Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Genesis 20:8
ESV So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid.
NIV Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid.
NASB So Abimelech got up early in the morning and called all his servants, and told all these things in their presence; and the people were greatly frightened.
CSB Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things, and the men were terrified.
NLT Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified.
KJV 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.

What does Genesis 20:8 mean?

Abimelech, king of Gerar, has taken Abraham's wife Sarah for his own wife. Abraham had said plainly that Sarah was his sister. Abimelech believed him. Apparently, some time passed during which God kept all of the women in Abimelech's household from bearing children and during which Abimelech, and possibly others, had become very ill (Genesis 20:17–18).

The previous verses describe a conversation between God and Abimelech in a dream. God said Abimelech would die for taking away another man's wife (Genesis 20:3). Abimelech said, truthfully, that he didn't know Sarah was married, and he had not yet touched her (Genesis 20:4–5). God agreed, stating that Abimelech and his household would live if he would return Sarah to Abraham and Abraham would pray for them (Genesis 20:6–7).

Now Abimelech gets up early in the morning and tells all his servants about the dream. Everyone is afraid. They believe, apparently, that God will do as He says. Their fear of God demonstrates more faith in Him than Abraham's fearful lie to Abimelech.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app:
BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit