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Genesis 20:2

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

Abraham told people that Sarah his wife was his sister. So Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her to his palace.

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife, calling her his sister instead, which led to the king taking her.

📚 Historical Context

This happened when Abraham and Sarah were traveling through Gerar, a Philistine territory in southern Canaan. In ancient Near Eastern culture, it was common for kings to take beautiful women for their harems, and Abraham feared he would be killed if the king knew Sarah was his wife. This is actually the second time Abraham used this deception - he had done the same thing earlier in Egypt.

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