Genesis 20:6
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While God acknowledges Abimelech's good intentions, He clarifies that His intervention, not Abimelech's own power, was the reason Sarah wasn't touched. This highlights God's active role in restraining sin, even in those who are otherwise upright.
After Abraham and Sarah had settled in Gerar, Abraham, out of fear, told everyone that Sarah was his sister, leading King Abimelech to take her for himself. God then intervened in a dream, warning Abimelech that he would die because he had taken a married woman, but acknowledging Abimelech's own lack of sinful intent. God clarified that He Himself had prevented Abimelech from actually consummating the marriage, thus preserving Sarah's honor and Abraham's integrity.
Have you ever done something with good intentions, only to have it misunderstood or lead to trouble? This verse speaks directly to that.
In this dream, God affirms Abimelech's good heart. Even though Abimelech mistakenly took Sarah, God sees beyond the outward action to the inward motive. He acknowledges that Abimelech acted 'in the integrity of your heart.' This highlights a crucial aspect of God's perspective: He looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Abimelech wasn't driven by lust or malice, but by a misunderstanding based on what Abraham himself had said. God’s recognition of this integrity doesn’t excuse the mistake, but it reveals God’s grace in acknowledging genuine, though imperfect, motives.
Have you ever felt an unseen force holding you back from doing something wrong? That might be God’s hand at work.
The verse reveals that God’s involvement wasn't just about knowing Abimelech's heart; it was about actively preventing sin. God states, 'it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her.' This demonstrates God’s sovereign grace. He doesn’t just stand by when we're on the verge of sin; He intervenes. This restraint can come through various means: a nudge on our conscience, a providential obstacle, or even a spiritual check. It’s a powerful reminder that our ability to avoid sin is ultimately a gift from God, not solely our own willpower.
Understand the original words
tummah · Hebrew Noun
A quality of moral completeness, wholeness, and sincerity. It refers to a heart that is undivided and honest in its intentions before God.
chata · Hebrew Verb
To miss the mark or fail to conform to God’s standard of righteousness. It involves missing the goal of divine law and purpose, often resulting in moral fault.
This event highlights God's protective hand not only over His chosen people but also over the innocent surrounding them, intervening even when human actions are flawed and deceitful.
c. 1800 BC— this verse
Abraham sojourns in Gerar
Abraham and Sarah travel to the region of Gerar and stay in the city. Abraham, fearing for his life, tells the people that Sarah is his sister, not his wife, a deception he had used before in Egypt.
c. 1800 BC
Abimelech takes Sarah
King Abimelech of Gerar hears of Sarah and takes her into his harem, intending to make her his wife. He is unaware she is already married.
c. 1800 BC
God warns Abimelech in a dream
God appears to Abimelech in a dream, revealing that Sarah is Abraham's wife and that Abimelech will die for taking her. God also reveals that he had already prevented Abimelech from touching her.
c. 1800 BC
Abimelech confronts Abraham
Abimelech calls Abraham to account for his deception, questioning why he endangered Abimelech and his kingdom. He also returns Sarah to Abraham.
This passage shows a similar situation where Isaac, like Abraham, feared for his life due to his wife's beauty and claimed she was his sister, leading to the same king (Abimelech, or his son also named Abimelech) almost sinning against God by taking Rebekah. God again intervenes to protect Rebekah and warn the king, highlighting a pattern of God protecting the innocent and preserving His promises.
Psalm 51:4This Psalm, David's confession after his sin with Bathsheba, states, 'Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.' This echoes the Genesis passage where Abimelech's near-sin is framed as being against God, emphasizing that all sin, regardless of the immediate human victim, is ultimately an offense against the Creator.
1 Corinthians 10:13This verse assures believers that 'God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.' This parallels God's action in Genesis 20:6, where He actively 'withheld' Abimelech from sinning, demonstrating His power to protect and provide an escape from temptation.
Romans 2:14-15This passage speaks of Gentiles who 'do by nature what the law requires' and show 'the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness.' Abimelech's integrity, recognized by God, reflects this innate moral law, showing that even those without the written Mosaic Law could possess a heart that, by God's grace, acted justly.
gillGenesis 20:6: "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."
And God said unto him in a dream,.... The same dream continued: yea, or "also" I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; not only thou knowest, but I, who know all things, know and acknowledge that this was so done by thee. Abimelech's plea is admitted, and a very great tes…
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…
While God acknowledges Abimelech's good intentions, He clarifies that His intervention, not Abimelech's own power, was the reason Sarah wasn't touched. This highlights God's active role in restraining sin, even in those who are otherwise upright.
After Abraham and Sarah had settled in Gerar, Abraham, out of fear, told everyone that Sarah was his sister, leading King Abimelech to take her for himself. God then intervened in a dream, warning Abimelech that he would die because he had taken a married woman, but acknowledging Abimelech's own lack of sinful intent. God clarified that He Himself had prevented Abimelech from actually consummating the marriage, thus preserving Sarah's honor and Abraham's integrity.
After Abraham and Sarah had settled in Gerar, Abraham, out of fear, told everyone that Sarah was his sister, leading King Abimelech to take her for himself. God then intervened in a dream, warning Abimelech that he would die because he had taken a married woman, but acknowledging Abimelech's own lack of sinful intent. God clarified that He Himself had prevented Abimelech from actually consummating the marriage, thus preserving Sarah's honor and Abraham's integrity.
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c. 1800 BC
God heals Abimelech's household
Abraham prays for Abimelech and his household, and God heals them. This event marks a significant reconciliation and underscores Abraham's prophetic role.
"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." — While God acknowledges Abimelech's good intentions, He clarifies that His intervention, not Abimelech's own power, was the reason Sarah wasn't touched. This highlights God's active role in restrainin…
