Saadia · Bereshit 20
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- Bereshit 20:1
וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם אַבְרָהָם אַרְצָה הַנֶּגֶב וַיֵּשֶׁב בֵּין-קָדֵשׁ וּבֵין שׁוּר וַיָּגָר בִּגְרָר
. . .
Then Abraham journeyed from there to the land of the qibla (the south); and he settled between Rekem (Kadesh) and al-Ghafar (Shur); and he dwelt in al-Khalus (Gerar).
- Bereshit 20:2
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל-שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲחֹתִי הִוא וַיִּשְׁלַח אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מֶלֶךְ גְּרָר וַיִּקַּח אֶת-שָׂרָה
.
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife: 'She is my sister.' And Abimelech, king of al-Khalus (Gerar), sent and took her.
- Bereshit 20:3
וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל-אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּחֲלוֹם הַלָּיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הִנְּךָ מֵת עַל-הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר-לָקַחְתָּ וְהִוא בְּעֻלַת בָּעַל
. . . .
And the angel of God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night; and he said to him: 'Behold, you are a dead man, on account of the woman whom you have taken — for she is a man's wife.'
- Bereshit 20:4
וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ לֹא קָרַב אֵלֶיהָ וַיֹּאמַר--אֲדֹנָי הֲגוֹי גַּם-צַדִּיק תַּהֲרֹג
. . . .
And Abimelech had not come near her. And he said: 'O Lord, will You slay a righteous man?
- Bereshit 20:5
הֲלֹא הוּא אָמַר-לִי אֲחֹתִי הִוא וְהִיא-גַם-הִוא אָמְרָה אָחִי הוּא בְּתָם-לְבָבִי וּבְנִקְיֹן כַּפַּי עָשִׂיתִי זֹאת
. . .
Did he not say to me, "She is my sister" — and she too said, "He is my brother"? In the soundness of my heart and in the cleanness of my palms have I done this.'
- Bereshit 20:6
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאֱלֹהִים בַּחֲלֹם גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי בְתָם-לְבָבְךָ עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת וָאֶחְשֹׂךְ גַּם-אָנֹכִי אוֹתְךָ מֵחֲטוֹ-לִי עַל-כֵּן לֹא-נְתַתִּיךָ לִנְגֹּעַ אֵלֶיהָ
. . .
And the angel of God said to him in the dream: 'I, too, know that you did this in the soundness of your heart; therefore I held you back, by making it known to you, from sinning against Me; and therefore I did not let you draw near her.
- Bereshit 20:7
וְעַתָּה הָשֵׁב אֵשֶׁת-הָאִישׁ כִּי-נָבִיא הוּא וְיִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעַדְךָ וֶחְיֵה וְאִם-אֵינְךָ מֵשִׁיב--דַּע כִּי-מוֹת תָּמוּת אַתָּה וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר-לָךְ
. . . .
Now restore the man's wife — for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you shall live. And if you do not restore her, know that you shall perish, you and all that is yours.'
- Bereshit 20:8
וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקְרָא לְכָל-עֲבָדָיו וַיְדַבֵּר אֶת-כָּל-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים מְאֹד
. . .
And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his officials; and he spoke all these words to them; and the men were greatly afraid.
- Bereshit 20:10
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ אֶל-אַבְרָהָם מָה רָאִיתָ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ אֶת-הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה
.
And he said to him: 'What did you see, that you did this thing?'
- Bereshit 20:11
וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם כִּי אָמַרְתִּי רַק אֵין-יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וַהֲרָגוּנִי עַל-דְּבַר אִשְׁתִּי
. . .
Abraham said: 'I said, perhaps there is no fear of God in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.
- Bereshit 20:12
וְגַם-אָמְנָה אֲחֹתִי בַת-אָבִי הִוא--אַךְ לֹא בַת-אִמִּי וַתְּהִי-לִי לְאִשָּׁה
. .
And in truth, she is my relative on my father's side, but not on my mother's side; and she became my wife.
- Bereshit 20:13
וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְעוּ אֹתִי אֱלֹהִים מִבֵּית אָבִי וָאֹמַר לָהּ זֶה חַסְדֵּךְ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשִׂי עִמָּדִי אֶל כָּל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר נָבוֹא שָׁמָּה אִמְרִי-לִי אָחִי הוּא
. . . . .
And when God plucked me from my father's house, I said to her: "This is your kindness which you shall do with me: in every place to which we come, say of me, 'He is my brother.'"
- Bereshit 20:14
וַיִּקַּח אֲבִימֶלֶךְ צֹאן וּבָקָר וַעֲבָדִים וּשְׁפָחֹת וַיִּתֵּן לְאַבְרָהָם וַיָּשֶׁב לוֹ אֵת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ
. .
And Abimelech took sheep and cattle, male and female slaves, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored to him Sarah his wife.
- Bereshit 20:15
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲבִימֶלֶךְ הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ בַּטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֵׁב
. .
And Abimelech said: 'Behold, my land is before you; wherever is good for you, settle in it.'
- Bereshit 20:16
וּלְשָׂרָה אָמַר הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶלֶף כֶּסֶף לְאָחִיךְ--הִנֵּה הוּא-לָךְ כְּסוּת עֵינַיִם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ וְאֵת כֹּל וְנֹכָחַת
. . . .
And to Sarah he said: 'Behold, I have given your brother a thousand drachma; let it be for you as a fine covering for all who are with you; and behold — the whole is before you.'
- Bereshit 20:17
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אַבְרָהָם אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּרְפָּא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְאֶת-אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאַמְהֹתָיו--וַיֵּלֵדוּ
. .
Then Abraham called upon God; and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants; and they bore [children].
- Bereshit 20:18
כִּי-עָצֹר עָצַר יְהוָה בְּעַד כָּל-רֶחֶם לְבֵית אֲבִימֶלֶךְ עַל-דְּבַר שָׂרָה אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָהָם
. .
For God had threatened to shut up every womb of the house of Abimelech, on account of Sarah, the wife of Abraham.
English is a working draft — author revising