Genesis 20 5

Genesis 20:5 kjv

Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

Genesis 20:5 nkjv

Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this."

Genesis 20:5 niv

Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."

Genesis 20:5 esv

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."

Genesis 20:5 nlt

Didn't Abraham tell me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'Yes, he is my brother.' I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean."

Genesis 20 verses

Genesis 20 5 meaning

Genesis 20:5 records King Abimelech's earnest defense to God, affirming his ignorance and the purity of his intentions and actions when he took Sarah, Abraham's wife, believing her to be Abraham's unmarried sister. Abimelech points out that Abraham himself presented Sarah as his sister, and Sarah confirmed this deception, leading him to act with an integrity of heart and innocence of hands, not knowing he was taking another man's wife.

Genesis 20 5 Context

Genesis chapter 20 describes Abraham's journey to Gerar after dwelling in Mamre. This account notably marks Abraham's second instance of presenting his wife, Sarah, as his sister, a repetition of his sin in Genesis 12 in Egypt. As a result of this deception, King Abimelech of Gerar took Sarah into his harem. Before Abimelech could approach her, God intervened by afflicting his household and appearing to Abimelech in a dream, revealing the truth about Sarah and commanding her return to Abraham. God also stated that Abimelech would die if he did not return Sarah. Verse 5 captures Abimelech's immediate and desperate defense to God in this dream, highlighting his unwitting sin and his sincere belief in Abraham's lie, thereby emphasizing his plea of ignorance and his upright intentions. Historically and culturally, a king taking a woman into his harem was a recognized practice. However, unknowingly taking a married woman would be a grave offense, potentially leading to covenant violation and severe divine judgment. The narrative highlights God's protective faithfulness to His covenant and His intervention to preserve Sarah's purity, ensuring the lineage through which the promised seed would come, despite Abraham's repeated moral failing.

Genesis 20 5 Word analysis

• Did he not himself say to me:
  • This is Abimelech's rhetorical question to God, emphatically placing responsibility on Abraham. It conveys Abimelech's shock and earnest plea.
• ‘She is my sister’:
  • Hebrew: ’aḥoti hu’ (אחותי הוא). This was a half-truth; Sarah was indeed Abraham’s half-sister (Gen 20:12). However, in presenting her only as his sister while knowing she was also his wife, Abraham engaged in deceit by omission. Abimelech is repeating the exact lie that Abraham had told him, using it as proof of his own innocent belief.
• And she, even she herself, said:
  • Abimelech stresses Sarah's complicity, using the emphatic repetition gam-hi hi’ (גם-היא היא, "even she, she herself"), indicating that Sarah corroborated Abraham's story. This reinforces Abimelech's defense: it was not just Abraham's word, but Sarah's also.
• ‘He is my brother.’:
  • Hebrew: ’aḥi hu’ (אחי הוא). Sarah confirms the lie from her side, further solidifying Abimelech's unwitting assumption of her availability for marriage.
• In the integrity of my heart:
  • Hebrew: b’tom l'vavi (בּתָם לְבָבִי).
  • Tom (תָם) means "completeness," "innocence," "blamelessness," "integrity," or "perfection." It speaks to an uncorrupted inner state or genuine intention.
  • Levav (לֵבָב) means "heart," encompassing intellect, will, emotion, and conscience.
  • This phrase denotes the complete sincerity and purity of Abimelech's intention. He genuinely believed Sarah was an unmarried relative of Abraham, thus an eligible woman. This contrasts sharply with any intent to seize another man's wife or act violently. Scholars emphasize this points to the inner, moral state before God.
• and the innocence of my hands I did this.
  • Hebrew: uvniqqayon kappay asiti zot (וּבְנִקּיֹן כַּפַּי עָשִׂיתִי זֹאת).
  • Niqqayon (נִקּיֹן) means "cleanness," "innocence," or "purity." It often implies freedom from guilt.
  • Kappay (כַּפַּי) refers to "hands." In biblical thought, "hands" represent one's actions and deeds (cf. Psa 24:4).
  • This phrase refers to the external actions themselves, implying that Abimelech committed no deed that he knew to be wrong or morally corrupt. He performed the act (taking Sarah) with a clean conscience and free of malicious or illicit intent. Together with "integrity of my heart," it presents a full defense of both internal motive and external conduct in the sight of God. This concept reflects ancient Near Eastern understanding of justice, where motive often influenced the gravity of a deed.

Genesis 20 5 Bonus section

• This incident, where a non-covenant person like Abimelech displays greater moral integrity than the patriarch Abraham in this specific instance, is a poignant theological point. It showcases God's grace and ability to work through unlikely channels to uphold His promises and standards, while simultaneously exposing the weaknesses even of His chosen ones.
• The "integrity of heart" and "innocence of hands" theme is significant throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Psa 7:8, 24:4, 26:6). Abimelech's use of these terms connects him to a universal moral code, implying that principles of righteousness were accessible even outside the specific Mosaic covenant, hinting at an innate understanding of justice implanted by the Creator.
• God's direct communication with Abimelech through a dream also demonstrates His sovereignty over all nations and His willingness to engage with individuals beyond Abraham's lineage to accomplish His purposes. He prevented Abimelech from sinning fully (Gen 20:6) against Sarah, showcasing divine restraint and protection of the covenant lineage.

Genesis 20 5 Commentary

Genesis 20:5 is a profound articulation of Abimelech’s defense, highlighting the biblical principle that God considers not only the external action but also the internal intention and knowledge. Abimelech, a pagan king, acts out of ignorance due to Abraham's deceit. His plea, "In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands," speaks to a profound understanding, or God-given intuition, of divine justice that accounts for the state of one’s conscience and intentions. God affirms this defense in the very next verse (Gen 20:6), demonstrating His mercy and His discerning judgment, which distinguishes between willful transgression and actions committed unwittingly or due to another’s deception. This passage teaches us that while actions have consequences, God's perfect justice weighs the purity of one's motives, offering a precedent for dealing with sin committed in ignorance. It underscores God's faithfulness to His covenant people by protecting Sarah even when Abraham failed, and His fairness even to those outside the covenant who act with a pure heart.