Genesis 20

KJV · Capítulo 20/50

1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

3But 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.

4But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

5Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

6And 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.

7Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8Therefore 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.

9Then 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.

10And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.

12And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13And 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.

14And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

17So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

📖 Estudo do capítulo

Resumo

Abraão novamente diz que Sara é sua irmã, desta vez ao rei Abimeleque de Gerar, que a leva para si, mas Deus intervém em sonho e impede que ele a toque, e tudo se resolve com restituição e cura.

Explicação

Este episódio repete um padrão já visto no capítulo 12: o medo de Abraão o leva a recorrer novamente à meia-verdade sobre Sara ser sua 'irmã' (ela era, de fato, sua meia-irmã, filha do mesmo pai). O que chama atenção aqui é a integridade de Abimeleque, um rei pagão que age de boa-fé e é protegido por Deus antes mesmo de cometer o mal, mostrando que Deus cuida também de pessoas fora da aliança que agem com sinceridade de coração. Abraão, apesar de ser o portador da promessa divina, aparece de forma humana e falha, repetindo um erro do passado — um retrato realista de que até os grandes personagens da fé lutam com os mesmos medos mais de uma vez. A restituição de Abimeleque e a oração de cura feita por Abraão em favor dele mostram como o conflito termina em reconciliação e restauração.

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