Genesis 20:6 kjv

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

Genesis 20:6 nkjv

And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.

Genesis 20:6 niv

Then God said to him in the dream, "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.

Genesis 20:6 esv

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.

Genesis 20:6 nlt

In the dream God responded, "Yes, I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.

Genesis 20 verses

Genesis 20 6 Meaning

Genesis 20:6 describes God's direct communication with Abimelech in a dream. God acknowledges Abimelech's innocent intentions, confirming that he acted without knowing Sarah was Abraham's wife. Crucially, God states that He Himself intervened and physically prevented Abimelech from having sexual relations with Sarah, thereby preventing Abimelech from committing a direct sin against God. This verse reveals God's intimate knowledge of human hearts, His sovereign power to restrain sin, and His steadfast protection of His covenant and its promises, even when His chosen people act deceptively.

Genesis 20 6 Context

Genesis chapter 20 narrates Abraham's journey to Gerar, where he once again uses the deception of presenting Sarah, his wife, as his sister (a practice seen earlier in Gen 12). This deceptive act leads King Abimelech of Gerar to take Sarah into his household, intending to make her his wife. Before Abimelech can consummate the marriage, God intervenes. This intervention happens through a dream where God explicitly warns Abimelech of his impending death if he does not return Sarah, as she is a married woman. Abimelech protests his innocence, stating he acted with integrity and unaware of her marital status. Genesis 20:6 is God's direct response to Abimelech's defense, affirming his good intentions while also asserting divine preventative action. The larger context emphasizes God's faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham, protecting the lineage through which the promised seed would come, despite Abraham's repeated moral failings.

Genesis 20 6 Word analysis

• וַיֹּאמֶר (vai-yo-mer): "Then He said"

  • Significance: Introduces direct divine speech, emphasizing God's initiation of communication and His authority. This communication happens in a dream, a common ancient Near Eastern mode of divine revelation.

• אֱלֹהִים (Elohim): "God"

  • Significance: Refers to the singular, universal God, Creator and ultimate authority, demonstrating His involvement in human affairs, even those of a non-Israelite king.

• בַּחֲלוֹם (ba-cha-lom): "in the dream"

  • Significance: Highlights the supernatural nature of the encounter. God is not communicating indirectly or through natural events but directly reveals Himself through a prophetic dream, signaling an important divine message.

• גַּם־אָנֹכִי (gam-anochi): "Yes, I also"

  • Significance: The particle "gam" intensifies "I," implying a strong affirmation. God emphatically confirms Abimelech's prior declaration of integrity, validating Abimelech's subjective blamelessness in this particular instance.

• יָדַעְתִּי (yadati): "I know"

  • Significance: Denotes full and intimate knowledge, not mere observation. God knows the depths of Abimelech's heart and intentions, underscoring God's omniscience and ability to discern truth.

• כִּי בְּתָם־לְבָבְךָ (ki be-tam-levav'cha): "that in the integrity of your heart"

  • בְּתָם (be-tam): "in integrity" or "in blamelessness/completeness." Hebrew tam refers to completeness, soundness, or sincerity. It doesn't imply moral perfection in every aspect of life, but rather an uprightness in a specific situation, free from malice or hidden deceit regarding the action in question. Abimelech acted ignorantly regarding Sarah's marital status.
  • לְבָבְךָ (levav'cha): "your heart." In Hebrew anthropology, the heart is the seat of intellect, will, emotions, and moral decision-making. God knew Abimelech's pure intent based on the information he had.

• וָאֶחְשׂךְ (va-ekh-sok): "and I withheld / kept you"

  • Significance: This verb denotes active restraint or prevention. God's action was not passive; He proactively intervened to stop Abimelech. This demonstrates divine sovereignty over human actions.

• מֵחֲטוֹ־לִי (me-cha-to-li): "from sinning against Me"

  • חָטָא (chata): "to sin," to miss the mark.
  • לִי (li): "against Me." This phrase is critical. Abimelech's action would not merely have been an offense against Abraham, but a direct affront and transgression against God Himself. This elevates the gravity of the act, defining it as a breach of God's moral order, His design for marriage, and His protective plan for Abraham's lineage, the recipient of God's promises. It is reminiscent of Joseph's view of sexual sin in Gen 39:9.

