Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Cowardice » Instances of » Abraham, in calling his wife his sister
When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' They will kill me but let you live. Please say you're my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account." read more.
When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house. He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels. But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai. So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She's my sister,' so that I took her as my wife? Now, here's your wife. Take her and go!"
When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house. He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels. But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai. So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She's my sister,' so that I took her as my wife? Now, here's your wife. Take her and go!"
Abraham said about his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman." Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, "Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? read more.
Didn't he himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours." Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things; and the men were terrified. Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, "What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done." Abimelech also said to Abraham, "What did you intend when you did this thing?" Abraham replied, "I thought, 'There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.' Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
Didn't he himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours." Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things; and the men were terrified. Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, "What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done." Abimelech also said to Abraham, "What did you intend when you did this thing?" Abraham replied, "I thought, 'There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.' Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
Marriage » Consanguinous, abraham and sarah
Abram and Nahor took wives: Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”
Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, "What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done." Abimelech also said to Abraham, "What did you intend when you did this thing?" Abraham replied, "I thought, 'There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.' read more.
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. So when God had me wander from my father's house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go, and say about me: 'He's my brother.' " Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. Abimelech said, "Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you want." And to Sarah he said, "Look, I am giving your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated."
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. So when God had me wander from my father's house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go, and say about me: 'He's my brother.' " Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. Abimelech said, "Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you want." And to Sarah he said, "Look, I am giving your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated."
Nation » Involved in sins of rulers
Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?
Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
David's conscience troubled him after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I've done. Now, Lord, because I've been very foolish, please take away Your servant's guilt." When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the Lord had come to the prophet Gad, David's seer: "Go and say to David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three [choices]. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.' " read more.
So Gad went to David, told him [the choices], and asked him, "Do you want three years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, think it over and decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me." David answered Gad, "I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord's hands because His mercies are great, but don't let me fall into human hands." So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba 70,000 men died. Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord relented concerning the destruction and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough, withdraw your hand now!" The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, "Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand be against me and my father's family."
So Gad went to David, told him [the choices], and asked him, "Do you want three years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, think it over and decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me." David answered Gad, "I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord's hands because His mercies are great, but don't let me fall into human hands." So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba 70,000 men died. Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord relented concerning the destruction and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough, withdraw your hand now!" The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, "Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand be against me and my father's family."
This command was also evil in God's sight, so He afflicted Israel. David said to God, "I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, because I've been very foolish, please take away Your servant's guilt." Then the Lord instructed Gad, David's seer, read more.
"Go and say to David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three [choices]. Choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.' " So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the Lord says: 'Take your [choice]- either three years of famine, three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord-a plague on the land, the angel of the Lord bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.' Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me." David answered Gad, "I have great anxiety. Please, let me fall into the Lord's hands because His mercies are very great, but don't let me fall into human hands." So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died. Then God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but when the angel was about to destroy the city, the Lord looked, relented concerning the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying [the people], "Enough, withdraw your hand now!" The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. When David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell down with their faces [to the ground]. David said to God, "Wasn't I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? My Lord God, please let Your hand be against me and against my father's family, but don't let the plague be against Your people."
"Go and say to David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three [choices]. Choose one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.' " So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the Lord says: 'Take your [choice]- either three years of famine, three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord-a plague on the land, the angel of the Lord bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.' Now decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me." David answered Gad, "I have great anxiety. Please, let me fall into the Lord's hands because His mercies are very great, but don't let me fall into human hands." So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died. Then God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but when the angel was about to destroy the city, the Lord looked, relented concerning the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying [the people], "Enough, withdraw your hand now!" The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. When David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell down with their faces [to the ground]. David said to God, "Wasn't I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? My Lord God, please let Your hand be against me and against my father's family, but don't let the plague be against Your people."
Sarah » Also called sarai » Abraham represents her as his sister, and abimelech, king of gerar, takes her; she is restored to abraham by means of a dream
From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived in Gerar, Abraham said about his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman." read more.
Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, "Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? Didn't he himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours." Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things; and the men were terrified. Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, "What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done." Abimelech also said to Abraham, "What did you intend when you did this thing?" Abraham replied, "I thought, 'There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.' Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. So when God had me wander from my father's house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go, and say about me: 'He's my brother.' " Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him.
Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, "Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? Didn't he himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands." Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against Me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours." Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things; and the men were terrified. Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, "What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done." Abimelech also said to Abraham, "What did you intend when you did this thing?" Abraham replied, "I thought, 'There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.' Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. So when God had me wander from my father's house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go, and say about me: 'He's my brother.' " Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him.
Temptation » Instances of » Abimelech
Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”