Year of the Bible
Genesis 20
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Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 20:
As Abraham and Sarah journey, they meet King Abimelech. In a repeat of events in Egypt (12:10-20), the king he wants Sarah for his harem. This is disastrous, for God threatens the King’s life, and no one in his household is able to conceive. Abimelech protests his innocence, Sarah remains unharmed, and Abraham leaves with material wealth. After Abraham’s intercession, children are once again born in the kingdom. The fact Sarah remained untouched by the King is important for the next chapter.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 20:
Abraham and Sarah at Gerar
1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her; so he said, “Lord, will you slay an innocent people? 5 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.” 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. 7 Now then restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours.”
8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told them all these things; and the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12 Besides she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 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.’ ” 14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham, and restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; it is your vindication in the eyes of all who are with you; and before every one you are righted.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
Lord, grant me the humility to admit when I've hurt others by my actions, wittingly or unwittingly. Is there anyone in my life that you are calling me to make amends with today?
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Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
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Abrahán se trasladó desde allí
a la región del Négueb, y se estableció
entre Cadés y Sur; luego fue a
habitar a Guerar. 2 Y decía Abrahán de
Sara, su mujer:
–Ésta es mi hermana.
Entonces Abimélec rey de Guerar
mandó a buscar a Sara y la tomó para
sí. 3 Pero por la noche Dios se presentó a
Abimélec en un sueño y le dijo:
–Vas a morir a causa de la mujer que
has tomado para ti, pues es una mujer
casada.
4 Sin embargo, Abimélec, que no se
había acercado a ella, respondió:
–Mi Señor, ¿es que vas a matar también
al inocente? 5 ¿Acaso él no me dijo
que era su hermana, y ella misma confirmó
que él era su hermano? Yo lo hice
con rectitud de corazón y manos inocentes.
6 Dios le contestó en el sueño: –También sé que hiciste esto con
rectitud de corazón, y yo mismo te he
impedido pecar contra mí; por eso no
te he permitido tocarla. 7 Ahora devuelve
la esposa a su marido; él es un profeta
y rezará por ti y vivirás; pero si no se
la devuelves, ten por seguro que morirás,
tú y todos los tuyos.
8 Muy de mañana, Abimélec se levantó,
llamó a todos sus siervos, les contó
todas estas cosas y los hombres se llenaron
de miedo. 9 Entonces Abimélec
llamó a Abrahán y le dijo:
–¿Qué nos has hecho? ¿En qué te he
ofendido para que me hayas expuesto a
mí y a mi reino a un pecado tan grande?
Me has hecho cosas que no se deben
hacer.
10 Y Abimélec preguntó a Abrahán:
–¿Qué pretendías al obrar de esta
forma?
11 Abrahán contestó:
–Solamente pensé que no encontraría
temor de Dios en este lugar, y que me
matarían a causa de mi esposa. 12 Además,
es verdad que era mi hermana por parte
de padre, pero no por parte de madre,
cuando la tomé por esposa. 13 Y así cuando
Dios me hizo salir errante de casa
de mi padre, le dije a ella: «Vas a hacerme
este favor: en todos los lugares a los
que vayamos dirás que soy tu hermano».
14 Entonces Abimélec tomó ovejas,
vacas, siervos y siervas, y se los dio a
Abrahán; también le devolvió a Sara su
mujer. 15 Y dijo Abimélec:
–Aquí tienes mi tierra ante ti, habita
donde mejor te parezca.
16 Y le dijo a Sara:
–Mira, le he dado a tu hermano mil
monedas de plata, y esto te servirá de
resarcimiento ante los ojos de todos los
que están contigo, de modo que se te
haga absoluta justicia.
17 Abrahán oró a Dios, y Dios curó a
Abimélec, a su esposa y a sus esclavas,
quienes, entonces, pudieron tener hijos;
18 pues el Señor había cerrado el vientre
de todas ellas en casa de Abimélec a
causa de Sara, mujer de Abrahán.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
Señor, concédeme la humildad de admitir cuando he herido a otros con mis acciones, a conciencia o sin ella. ¿Hay alguien en mi vida con quien me llames a reconciliarme el día de hoy?
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para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).