• עַל־כֵּן (al-ken): "Therefore"

  • Significance: Establishes a cause-and-effect relationship. Because God wanted to prevent Abimelech from sinning against Him, He took specific action.

• לֹא־נְתַתִּיךָ לִנְגֹּעַ בָּהּ (lo-netati-kha linggoa ba): "I did not let you touch her."

  • לֹא־נְתַתִּיךָ (lo-netatikha): "I did not allow you / give you (to)." God explicitly states He did not grant permission or opportunity.
  • לִנְגֹּעַ (linggoa): "to touch," often used euphemistically for sexual intercourse. God specifically prevented the consummation of the relationship.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart": This phrase underscores God's absolute omniscience and discernment of inner motives. It acknowledges that human actions, when performed in ignorance, can be understood by God within their intended context. It provides comfort regarding divine justice but does not excuse willful sin.
  • "and it was I who kept you from sinning against Me": This highlights divine preventive grace. God is actively involved in restraining human evil and protecting His plan, even influencing those outside the covenant community. Sin, especially grave sexual or covenantal sin, is defined primarily as an offense against God Himself, emphasizing His supreme authority and holiness.
  • "Therefore I did not let you touch her": This reveals the concrete outworking of God's restraint. His protection of Sarah, and by extension the promised lineage, was not accidental but a deliberate act of divine intervention to avert specific physical and spiritual harm.

Genesis 20 6 Bonus section

• The parallel with Gen 12:17 (Pharaoh and Sarai) highlights God's consistent protection of His covenant, regardless of Abraham's repeated shortcomings in truthfulness. God does not allow His plan to be thwarted by human weakness or sin.
• Abimelech's initial concern and God's response suggest a broader knowledge or "fear of God" in certain non-Israelite cultures of the ancient Near East, challenging the idea that Yahweh was only known by Israel. There was a universal moral law etched on hearts (Rom 2:14-15) that God honored.
• The nature of "touching" (נָגַע - naga) is consistently seen as referring to sexual contact in similar biblical narratives involving such disputes.
• God's intervention emphasizes His meticulous care for the lineage through which the Redeemer would come, affirming that every detail of His redemptive plan is under His sovereign control and protection.
• This instance reinforces the doctrine of prevenient grace, where God acts prior to human initiative to draw, warn, or restrain.

Genesis 20 6 Commentary

Genesis 20:6 is a pivotal statement on divine sovereignty, moral integrity, and the nature of sin. God's immediate and direct intervention through a dream speaks to His omnipresence and intimate knowledge of all human affairs. He saw Abimelech's inner intentions, discerning that the king acted without malice, based on a belief that Sarah was indeed Abraham's unmarried sister. This shows God's perfect justice, distinguishing between ignorant transgression and willful defiance.

The verse profoundly declares God's active role in preventing sin: "it was I who kept you from sinning against Me." This concept of divine restraint is a key theological point. God's omnipotence extends to limiting evil, even in non-believers, to achieve His purposes. He prevented Abimelech from consummating the relationship with Sarah, thereby safeguarding the purity of the messianic line. This was not a passive observation but an active withholding of permission and opportunity, underscoring His sovereign control over circumstances.

Furthermore, the declaration "sinning against Me" (לִי - li) is vital. It shifts the primary offense from Abraham to God. Any action that corrupts His created order (marriage), jeopardizes His covenant promises (the lineage), or violates the sacredness associated with His chosen people is a direct affront to Him. This aligns with later biblical statements, like Joseph's confession (Gen 39:9) and David's penitent psalm (Psa 51:4), where personal transgressions are understood first and foremost as sins against the holy God. This demonstrates the high standard of God's law, even before the formal giving of the Mosaic covenant, showing an intrinsic moral order that is God-centered.

This passage teaches that even in our ignorance, God's grace and providential hand work to protect us and prevent others from falling into deeper sin that might violate His purposes. It serves as a reminder of God's unfailing commitment to His promises, even when human beings (Abraham in this case) fall short through fear or deception.

• Practical Usage:
  • Acknowledging God's invisible hand in moments of near-error, where one might have unknowingly committed a significant mistake, yet was divinely spared.
  • Recognizing that integrity of heart, even when incomplete or misinformed, is valued by God.
  • Understanding that ultimate accountability for actions, especially moral ones, is before God.