## Sforno on Genesis Chapter 20

###### Sforno on Genesis 20:1:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:1:1)

**וַיֵּשֶׁב בֵּין קָדֵשׁ וּבֵין שׁוּר.** בֵּין שְׁתֵּי עֲיָרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת, כְּדֵי לִקְרֹא שָׁם בְּשֵׁם ה׳ אֵל עוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה אַחַר כָּךְ לְהַגְבִּיר בְּרִית לָרַבִּים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וישב בין קדש ובי שור, between 2 large cities, in order to have an opportunity to proclaim the holy name of G’d in both these cities, as he did later, the objective being to improve G’d’s image among mankind.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:3:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:3:1)

**וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ.** כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּלָבָן (בראשית לא:כד) וּבְבִלְעָם (במדבר כב:כד), וְלֹא נִזְכַּר בָּהֶם אָז "וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו" וְלֹא "מַרְאוֹת אֱלֹהִים" וְלֹא "דִּבּוּר", כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּזְכַּר בָּאָבוֹת וּבִשְׁאָר הַנְּבִיאִים, כְּאָמְרוֹ "בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע בַּחֲלוֹם אֲדַבֶּר בּוֹ" (במדבר יב:ו), כִּי אָמְנָם לֹא נִרְאָה הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּלָל אָז, אֲבָל בָּא אֲלֵיהֶם קוֹל אוֹמֵר בִּלְבַד.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויבא אלוקים אל אבימלך, this visitation was of a similar kind to that reported with Lavan (31,24) and Bileam (Numbers 22,24) respectively. The Torah refrains from speaking about a מחזה, “a vision,” in order not to place these wicked people on a pedestal similar to our patriarchs. The expression דבור to describe a verbal communication to these individuals is also absent, G’d having reserved such an expression for communications with prophets, as He pointed out to Miriam and Aaron in Numbers 12,6. Avimelech did not experience a visual image of G’d in his dream at all. He perceived a divine voice addressing him.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:3:2
[Sforno on Genesis 20:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:3:2)

**הִנְּךָ מֵת.** הִנְּךָ הוֹלֵךְ וְכָלֶה בַּחוֹלִי שֶׁהִתְחִיל בְּךָ, **כִּי עָצֹר עָצַר ה׳**:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הנך מת, the impotence which you experienced (verse 18) will result in your death.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:4:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:4:1)

**הֲגוֹי גַּם צַדִּיק תַּהֲרֹג.** הַאֻמְנָם רָאוּי שֶׁתַּשְׁחִית הַגּוֹי בַּהֲרִיגַת מַלְכּוֹ, וְשֶׁתַּהֲרֹג הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁהוּא צַדִּיק בָּזֶה שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא?

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הגוי גם צדיק, is it fair that You would kill a nation by killing its king, especially when this king is not even guilty of a mortal offence?


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:7:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:7:1)

**וְעַתָּה הָשֵׁב אֶת אֵשֶׁת הָאִישׁ.** בְּטֶרֶם שֶׁתִּכְלֶה בַּחוֹלִי:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ועתה השב את אשת האיש, before you perish from the sickness.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:7:2
[Sforno on Genesis 20:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:7:2)

**וֶחְיֵה.** תֵּרָפֵא, כְּמוֹ "עַד חֱיוֹתָם" (יהושע ה:ח).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וחיה, and be healed and stay alive; we find a similar construction in Joshua 5,8 עד חיותם, “until they have been healed.”


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:7:3
[Sforno on Genesis 20:7:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:7:3)

**אַתָּה וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ.** הַוְּלָדוֹת בִּמְעֵי אִשְׁתְּךָ וְאַמְהוֹתֶיךָ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אתה וכל אשר לך, all the fetuses whose progress had been arrested within their mothers’ wombs.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:9:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:9:1)

**מַעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵעָשׂוּ.** לִגְרֹם הֶזֵּק לְאִישׁ לֹא יְדַעְתּוֹ קֹדֶם לָכֵן, וְאֵין לְךָ אֵיבָה עִמּוֹ, וְכָל זֶה בִּלְתִּי תּוֹעַלְתְּךָ, וְאֵין דֶּרֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
**Deeds that ought not to be done.** You brought harm to a stranger with whom you had no prior relationship of enmity, and without profit to yourself.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:11:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:11:1)

**רַק אֵין יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה.** אֵין מוֹרָא מַלְכוּת, כִּי אָמְנָם סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים לֹא הָיוּ מְלָכִים גְּמוּרִים נוֹרָאִים בָּעָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוֹרָה גָּלְיָת בְּאָמְרוֹ "הֲלֹא אָנֹכִי הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי וְאַתֶּם עֲבָדִים לְשָׁאוּל" (שמואל א יז:ח).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
רק אין יראת אלוקים במקום הזה, there is no respect for the government’s authority. The Philistines did not have kings, but their political leaders were known as סרנים, as we know from the story of Goliath, who was a law unto himself due to his personal strength and was not subject to the authority of such סרנים. Compare Goliath’s boast הלא אנכי הפלשתי ואתם עבדים לשאול, “am I not the Philistine, whereas you are slaves of Sha-ul.” (Samuel I 17,8)


