Atlas Biblica

    Genesis · 18 verses

    Genesis 20

    Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.

    The chapter

    What happens here

    Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

    Abraham’s wife is untouched, Abimelech’s household is shut up, and Abraham—the man who caused the alarm—must pray for its recovery.

    A sister in Gerarvv. 1–2

    Abraham journeys into the Negeb and settles between Kadesh and Shur before staying in Gerar. There he calls Sarah his sister, and Abimelech has her brought to him. It is a small sentence with an enormous administrative consequence.

    The king’s innocent handsvv. 3–13

    God comes to Abimelech in a dream with the alarming news that he is as good as dead, though Abimelech has not gone near Sarah. Abimelech pleads the integrity of his heart and the innocence of his hands; God agrees, having prevented the sin, but orders Sarah’s return and says Abraham will pray for him. At daylight, the terrified servants hear the matter, and Abimelech asks Abraham what on earth he has done. Abraham’s answer is that he feared there was no fear of God in the place, then he supplies the family arrangement: Sarah really is his sister, and the instruction to call him brother was made wherever they went.

    Restoration, with silvervv. 14–18

    Abimelech restores Sarah and sends Abraham away with sheep, cattle, servants, a thousand pieces of silver, and the liberty to settle anywhere in the land. Abraham then prays, and God heals Abimelech, his wife, and his maidservants so that they can bear children again. The final explanation is wonderfully severe: the wombs had been closed on account of Sarah, although Abimelech had never touched her.

    The text

    Read it

    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. Gen 20:1Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,

    2. Gen 20:2Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

    3. Gen 20:3One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”

    4. Gen 20:4Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?

    5. Gen 20:5Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”

    6. Gen 20:6Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.

    7. Gen 20:7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”

    8. Gen 20:8Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified.

    9. Gen 20:9Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”

    10. Gen 20:10Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”

    11. Gen 20:11Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’

    12. Gen 20:12Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.

    13. Gen 20:13So when God had me journey from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

    14. Gen 20:14So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.

    15. Gen 20:15And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”

    16. Gen 20:16And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”

    17. Gen 20:17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—

    18. Gen 20:18for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 207 passages were voted onto 16 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 61 Samuel 25:34Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, then surely no male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning light.”
    • 17James 5:16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
    • 2Genesis 12:15When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.
    • 6Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.
    • 61 Samuel 25:26Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has held you back from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, may your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal.
    • 2Genesis 26:7But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
    • 3Genesis 20:7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”
    • 3Matthew 27:19While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”
    • 6Genesis 31:7And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.
    • 6Genesis 35:5As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.
    • 7Job 42:8So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”
    • 17Job 42:9–10So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.
    • 3Psalms 105:14He let no man oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf:
    • 3Job 33:15In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
    • 71 Samuel 7:5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”
    • 7Hebrews 13:4Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

    Onward

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