Genesis 20:2

20:2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

Genesis 20:5

20:5 Did Abraham ¹  not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ²  ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience ³  and with innocent hands!”

Genesis 20:12-13

20:12 What’s more, ⁴  she is indeed my sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my wife. 20:13 When God made me wander ⁵  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ⁶  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

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¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Heb “and she, even she.”

³ tn Heb “with the integrity of my heart.”

⁴ tn Heb “but also.”

⁵ tn 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.”

⁶ tn Heb “This is your loyal deed which you can do for me.”