Ch. XX.—Abraham and Sarah at the Court of Gerar (E).
The chapter deals with an incident closely similar to that recorded in 1210-20. It is indeed impossible to doubt that the two are variants of the same tradition; a view which is confirmed rather than shaken by Strack's enumeration of petty differences. A close comparison (see p. 364 f. below) appears to show that the passage before us is written from a more advanced ethical standpoint than that represented by ch. 12: note the tendency to soften the harsher features of the incident (4. 6. 16), and to minimise the extent of Abraham's departure from strict veracity.
Source.—The narrative is the first continuous excerpt from E; and
contains several stylistic and other peculiarities of that document: esp.
(
Hebrew characters)[(Hebrew characters)], 3. 6. 11. 13. 17 (18 (Hebrew characters) is a gloss); (Hebrew characters) (J (Hebrew characters)), 17; (Hebrew characters) (J (Hebrew characters)), 5; see
also the notes on (Hebrew characters), 5; (Hebrew characters), 2. 13; (Hebrew characters), 6; (Hebrew characters), 12 (cf. Di. 279; Ho.
159; Gu. 193).—The appearing of God in a dream is characteristic of
E; and the conception of Abraham as a prophet (7) is at least foreign
to the original J (but see on 151). Another circumstance proving the
use of a source distinct from Jh or P is that Sarah is here conceived as
a young woman capable of inspiring passion in the king (ct. 1812 1717).
Lastly, it is to be observed that ch. 20 is the beginning of a section
(20-22) mainly Elohistic, representing a cycle of tradition belonging to
the Negeb and, in particular, to Beersheba.
1, 2. Introductory notice.—The method of the narrator,
Gu. points out, is to let the story unfold itself in the colloquies
which follow, vv.1f. containing just enough to make
these intelligible.—1. the land of the Negeb] see on 129.—between Ḳādēsh (147) and Shûr (167) would be in the extreme
S of the Negeb, if not beyond its natural limits. The words
(Hebrew characters) (note the paronomasia) are not a nearer specification
of the previous clause, but introduce a new fact,—a
further stage of the patriarch's wanderings. There is therefore
no reason to suppose that Gĕrār lay as far S as Ḳadesh
1. (Hebrew characters)] see 112.—(Hebrew characters)] (Hebrew characters) only 2462, Jos. 1519, Ju. 115 (J), Nu.
1329 (E?).—(Hebrew characters)] (1019 261. 6. 17 [(Hebrew characters)], 20. 26, 2 Ch. 1412f.[*]) G (Greek characters),
S (Syriac characters); commonly identified, on the authority of OS, 24028ff. ((Greek characters)),
with the modern Umm Ǧerār ('place
of water-pots'), 6 miles SSE of Gaza (so Rowlands, Holy City, i. 464;
Robinson [who did not find the name], BR, ii. 43 f. [cf. i. 189], Ho. Gu.
