, by the one he had Haran, the father of Sarah, and by the other Abraham. According to the Arabic writers f, Abraham and Sarah were the immediate children of Terah, but by two mothers:
"the mother of Abraham (they say) died, whose name was Juna, and Terah married another wife, whose name was Lahazib, some say Tahuitha, who bore him Sarah, afterwards married to Abraham; hence Abraham said, she is my sister on my father's side, but not on my mother's side:''
and she became my wife; as in those times it was judged lawful, and so it has been accounted lawful in many nations to marry sisters on the father's side, when those on the mother's were prohibited g.
f Elmacinus, p. 51. Patricides, p. 17. apud Hottinger. Smegma Oriental. p. 281. g Vid. Philo. de Special. Leg. p. 779. Clement. Alex. Stromat. l. 2. p. 421.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- Abraham in Gerar
2. אבימלך .2 'ǎbı̂ymelek, Abimelekh, “father of the king.”
7. נביא nābı̂y' “prophet,” he who speaks by God, of God, and to God, who declares to people not merely things future, but also things past and present, that are not obvious to the sense or the reason; related: “flow, go forth.”
13. התעוּ hı̂t‛û is plural in punctuation, agreeing grammatically with אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym. ו(w), however, may be regarded as the third radical, and the verb may thus really be singular.
16. נכהת nokachat an unusual form, either for נכחת nokaḥat the second person singular feminine perfect or נכחה nokeḥâh the third person singular feminine perfect, from a verb signifying in hiphil, “make straight, right.”
17. אמה 'āmâh “hand-maid,” free or bond. שׁפחה shı̂pchâh “bond-maid” 1 Samuel 25:41.
The concealment of his relation to Sarah calls to our mind a similar act of Abraham recorded not many pages back. We are to remember, however, that an interval of twenty-four years has elapsed since that event. From the present passage we learn that this was an old agreement between him and his wife, while they were wandering among strangers. It appears that Abraham was not yet conscious of anything wrong or even imprudent in this piece of policy. He therefore practises it without any hesitation. On this occasion he appears for the first time as a prophet. He is the first of this order introduced to our notice in the Old Testament, though Henok had prophesied at an earlier period Jude 1:14, and Noah’s benediction was, at the same time, a prediction.
Genesis 20:1-7
Abimelek takes Sarah. Abraham had been dwelling near Hebron. But the total separation between him and Lot, and the awful overthrow of Sodom and Amorah in the vicinity, may have loosened his tie to Hebron, and rendered it for the present not an agreeable place of residence. He therefore travels southward and takes up his abode at Gerar (see note on Genesis 10:19). Sarah, though now eighty-nine years of age, was as youthful in look as a person of forty would now be. She had, moreover, had no family, was remarkable for her good looks, and was at present, no doubt, renewed in health and vigor Genesis 12:11-16.
Genesis 20:3-7
The Supreme Being here appears as God אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym, and therefore in his eternal power and independence, as he was antecedent to the creation of man. He communicates with Abimelek in a dream. This prince addresses him as אדני 'ǎdonāy, “Lord.” We have already seen that the knowledge of the true God had not yet disappeared from the Gentile world, who were under the Noachic covenant. “Thou wilt die.” Thou art dying or at the point of death if thou persist. A deadly plague was already in the body of Abimelek, on account of Sarah. “Wilt thou slay a righteous nation also?” Abimelek associates his nation with himself, and expects that the fatal stroke will not be confined to his own person. He pleads his integrity in the matter, which the Lord acknowledges. Gentiles sometimes act according to the dictates of conscience, which still lives in them, though it be obscured by sin. Abimelek was innocent in regard to the “great sin” of seizing another man’s wife, of which God acquitted him. He was wrong in appropriating a woman to himself by mere stretch of power, and in adding wife to wife. But these were common customs of the time, for which his conscience did not upbraid him in his pleading with God. “And the God.” The presence of the definite article seems to intimate a contrast of the true God with the false gods to which the Gentiles were fast turning. Abimelek was at least in the doubtful ground on the borders of polytheism.