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:12:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:12:1)

**וְגַם אָמְנָה.** וְגַם אַתָּה הַמֶּלֶךְ הַצַּדִּיק בָּהֶם חָטָאתָ בָּזֶה שֶׁלָּקַחְתָּ הָאִשָּׁה בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁהִיא **אֲחֹתִי**, שֶׁהָיָה לְךָ לִשְׁאֹל אִם הִיא גַּם כֵּן אִשְׁתִּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִיא בֶּאֱמֶת אֲחוֹתִי וְאִשְׁתִּי:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וגם אמנה, also you, the king himself, have sinned in taking the woman because I said she is my sister for you should have asked me if she was also my wife. The fact is that she is both my sister and my wife.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:13:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:13:1)

**הִתְעוּ אֹתִי אֱלֹהִים.** בְּסִבַּת עֲבוֹדַת גִּלּוּלִים שֶׁמָּאַסְתִּי, הֻצְרַכְתִּי לָצֵאת מִבֵּית אָבִי אֶל אֲשֶׁר לֹא אֵדַע, לֹא לְמָקוֹם מְכֻוָּן מֵאִתִּי, וּבָזֶה יִקָּרֵא תּוֹעֶה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
התעו אותי אלוקים, on account of the various alien gods which I despise I have been forced to leave my father’s house and to travel to areas I did not know, not to places of my own choice. This is why he described himself as תועה, someone who wanders, does not have a fixed destination.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:16:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:16:1)

**הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶלֶף כֶּסֶף לְאָחִיךְ.** לְמֹהַר כְּמִנְהַג לוֹקֵחַ בַּת אִישׁ אוֹ אֲחוֹתוֹ לְאִשָּׁה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הנה נתתי אלף כסף לאחיך, as dowry, as was the custom for any groom marrying the daughter or sister of a man.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:16:2
[Sforno on Genesis 20:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:16:2)

**הִנֵּה הוּא לָךְ כְּסוּת עֵינַיִם.** מַלְבּוּשׁ שֶׁל כַּמָּה גְּוָנִים שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹבְשׁוֹת הַנָּשִׁים לְכָבוֹד, כִּי אָמְנָם הַמֹּהַר שֶׁנָּתַתִּי מוֹרֶה עַל כְּבוֹדֵךְ, שֶׁלֹּא לְקַחְתִּיךְ לְזוֹנָה וְלֹא לְפִילֶגֶשׁ, אֲבָל לְקַחְתִּיךְ לְאִשָּׁה, וְלֹא עֲזַבְתִּיךְ כָּל כָּךְ מְהֵרָה לוּלֵי ה' שֶׁהָיָה לָךְ וְהֻצְרַכְתִּי לְהַחֲזִירֵךְ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הנה לך כסות עינים, clothing consisting of a variety of colours which women used to wear as a mark of distinction. The dowry he gave her brother was intended to show that he did not consider her a whore but someone reputable, and that he did not mean her to be his concubine but his regular wife. Also, he meant that he would not have let Sarah go so easily except for Divine intervention which forced him to let her go.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:16:3
[Sforno on Genesis 20:16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:16:3)

**לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ.** לְעֵינֵי כָּל אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ וּבְנֵי בֵיתֵךְ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לכל אשר אתך, before the eyes of everybody, so that they know in your household that everything is above board.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:16:4
[Sforno on Genesis 20:16:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:16:4)

**וְאֵת כֹּל וְנוֹכָחַת.** וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל שׁוֹמֵעַ וּבְעֵינֵי כֹּל נוֹכַחַת, שֶׁתְּבַקֵּשׁ אוּלַי לִגְנוּתֵךְ כְּמִנְהַג הַנָּשִׁים הַמּוֹכִיחוֹת וּמְגַנּוֹת זוֹ אֶת זוֹ בְּמִילֵי דְּעֶרְוָה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואת כל ונוכחת, and you will be perceived exonerated in every respect even in the eyes of those who would have felt tempted to interpret what happened to you in a negative light, reflecting discredit upon you.


###### Sforno on Genesis 20:18:1
[Sforno on Genesis 20:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/20:18:1)

**כִּי עָצֹר עָצַר ה' בְּעַד כָּל רֶחֶם.** לְהָמִית הַתּוֹלָדוֹת אִם לֹא הָיָה אֲבִימֶלֶךְ שָׁב בִּתְשׁוּבָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִתְרָה בּוֹ בְּאָמְרוֹ **דַּע כִּי מוֹת תָּמוּת אַתָּה וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ**:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי עצר עצר ה' בעד כל רחם, to kill their (unborn) offspring if Avimelech would not display remorse and penitence. G’d had warned him specifically that not only his own life was at risk (verse 7)