Abraham and Abimelech

20 And Abraham journeyed from (A)there to the South, and dwelt between (B)Kadesh and Shur, and (C)stayed in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, (D)“She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and (E)took Sarah.

But (F)God came to Abimelech (G)in a dream by night, and said to him, (H)“Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is [a]a man’s wife.”

But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, (I)will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ (J)In the [b]integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”

And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For (K)I also withheld you from sinning (L)against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; (M)for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, (N)know that you shall surely die, you (O)and all who are yours.”

So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I [c]offended you, (P)that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me (Q)that ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely (R)the fear of God is not in this place; and (S)they will kill me on account of my wife. 12 But indeed (T)she is truly 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 (U)God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, (V)say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”

14 Then Abimelech (W)took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “See, (X)my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; (Y)indeed this [d]vindicates you (Z)before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was [e]rebuked.

17 So Abraham (AA)prayed to God; and God (AB)healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; 18 for the Lord (AC)had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Isaac Is Born(AD)

21 And the Lord (AE)visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah (AF)as He had spoken. For Sarah (AG)conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, (AH)at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—(AI)Isaac.[f] Then Abraham (AJ)circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, (AK)as God had commanded him. Now (AL)Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, (AM)“God has [g]made me laugh, and all who hear (AN)will laugh with me.” She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? (AO)For I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Hagar and Ishmael Depart(AP)

So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar (AQ)the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, (AR)scoffing.[h] 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, (AS)“Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very [i]displeasing in Abraham’s sight (AT)because of his son.

12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for (AU)in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make (AV)a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your [j]seed.”

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and [k]a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and (AW)sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

17 And (AX)God heard the voice of the lad. Then the (AY)angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for (AZ)I will make him a great nation.”

19 Then (BA)God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20 So God (BB)was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, (BC)and became an archer. 21 He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother (BD)took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

A Covenant with Abimelech

22 And it came to pass at that time that (BE)Abimelech and Phichol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, (BF)“God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore, (BG)swear[l] to me by God that you will not deal falsely with me, with my offspring, or with my posterity; but that according to the kindness that I have done to you, you will do to me and to the land in which you have dwelt.”

24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.”

25 Then Abraham rebuked Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech’s servants (BH)had seized. 26 And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them (BI)made a [m]covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

29 Then Abimelech asked Abraham, (BJ)“What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?”

30 And he said, “You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that (BK)they may be my witness that I have dug this well.” 31 Therefore he (BL)called that place [n]Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there.

32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. So Abimelech rose with Phichol, the commander of his army, and they returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and (BM)there called on the name of the Lord, (BN)the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines many days.

Abraham’s Faith Confirmed(BO)

22 Now it came to pass after these things that (BP)God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Take now your son, (BQ)your only son Isaac, whom you (BR)love, and go (BS)to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a (BT)burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the [o]lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will (BU)come back to you.”

So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and (BV)laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the [p]lamb for a burnt offering?”

And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the (BW)lamb for a (BX)burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.

Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and (BY)laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the (BZ)Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

So he said, “Here I am.”

12 And He said, (CA)“Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for (CB)now I know that you fear God, since you have not (CC)withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, [q]The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: (CD)“By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son 17 blessing I will (CE)bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants (CF)as the stars of the heaven (CG)and as the sand which is on the seashore; and (CH)your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 (CI)In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, (CJ)because you have obeyed My voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to (CK)Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

The Family of Nahor

20 Now it came to pass after these things that it was told Abraham, saying, “Indeed (CL)Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 (CM)Huz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father (CN)of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 And (CO)Bethuel begot [r]Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Thahash, and Maachah.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 20:3 Lit. married to a husband
  2. Genesis 20:5 innocence
  3. Genesis 20:9 sinned against
  4. Genesis 20:16 Lit. is a covering of the eyes for you to all
  5. Genesis 20:16 Or justified
  6. Genesis 21:3 Lit. Laughter
  7. Genesis 21:6 Lit. made laughter for me
  8. Genesis 21:9 Lit. laughing
  9. Genesis 21:11 distressing
  10. Genesis 21:13 descendant
  11. Genesis 21:14 A water bottle made of skins
  12. Genesis 21:23 take an oath
  13. Genesis 21:27 treaty
  14. Genesis 21:31 Lit. Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven
  15. Genesis 22:5 Or young man
  16. Genesis 22:7 Or goat
  17. Genesis 22:14 Heb. YHWH Yireh
  18. Genesis 22:23 Rebecca, Rom. 9:10

