For a second time Abraham finds himself an alien in a foreign land, with Sarah by his side (see chap. 12). And for a second time he resorts to deceit. He again asks Sarah to identify herself as his sister. This time he is in Gerar, a city of the Philistines, and the king is Abimelek. On this occasion Abraham does not draw attention to Sarah’s striking beauty as he did in 12:11, but this is almost twenty-five years later.

Unlike chapter 12, which presents a case of actual adultery, this chapter deals with potential adultery. Sarah is taken, but before Abimelek can cohabit with her, God speaks to him in a dream. Three times in the Bible God appears to non-Israelites in order to warn them against carrying out their intentions: here, Genesis 31:24 (Laban), and Numbers 22:12 (Balaam). This part …