Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Abraham's explanation reveals that while he didn't tell an outright lie, he deliberately omitted crucial information to deceive Abimelech. His statement highlights a common human tendency to rationalize actions by presenting only a partial truth when fear takes over.
Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Abraham is explaining to King Abimelech why he claimed his wife Sarah was his sister, a statement that led the king to take her, only for God to intervene and reveal she was married. Abraham clarifies that Sarah was his half-sister, sharing his father but not his mother, and that despite this familial connection, she had indeed become his wife. This statement attempts to justify his earlier deception by highlighting a partial truth while omitting the crucial fact that she was his spouse.
Abraham says Sarah is his sister, but also his wife. How can both be true? This wasn't a simple lie, but a strategic half-truth.
Abraham explains that Sarah was his half-sister. This means they shared the same father but had different mothers.
Abraham's actions reveal a deep-seated fear. Yet, even in his weakness, God steps in to protect Sarah and reveal His faithfulness.
Abraham’s primary motivation was fear for his life. He believed that the people in Gerar, lacking the 'fear of God,' would kill him to take Sarah.
Ask a follow-up
c. 2000 BC
Abraham's Call and Journey
God calls Abram (later Abraham) from Ur of the Chaldeans, promising to make him a great nation and bless the world through him. Abram begins a nomadic journey with his family, including his wife Sarai (later Sarah), who was his half-sister.
c. 1990 BC
Sojourn in Egypt
Famine forces Abraham and Sarah to sojourn in Egypt. To protect himself, Abraham claims Sarah is his sister, leading Pharaoh to take her into his household. God intervenes with plagues, prompting Pharaoh to return Sarah and allow Abraham to leave.
c. 1985 BC— this verse
Settlement in Gerar
Abraham moves his household to Gerar, a city in the land of the Philistines. He again claims Sarah is his sister, fearing the local people will kill him to take her.
c. 1985 BC
Divine Intervention and Revelation
God appears to King Abimelech in a dream, revealing that Sarah is Abraham's wife and warning that Abimelech will die for taking her. God had protected Abimelech from sinning by withholding him from touching her.
c. 1985 BC
Restoration and Blessing
Abimelech confronts Abraham, restores Sarah, and offers Abraham land and gifts. Abraham then prays for Abimelech and his household, and God heals them, allowing Sarah and other women to bear children.
This passage describes a very similar situation where Abraham, fearing for his life, tells people Sarah is his sister, leading to Pharaoh taking her, and God intervening.
Exodus 20:14The commandment 'You shall not commit adultery' directly addresses the sin that was narrowly averted in the story of Abraham and Sarah in Gerar, highlighting God's standard for sexual purity.
Romans 3:23This verse states that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,' which provides a theological framework for understanding even righteous figures like Abraham as imperfect and prone to failure.
James 5:16The explanation of Abimelech's healing through Abraham's prayer after God restored Sarah shows the power of prayer and the role of righteous individuals as intercessors, echoing the theme of seeking divine help through Abraham.
1 Corinthians 10:13This verse assures believers that God will not allow them to be tempted beyond what they can bear and will provide a way out, offering comfort and a reminder of God's faithfulness, even when His servants, like Abraham, faced severe tests and made poor choices.
clarkeGenesis 20:12: "And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife."
She is my sister - I have not told a lie; I have suppressed only a part of the truth. In this place it may be proper to ask, What is a lie? It is any action done or word spoken, whether true or false in itself, which the doer or speaker wishes the observer or hearer to take in a contrary sense to that which he knows to be true. It is, in a word, any acti…
calvinGenesis 20:1-18: "And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar."
Et dixit Abraham de Sarah uxore sua, Soror mea est. Et misit Abimelech rex Gerar, et accepit Sarah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
Et venit Jehova ad Abimelech in somnio noctis, et dixit et, Ecce es mortuus, propter uxor…
Abraham's explanation reveals that while he didn't tell an outright lie, he deliberately omitted crucial information to deceive Abimelech. His statement highlights a common human tendency to rationalize actions by presenting only a partial truth when fear takes over.
Abraham is explaining to King Abimelech why he claimed his wife Sarah was his sister, a statement that led the king to take her, only for God to intervene and reveal she was married. Abraham clarifies that Sarah was his half-sister, sharing his father but not his mother, and that despite this familial connection, she had indeed become his wife. This statement attempts to justify his earlier deception by highlighting a partial truth while omitting the crucial fact that she was his spouse.
Abraham is explaining to King Abimelech why he claimed his wife Sarah was his sister, a statement that led the king to take her, only for God to intervene and reveal she was married. Abraham clarifies that Sarah was his half-sister, sharing his father but not his mother, and that despite this familial connection, she had indeed become his wife. This statement attempts to justify his earlier deception by highlighting a partial truth while omitting the crucial fact that she was his spouse.
"Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife." — Abraham's explanation reveals that while he didn't tell an outright lie, he deliberately omitted crucial information to deceive Abimelech. His statement highlights a common human tendency to rational…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026