Abraham and Abimelek(A)

20 Now Abraham moved on from there(B) into the region of the Negev(C) and lived between Kadesh(D) and Shur.(E) For a while(F) he stayed in Gerar,(G) and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.(H)” Then Abimelek(I) king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.(J)

But God came to Abimelek(K) in a dream(L) one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead(M) because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”(N)

Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?(O) Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,(P)’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience(Q) and clean hands.(R)

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept(S) you from sinning against me.(T) That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet,(U) and he will pray for you(V) and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”(W)

Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.(X) 10 And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God(Y) in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’(Z) 12 Besides, she really is my sister,(AA) the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander(AB) from my father’s household,(AC) I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

14 Then Abimelek(AD) brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham,(AE) and he returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”(AF)

16 To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels[a] of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”

17 Then Abraham prayed to God,(AG) and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, 18 for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.(AH)

The Birth of Isaac

21 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah(AI) as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.(AJ) Sarah became pregnant and bore a son(AK) to Abraham in his old age,(AL) at the very time God had promised him.(AM) Abraham gave the name Isaac[b](AN) to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him,(AO) as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old(AP) when his son Isaac was born to him.

Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,(AQ) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”(AR)

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

The child grew and was weaned,(AS) and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham(AT) was mocking,(AU) 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman(AV) and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”(AW)

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.(AX) 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring[c] will be reckoned.(AY) 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation(AZ) also, because he is your offspring.”

14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar.(BA) He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.(BB)

15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she[d] began to sob.(BC)

17 God heard the boy crying,(BD) and the angel of God(BE) called to Hagar from heaven(BF) and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;(BG) God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.(BH)

19 Then God opened her eyes(BI) and she saw a well of water.(BJ) So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 God was with the boy(BK) as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran,(BL) his mother got a wife for him(BM) from Egypt.

The Treaty at Beersheba

22 At that time Abimelek(BN) and Phicol the commander of his forces(BO) said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do.(BP) 23 Now swear(BQ) to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants.(BR) Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”(BS)

24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.(BT) 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty.(BU) 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness(BV) that I dug this well.(BW)

31 So that place was called Beersheba,[e](BX) because the two men swore an oath(BY) there.

32 After the treaty(BZ) had been made at Beersheba,(CA) Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces(CB) returned to the land of the Philistines.(CC) 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree(CD) in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord,(CE) the Eternal God.(CF) 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines(CG) for a long time.

Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested(CH) Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,”(CI) he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son(CJ), your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah.(CK) Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering(CL) on a mountain I will show you.(CM)

Early the next morning(CN) Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.(CO)

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac,(CP) and he himself carried the fire and the knife.(CQ) As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb(CR) for the burnt offering?”

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide(CS) the lamb(CT) for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about,(CU) Abraham built an altar(CV) there and arranged the wood(CW) on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar,(CX) on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife(CY) to slay his son.(CZ) 11 But the angel of the Lord(DA) called out to him from heaven,(DB) “Abraham! Abraham!”(DC)

“Here I am,”(DD) he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God,(DE) because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.(DF)

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[f] caught by its horns.(DG) He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.(DH) 14 So Abraham called(DI) that place The Lord(DJ) Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.(DK)

15 The angel of the Lord(DL) called to Abraham from heaven(DM) a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself,(DN) declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,(DO) 17 I will surely bless you(DP) and make your descendants(DQ) as numerous as the stars in the sky(DR) and as the sand on the seashore.(DS) Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,(DT) 18 and through your offspring[g] all nations on earth will be blessed,[h](DU) because you have obeyed me.”(DV)

19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.(DW) And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

Nahor’s Sons

20 Some time later Abraham was told, “Milkah is also a mother; she has borne sons to your brother Nahor:(DX) 21 Uz(DY) the firstborn, Buz(DZ) his brother, Kemuel (the father of Aram), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph and Bethuel.(EA) 23 Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.(EB) Milkah bore these eight sons to Abraham’s brother Nahor.(EC) 24 His concubine,(ED) whose name was Reumah, also had sons: Tebah, Gaham, Tahash and Maakah.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 20:16 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
  2. Genesis 21:3 Isaac means he laughs.
  3. Genesis 21:12 Or seed
  4. Genesis 21:16 Hebrew; Septuagint the child
  5. Genesis 21:31 Beersheba can mean well of seven and well of the oath.
  6. Genesis 22:13 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text a ram behind him
  7. Genesis 22:18 Or seed
  8. Genesis 22:18 Or and all nations on earth will use the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)