Genesis 20:7
Abraham is here designated by the Lord a prophet. This constituted at once the gravity of Abimelek’s offence Psalms 105:15, and the ground of his hope of pardon. It is at the same time a step in advance of all the previous spiritual attainments of Abraham. A prophet is God’s spokesman, who utters with authority certain of the things of God Exodus 7:1; Exodus 4:15. This implies two things: first, the things of God are known only to him, and therefore must be communicated by him; secondly, the prophet must be enabled of God to announce in correct terms the things made known to him. These things refer not only to the future, but in general to all such matters as fall within the purpose and procedure of God. They may even include things otherwise known or knowable by man, so far as these are necessary to the exposition of the divine will. Now Abraham has heretofore received many communications from God. But this did not constitute him a prophet. It is the divinely-authorized utterance of new truth which raises him to this rank. And Abraham’s first exercise in prophecy is not in speaking to men of God, but to God for men. “He shall pray for thee.” The prophetic and the priestly offices go together in the father of the faithful. These dignities belong to him, not from any absolute merit, for this he has not, but from his call to be the holder of the promise, and the father of that seed to whom the promises were made.
Genesis 20:8-13
Abimelek retraces his steps, and rectifies his conduct. He makes known his dream to his assembled court, who are filled with astonishment and apprehension. He then calls Abraham, and in bold and manly style remonstrates with him for leading him into error and sin. Abraham is apparently silent from confusion and self-condemnation. Abimelek, after a pause, demands of him his reason for so doing. Abraham now replies with great simplicity and candor. He had said within himself, “The fear of God is not in this place.” This is another indication that polytheism was setting in. He concluded that his life would be in danger on account of his wife, and resorted to his wonted expedient for safety. He had learned to trust in the Lord in all things; but he did not think this inconsistent with using all lawful means for personal security, and he was not yet fully alive to the unlawfulness of his usual pretence. He pleads also in extenuation that she is in reality his sister (see Genesis 12:19-20). “Caused me to wander.” The verb here is not necessarily plural. But if it be, it is only an instance of the literal, meaning of אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym, the Eternal Supernatural Powers, coming into view. “Thy kindness.” The old compact of Abraham with Sarah tended to palliate his conduct in the eyes of Abimelek, as he would see that it had no special reference to himself.
Genesis 20:14-18
Abimelek seems to have accepted his apology, as he probably felt that there was truth in the character Abraham gave of his people, and was precluded from resenting it by the salutary impression of his dream; while at the same time Abraham’s mode of avoiding danger appeared warrantable according to his own and the common code of morals. He therefore hastens to make honorable amends for his conduct. He makes Abraham a valuable present, restores his wife, and makes him free to dwell in any part of his dominions. He then accosts Sarah in respectful terms, informing her that he had presented her brother with one thousand silver pieces, probably shekels, on her account. He does not offer this directly to herself, that it may be distinctly understood that her honor was unstained. This may refer either to Abraham or to the sum of money. The latter is more natural, as the sentence then affords a reason for addressing Sarah, and mentioning this particular gift. “A covering of the eyes” does not mean a veil, the proper word for which is צעיף tsā‛ı̂yp, but is a figurative phrase for a recompense or pacificatory offering, in consideration of which an offence is overlooked. “Unto all that are with thee.” All her family were concerned in this public vindication of her character. “And all this that thou mayest be righted.” The original of this is most naturally taken as a part of Abimelek’s speech, and then it is to be translated as above. All this has been done or given that the injury to Sarah may be redressed. If the original be regarded as a part of the narrative, it must be rendered, “And all this (was done) that she might be righted.” The sense is the same in substance. In the former case the verb is in the second person, in the latter in the third.
Genesis 20:17-18
These verses record the fact of Abraham’s intercession for Abimelek, and explain in what sense he was on the point of dying (Genesis 20:3). “They bare” means that they were again rendered capable of procreating children, and in the natural course of things did so. The verb is in the masculine form, because both males and females were involved in this judicial malady. The name Yahweh is employed at the end of the chapter, because the relation of the Creator and Preserver to Sarah is there prominent.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Genesis 20:12. She is my sister — I have not told a lie; I have suppressed only a part of the truth. In this place it may be proper to ask, What is a lie? It is any action done or word spoken, whether true or false in itself, which the doer or speaker wishes the observer or hearer to take in a contrary sense to that which he knows to be true. It is, in a word, any action done or speech delivered with the intention to deceive, though both may be absolutely true and right in themselves. Genesis 12:13.
The daughter of my father, but not - of my mother — Ebn Batrick, in his annals, among other ancient traditions has preserved the following: "Terah first married Yona, by whom he had Abraham; afterwards he married Tehevita, by whom he had Sarah." Thus she was the sister of Abraham, being the daughter of the same father by a different mother.
