Genesis 20 · Verse 1

Genesis 20:1

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
Genesis 20:1, King James Version

Genesis 20:1 in other translations

BSBNow Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,
WEBAbraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He lived as a foreigner in Gerar.
ASVAnd Abraham journeyed from thence toward the land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar.
YLTAnd Abraham journeyeth from thence toward the land of the south, and dwelleth between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourneth in Gerar;
DARBYAnd Abraham departed thence towards the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned at Gerar.
BBEAnd Abraham went on his way from there to the land of the South, and was living between Kadesh and Shur, in Gerar.
WebsterAnd Abraham journeyed from thence towards the south country, and dwelt between Kadash and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

What does Genesis 20:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Ge 20:1-18. Abraham's Denial of His Wife.

1. Abraham journeyed from thence ... and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur--Leaving the encampment, he migrated to the southern border of Canaan. In the neighborhood of Gerar was a very rich and well-watered pasture land.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Abraham leaves Mamre, and, after having sojourned at Kadesh and Shur, settles in Gerar, Gen 20:1. Abimelech takes Sarah, Abraham having acknowledged her only as his sister, Gen 20:2. Abimelech is warned by God in a dream to restore Sarah, Gen 20:3. He asserts his innocence, Gen 20:4, Gen 20:5. He is farther warned, Gen 20:6, Gen 20:7. Expostulates with Abraham, Gen 20:8-10. Abraham vindicates his conduct, Gen 20:11-13. Abimelech restores Sarah, makes Abraham a present of sheep, oxen, and male and female slaves, Gen 20:14; offers him a residence in any part of the land, Gen 20:15; and reproves Sarah, Gen 20:16. At the intercession of Abraham, the curse of barrenness is removed from Abimelech and his household, Gen 20:17, Gen 20:18. Verse 1 And Abraham journeyed - It is very likely that this holy man was so deeply affected with the melancholy prospect of the ruined cities, and not knowing what was become of his nephew Lot and his family, that he could no longer bear to dwell within sight of the place. Having, therefore, struck his tents, and sojourned for a short time at Kadesh and Shur, he fixed his habitation in Gerar, which was a city of Arabia Petraea, under a king of the Philistines called Abimelech, my father king, who appears to have been not only the father of his people, but also a righteous man.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 20:1-8
Crooked policy will not prosper: it brings ourselves and others into danger. God gives Abimelech notice of his danger of sin, and his danger of death for his sin. Every wilful sinner is a dead man, but Abimelech pleads ignorance. If our consciences witness, that, however we may have been cheated into a snare, we have not knowingly sinned against God, it will be our rejoicing in the day of evil. It is matter of comfort to those who are honest, that God knows their honesty, and will acknowledge it. It is a great mercy to be hindered from committing sin; of this God must have the glory. But if we have ignorantly done wrong, that will not excuse us, if we knowingly persist in it. He that does wrong, whoever he is, prince or peasant, shall certainly receive for the wrong which he has done, unless he repent, and, if possible, make restitution.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 20:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּסַּ֨עvai.yi.Sa'and he set outH5265
מִשָּׁ֤םmi.Shamfrom thereH8033
אַבְרָהָם֙'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
אַ֣רְצָה'Ar.tzah[the] land of towardsH776
הַנֶּ֔גֶבha.Ne.gevthe NegevH5045
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he dweltH3427
בֵּין\־bein-betweenH996
קָדֵ֖שׁka.DeshKadeshH6946
וּבֵ֣יןu.Veinand betweenH996
שׁ֑וּרShurShurH7793
וַיָּ֖גָרvai.Ya.gorand he sojournedH1481
בִּגְרָֽר\׃big.Rarin GerarH1642

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 20:1

  • Genesis 26:6

    And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:

  • 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.

  • Psalms 29:8

    The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.

  • 2 Chronicles 14:13-14

    And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil. And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

  • Genesis 18:1

    And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

  • Genesis 13:1

    And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

  • Numbers 20:16

    And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard our voice, and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt: and, behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border:

  • Numbers 13:26

    And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

  • Genesis 10:19

    And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

  • Genesis 24:62

    And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai–roi; for he dwelt in the south country.

  • Genesis 26:20

    And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.

  • Deuteronomy 32:51

    Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah–Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Abraham sojourns at Gerar.
2 Denies his wife, who is taken by Abimelech.
3 Abimelech is reproved for her in a dream.
9 He rebukes Abraham.
14 Restores Sarah;
16 and reproves her.
17 Abimelech and his family are healed at Abraham's prayer.

A.M. cir. 2107. B.C. cir. 1897. from.
13:1; 18:1; 24:62
Kadesh.
14:7; 16:1,7,14; Nu 13:26; 20:16; De 1:19; 32:51; 1Sa 15:7; Ps 29:8
Gerar.Gerar was a city of Arabia Petræa, under a king of the Philistines, 25 miles from Eleutheropolis beyond Daroma, in the south of Judah. From ch. 10:19, it appears to have been situated in the angle where the south and west sides of Canaan met, and to have been not far from Gaza. Jerome, in his Hebrew Traditions on Genesis, says, from Gerar to Jerusalem was three days' journey. There was a wood near Gerar, spoken of by Theodoret; and a brook, (ch. 26:26,) on which was a monastery, noticed by Sozomen.
10:19; 26:1,6,20,26; 2Ch 14:13,14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 20:1

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

  • Genesis 20:2

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

Read all of Genesis 20

Genesis 20:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		DE allí partió Abraham á la tierra del Mediodía, y asentó entre Cades y Shur, y habitó como forastero en Gerar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et Abraham s’en alla de là au pays du midi, et habita entre Kadès et Shur, et séjourna à Guérar.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Abraham brach auf von dannen nach dem Lande des Südens und wohnte zwischen Kades und Sur; und er hielt sich auf zu Gerar.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Profectus inde Abraham in terram australem, habitavit inter Cades et Sur: et peregrinatus est in Geraris.