Genesis 12: 1-18

Sharon Ra

CB 39 Essay #1

“She’s not my wife, she’s my sister.” There are many interpretations of the different stories in the Bible that often do not agree with each other. From ancient interpreters who believe that the Bible is written from the account of one person to modern scholars who believe that the Bible is written from various accounts, the Bible can be viewed in multiple ways. One of the stories that are placed under scrutiny is the “She’s not my wife, she’s my sister” narrative. The passages that fall under this narrative are Genesis 12:10-20, Genesis 20:1-18, and Genesis 26:1-11. When analyzed, these passages appear to be parallels to each other (Jewish Study Bible 42). While some may argue that these passages are variations on

In Genesis 12, the names Abram, Sarai, and Pharaoh are used; while in Genesis 20, the names Abraham, Sarah, and King Abimelech are used. The fact that different versions of the name Abraham and Sarah are used strongly supports the argument that these passages are all three different events that occurred in the Bible. The names Abram and Sarai signify that the particular event occurred prior to the establishment of the covenant between God and Abraham. It is in Genesis 17 that God solidifies His covenant with Abram; therefore, changing Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s to Sarah. The usage of the names Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 20 reveals that that specific event occurred after Abraham knows God, thus, making Genesis 12 and 20 two different and separate events. In Genesis 26, it is instead Abraham’s son, Isaac, his wife, and Abimelech of the Phillistines who are the main characters. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah, so Genesis 26 must have occurred after Genesis 12 and

Genesis 12 names this culprit as the Pharaoh while Genesis 20 refers to him as King Abimelech (who is the king of Gerar). It is also important to note that in one story, the marriage was consummated while in the other it was not. In Genesis 12, it is presumed that Sarai and the Pharaoh did have sexual relations because it states in Genesis 12, “But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his household with mighty plagues on account of Sarai, the wife of Abram” (Jewish Study Bible 31). The Lord already punished the Pharaoh and his household, and it’s assumed that this is due to the fact that sexual relations did exist. There is no mention of these “mighty plagues” of being taken away or relieved, so the crime must have already been committed. On the other hand, in Genesis 20, King Abimelech did not touch Sarah at all. This is made clear within the passage when the Bible states, “‘I knew that you did this with a blameless heart, and so I kept you from sinning against Me. That was why I did not let you touch her’” (Jewish Study Bible 43). God had punished Abimelech’s family by closing all of the women’s and slaves’ wombs, but this punishment was taken away when Abraham prayed for the