Chapter 20
Verses 1-18: Abraham and Abimelech
- From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
- And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
- But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
- Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people?
- 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.”
- Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.
- Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
- So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things, and the men were very much afraid.
- Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.”
- And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?”
- Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’
- Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
- And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother.'”
- Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him.
- And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.”
- To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.”
- Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children.
- For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Interpretation: This chapter highlights the complexity of Abraham’s character, revealing both his faith and his flaws. It underscores the protective nature of God towards His covenant people, even when they falter, and demonstrates the importance of integrity and truth. The narrative also shows God’s mercy and justice, intervening to prevent sin and to restore those involved, indicating the significance of divine oversight and intervention in human affairs.
One Response
Genesis 20:1-2 – Abraham’s Fear and Deception
Verses 1-2 describe Abraham’s journey to the Negev and his decision to introduce Sarah as his sister to protect himself from potential harm in Gerar. In Kabbalistic terms, Abraham’s action can be seen through the lens of Gevurah (strength or judgment), where fear leads to a protective, albeit deceptive, response. Quantum mechanically, this decision alters the potential outcomes for both Abraham and Sarah, similar to how a particle’s path is changed by an external force, creating new probabilities and interactions within the system of Gerar.
Genesis 20:3-7 – Divine Intervention through a Dream
Verses 3-7 detail God’s warning to Abimelech in a dream, revealing Sarah’s true marital status and commanding the king to return her to Abraham to avoid divine retribution. Kabbalistically, this divine intervention can be associated with Da’at, the conduit of wisdom and knowledge from the divine to the human, through which God communicates the truth to Abimelech. Quantum mechanically, the dream can be viewed as a quantum information transfer, where divine will is imparted to Abimelech, influencing his decision-making process and altering the course of events without direct physical interaction.
Genesis 20:8-13 – Abimelech’s Response and Abraham’s Explanation
Verses 8-13 show Abimelech’s confrontation with Abraham over the deception and Abraham’s explanation of his actions, driven by fear for his life and a perceived lack of godliness in Gerar. In Kabbalistic thought, Abraham’s justification highlights the interplay between Chesed (loving-kindness) and Gevurah, as he navigates the moral dilemma of protecting Sarah and himself. Quantum mechanically, this interaction represents the resolution of conflicting probabilities—Abimelech’s potential harm to Abraham versus the preservation of Sarah’s sanctity—through dialogue and revelation, akin to the collapse of a wave function into a definitive state.
Genesis 20:14-18 – Resolution and Healing
Verses 14-18 recount Abimelech’s restitution to Abraham with livestock, servants, and land, and the healing of Abimelech’s household after God had closed all the wombs because of Sarah. Kabbalistically, the resolution of the conflict and the subsequent healing represent the restoration of Tiferet (beauty or harmony), balancing justice and mercy. Quantum mechanically, the lifting of the curse on Abimelech’s household and the restoration of fertility can be likened to the system returning to equilibrium, where previously disrupted probabilities (the closed wombs) are realigned with the intended divine order.