Catholic Commentary on Genesis 20

"Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again." (Genesis 20:17)

Abraham and Abimelech

Abraham moves to the Negev and sojourns in Gerar, where he repeats the deception he used in Egypt: Sarah is my sister. King Abimelech takes Sarah into his household. But God appears to Abimelech in a dream at night: you are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman. Abimelech, who has not gone near her, protests: did he not say to me she is my sister? The response is remarkable: yes, I know 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. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live.

Abimelech confronts Abraham: what have you done to us? What was your reason for this? Abraham's explanation is part truthful (Sarah really is his half-sister) and part a reflection of his fear. The exchange is humanising: the great patriarch of faith is also a man who lies under pressure, who calculates his own survival over his wife's dignity. The Catechism recognises that the patriarchs were not morally perfect; they are chosen instruments who remain thoroughly human (CCC 144). But God works through their imperfection, protecting Sarah and using Abraham's intercession for the healing of Abimelech's household. Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, Abraham lied out of fear and God still used him as an intercessor for the man he had wronged. The God who works through imperfect instruments is the same God who works through you. Your failures do not disqualify you from his service; they make you more dependent on his grace, which is exactly where effective ministry begins. Come to God in your failure. He will still use your prayer.

Prayer

Lord God, you protected Sarah and used Abraham's prayer to heal those he had wronged. Work through our imperfect obedience. Forgive the fear-driven deceptions we have committed and use us still as intercessors for those we have harmed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

20
Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech
1 Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, 2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
 
3 One 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 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5 Didn’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 Then 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 Now 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 Early 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 Then 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 Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”
 
11 Abraham 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 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife. 13 So 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 So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver.* 20:16 Or a thousand shekels of silver; that is, approximately 25.1 pounds or 11.4 kilograms of silver It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”
 
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children— 18 for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.

*20:16 20:16 Or a thousand shekels of silver; that is, approximately 25.1 pounds or 11.4 kilograms of silver

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