Abimelech (Genesis 20)

Abimelech (Genesis 20) is a king living at the time of the Patriarchs. He is named in 23 verses of the Bible, first in Genesis 20:2.

Verses

Genesis

• Genesis 20:2
  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
• Genesis 20:3
  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.One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
• Genesis 20:4
  But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?
• Genesis 20:8
  Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified.
• Genesis 20:9
  Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
• Genesis 20:10
  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”
• Genesis 20:14
  And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.
• Genesis 20:15
  And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”
• Genesis 20:17
  So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—
• Genesis 20:18
  For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.
• Genesis 21:22
  And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.
• Genesis 21:25
  And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized,
• Genesis 21:26
  And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”
• Genesis 21:27
  And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.
• Genesis 21:29
  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”
• Genesis 21:32
  Thus they made a covenant at Beer–sheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.After they had made the covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army got up and returned to the land of the Philistines.
• Genesis 26:1
  And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
• Genesis 26:8
  And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
• Genesis 26:9
  And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
• Genesis 26:10
  And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
• Genesis 26:11
  And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
• Genesis 26:16
  And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Depart from us, for you are much too powerful for us.”
• Genesis 26:26
  Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Phichol the chief captain of his army.Later, Abimelech came to Isaac from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.

Notes

1. Names, family links and verses from STEPBible's Translators Individualised Proper Names (TIPNR), STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0.
2. Where several people share a name, which verses belong to which person, and the family links, follow STEPBible's identifications; some are uncertain and are marked so.