“And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.”
My Notes
What Does Genesis 20:6 Mean?
Abimelech, the king of Gerar, had taken Sarah into his household after Abraham (again) claimed she was his sister. But God intervenes in a dream, and what he says to Abimelech is remarkable: "I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me."
God acknowledges Abimelech's innocence — he didn't know Sarah was married. But then God adds something stunning: "I also withheld thee." Abimelech's integrity was real, but it wasn't the whole story. God was actively restraining him from committing a sin whose consequences he couldn't foresee. God's protection of Sarah (and by extension, the covenant promise) operated through both Abimelech's character and God's sovereign intervention.
This verse reveals that God works through pagan kings to protect his purposes. Abimelech isn't part of the covenant community, yet God speaks to him directly, credits his integrity, and actively prevents him from crossing a line. God's providential care isn't limited to his covenant people — he can work through anyone.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Can you think of a time when a closed door might have actually been God withholding you from something harmful?
- 2.How does it change your perspective to know that God works through people who aren't part of the faith community?
- 3.What's the relationship between your integrity and God's sovereign protection — are they in tension or complementary?
- 4.How does this verse reshape how you interpret disappointments or 'failed' plans?
Devotional
There's something deeply reassuring about this verse: God withholds you from sins you don't even realize you're about to commit. Abimelech thought he was making a reasonable decision based on the information he had — and he was. His integrity was genuine. But behind the scenes, God was restraining him from a disaster he couldn't see coming.
How many times has this happened in your life without your knowledge? The opportunity that fell through, the relationship that didn't work out, the door that closed when you were pushing hard to open it. Maybe some of those weren't failures or bad luck — maybe they were God withholding you from a sin you didn't recognize.
The other beautiful thing here is God's fairness. Abimelech isn't part of Abraham's family. He doesn't worship the God of Abraham. Yet God appears to him, speaks to him directly, and acknowledges his integrity. God doesn't only interact with insiders. He is at work in the lives of people who don't even know his name, protecting purposes they aren't aware of.
This should make you both grateful and humble. Grateful because God's protection extends further than your awareness. Humble because your integrity, while real and valued by God, isn't the only thing keeping you from disaster. His sovereign restraint is doing work you'll never fully see.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And God said unto him in a dream,.... The same dream continued:
yea, or "also"
I know that thou didst this in the…
- Abraham in Gerar 2. אבימלך .2 'ǎbı̂ymelek, Abimelekh, “father of the king.” 7. נביא nābı̂y' “prophet,” he who speaks…
It appears by this that God revealed himself by dreams (which evidenced themselves to be divine and supernatural) not…
from sinning against me The violation of moral law is sin against God.
suffered I thee not The explanation of this…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture