Obal, Abimael, Sheba,

Abraham and Abimelech

Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident in Gerar,

Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.”

Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?

Early in the morning Abimelech summoned all his servants. When he told them about all these things, they were terrified.

Abimelech summoned Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? What sin did I commit against you that would cause you to bring such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done!”

Then Abimelech asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do this thing?”

So Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him.

Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.”

Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, as well as his wife and female slaves so that they were able to have children.

For the Lord had caused infertility to strike every woman in the household of Abimelech because he took Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

At that time Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.

But Abraham lodged a complaint against Abimelech concerning a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized.

“I do not know who has done this thing,” Abimelech replied. “Moreover, you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today.”

Abraham took some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech. The two of them made a treaty.

Abimelech asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?”

So they made a treaty at Beer Sheba; then Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, returned to the land of the Philistines.

The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

Isaac and Abimelech

There was a famine in the land, subsequent to the earlier famine that occurred in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.

After Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.”

Then Abimelech exclaimed, “What in the world have you done to us? One of the men nearly took your wife to bed, and you would have brought guilt on us!”

So Abimelech commanded all the people, “Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, for you have become much more powerful than we are.”