Genesis 20:13
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.”’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Abraham uses "caused me to wander," which is notable because the Hebrew verb form implies multiple agents, hinting at the complexity of God's guiding hand, even through unforeseen circumstances and external influences, in directing his life journey. This phrasing reveals that Abraham viewed his entire nomadic existence, not just this one instance, as divinely orchestrated, even when it meant leaving the security of his homeland.
Abraham is explaining to King Abimelech why he and Sarah have been telling people she is his sister. He recounts a long-standing agreement made when they first left their homeland, stating this was the established practice for their safety as they wandered. This explanation comes after God intervened in a dream to tell Abimelech he had taken Sarah, who was Abraham's wife, and that Abimelech would die for it.
Abraham mentions God 'caused me to wander.' What does it mean for God to 'cause' someone to wander? It wasn't aimless drifting, but a purposeful journey.
When Abraham says, 'God caused me to wander from my father's house,' he's looking back at his entire journey of faith. This wasn't about being lost; it was about God leading him.
A Life of Pilgrimage
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Abraham calls his request for Sarah to lie about their relationship 'your kindness.' This sounds more like self-preservation than affection. What does this reveal about their situation?
Abraham's request to Sarah—that she claim he is her brother—is framed as a 'kindness.' This isn't the typical understanding of kindness, which is usually selfless and loving. Here, it's born out of deep-seated fear and a pragmatic desire for survival.
Survival and Sisterhood
Understand the original words
chesed · Hebrew Noun
A covenantal term referring to steadfast, loyal, and faithful love. It often describes the active, self-sacrificing commitment God shows His people, or the loyalty expected within human relationships, especially those bound by covenant.
ta'ah · Hebrew Verb
To be made to stray, wander, or go astray. In a theological sense, it often describes God’s sovereign direction of an individual’s life, leading them away from familiar surroundings toward His ordained purpose, often through testing or movement.
Abraham's statement in Genesis 20:13 reveals a long-standing agreement with Sarah, formed when they first left home. This practice of Sarah posing as Abraham's sister was not a new scheme devised in Gerar but an old, desperate measure for survival rooted in Abraham's fear and distrust of those outside his covenant relationship with God.
c. 2090 BC
Abraham called from Ur
God calls Abraham from his homeland in Ur of the Chaldeans to go to a land God will show him. This marks the beginning of Abraham's nomadic life and a covenant relationship with God.
c. 2090 BC
Abraham sojourns in Egypt
During an earlier famine, Abraham and Sarah sojourn in Egypt. Abraham, fearing for his life, tells Sarah to say she is his sister, leading to Pharaoh taking her into his harem. God intervenes, and they leave Egypt with increased possessions.
c. 2080 BC
Abraham settles near Mamre
Abraham, now wealthy, settles with his nephew Lot near the oaks of Mamre in the land of Canaan. He builds an altar to the Lord.
c. 2080 BC— this verse
Abraham journeys to Gerar
Following the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and likely displaced by continuing famine or unrest, Abraham travels south and sojourns in the region of Gerar.
c. 2080 BC
Abimelech takes Sarah
In Gerar, Abraham again claims Sarah is his sister out of fear. King Abimelech takes Sarah into his harem, unaware she is Abraham's wife. God intervenes in a dream, revealing the truth and striking the women of Abimelech's household with barrenness.
c. 2080 BC
Restoration and Blessing
Abimelech confronts Abraham, restores Sarah, and provides gifts. Abraham prays for Abimelech and his household, and God heals them, allowing Sarah to conceive Isaac.
This passage shows the very first time Abraham and Sarah used this deception, highlighting that it was a recurring strategy born out of fear, not just a one-off event.
Exodus 22:21-22This law illustrates God's concern for foreigners and the vulnerable, demonstrating that the very fear driving Abraham's deception was contrary to the justice God required.
Hebrews 11:8This New Testament passage directly references Abraham's obedience in leaving his home without knowing where he was going, underscoring the 'wandering' aspect Abraham mentions.
Psalm 105:14-15This psalm reflects on God's protection of Abraham and Sarah, directly stating 'He rebuked kings on their account, saying, “Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm,”' which speaks to the divine intervention that often corrected Abraham's fears.
cambridgeGenesis 20:13: "And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother."
13 . God caused me to wander ] Referring to Genesis 12:1 . The Hebrew student will notice that the verb “caused me to wander” is in the plural, although, as a rule in the O.T., the word “God” ( Elohim ) is treated as sing. But it is sometimes the case that the plural…
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 uses "caused me to wander," which is notable because the Hebrew verb form implies multiple agents, hinting at the complexity of God's guiding hand, even through unforeseen circumstances and external influences, in directing his life journey. This phrasing reveals that Abraham viewed his entire nomadic existence, not just this one instance, as divinely orchestrated, even when it meant leaving the security of his homeland.
Abraham is explaining to King Abimelech why he and Sarah have been telling people she is his sister. He recounts a long-standing agreement made when they first left their homeland, stating this was the established practice for their safety as they wandered. This explanation comes after God intervened in a dream to tell Abimelech he had taken Sarah, who was Abraham's wife, and that Abimelech would die for it.
Abraham is explaining to King Abimelech why he and Sarah have been telling people she is his sister. He recounts a long-standing agreement made when they first left their homeland, stating this was the established practice for their safety as they wandered. This explanation comes after God intervened in a dream to tell Abimelech he had taken Sarah, who was Abraham's wife, and that Abimelech would die for it.
"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.”’”" — Abraham uses "caused me to wander," which is notable because the Hebrew verb form implies multiple agents, hinting at the complexity of God's guiding hand, even through unforeseen circumstances and e…
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