2tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

3tn Heb “came.”

4tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.

5tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

6tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here is אֲדֹנָי (’adonay).

7tn Apparently Abimelech assumes that God’s judgment will fall on his entire nation. Some, finding the reference to a nation problematic, prefer to emend the text and read, “Would you really kill someone who is innocent?” See E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 149.

8tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

9tn Heb “and she, even she.”

10tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

11tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”

12tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”

13tn Heb “therefore.”

14tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.

15sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.

16tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.

sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.

17tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.

18tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.

19tn Heb “And Abimelech rose early in the morning and he summoned.”

20tn The verb קָרָא (qara’) followed by the preposition לְ (lamed) means “to summon.”

21tn Heb “And he spoke all these things in their ears.”

22tn Heb “the men.” This has been replaced by the pronoun “they” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

23tn Heb “How did I sin against you that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin?” The expression “great sin” refers to adultery. For discussion of the cultural background of the passage, see J. J. Rabinowitz, “The Great Sin in Ancient Egyptian Marriage Contracts,” JNES 18 (1959): 73, and W. L. Moran, “The Scandal of the ‘Great Sin’ at Ugarit,” JNES 18 (1959): 280-81.

24tn Heb “Deeds which should not be done you have done to me.” The imperfect has an obligatory nuance here.

25tn Heb “And Abimelech said to.”

26tn Heb “What did you see that you did this thing?” The question implies that Abraham had some motive for deceiving Abimelech.

27tn Heb “Because I said.”

28tn Heb “over the matter of.”

29tn Heb “but also.”

30tn The Hebrew verb is plural. This may be a case of grammatical agreement with the name for God, which is plural in form. However, when this plural name refers to the one true God, accompanying predicates are usually singular in form. Perhaps Abraham is accommodating his speech to Abimelech’s polytheistic perspective. (See GKC 463 §145.i.) If so, one should translate, “when the gods made me wander.”

31tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”

32tn Heb “took and gave.”

33tn Heb “In the [place that is] good in your eyes live!”

34sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).

35sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).

36tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).

37tn In the Hebrew text the clause begins with “because.”

38tn Heb had completely closed up every womb.” In the Hebrew text infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

sn The Lord had closed up every womb. This fact indicates that Sarah was in Abimelech’s household for weeks or months before the dream revelation was given (20:6-7). No one in his household could have children after Sarah arrived on the scene.

39tn Heb “because of.” The words “he took” are supplied in the translation for clarity.