Genesis 20

Abraham’s Treachery

A brief introduction to chapter 20 which has been correctly titled Abe’s treachery. One may think this is the first time Abe behaves badly, but no, we must remember this is the second time good Abe has decided to pimp his wife/ sister for personal gain. In the first scenario is a few chapters ago( Genesis 12 from v14), in Egypt where Abe pimps the sister/wife to the Pharaoh and leaves with a bounty of slaves, donkeys and goats. I need to be convinced why someone should go ahead and call this guy a father of faith and not a father of pimps? Why is Sarah’s opinion not sought, does she willingly consent to being pimped by her brother husband?.

This leaves us to ask several questions; if the scripture is god inspired, is he a male chauvinist? Does he prefer a certain gender? What is the lesson we are to infer from reading this scripture, if any?

That said, lets look at the chapter in detail.

20 Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. ² Abraham said of Sarah his wife/ sister, “She is my sister.”

Sarah is introduced to Abimelech

So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah[is Abe back at pimping his wife/sister?].

³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married[for all intents and purposes, why does old Abe go scot-free for pimping his wife/ sister?] .”

⁴ Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless[This guy is question god’s judgement! I just like him]? ⁵ Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” ⁶ Then God said to him in the dream[if this is not a case of hallucination, then I don’t know what is?], “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her[I would so much like to know how Abe’s god managed this? It is such a hard task].

⁷ Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live[Does this mean he and his family shall not die?]. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours[nothing new here, death is definite? ].”

⁸ So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened[where is mob justice when you need it? Abe deserved a lashing here for bringing disrepute to the king]. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? [ It appears to me Abimilech is a cool guy, why does Abe deceive him?]And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?” ¹¹ Abraham said, “Because I thought[he doesn’t have evidence to the contrary, I think he just like being a pimp], surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife/sister.

¹² Besides, she actually is my sister[at least for once Abe is truthful], the daughter of my father[she is still your sister damn it], but not the daughter of my mother[I can’t remember his father having two wives, maybe I missed it, if you can find it just include in the comments, please! That’s not too much to ask!], and she became my wife; ¹³ and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother[how does Sarah benefit from this kind of deception apart from being pimped in exchange for goats and asses?].”

¹⁴ Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah

Abimelech restores Sarah to Abe; husband and brother!

to him. ¹⁵ Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.” ¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother/ husband a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you[it is the price for the pimping venture], and before all men you are cleared.”

¹⁷ Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household[ someone tell me how this is possible] of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife[The larger question here is who should be asking for forgiveness? The deceiver or the deceived? Unless Abe’s god is his alone, then no one else need worship him].