Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’
11. And Abraham said . There are two points contained in this answer. For, first, he confesses that he had been induced by fear to conceal his marriage. He then denies that he had lied for the purpose of excusing himself.
Abimelech, being thus warned of God in a dream, takes the warning, and, as one truly afraid of sin and its consequences, he rises early to obey the directions given him. I. He has a caution for his servants, Gen 20:8. Abraham himself could not be more careful than he was to command his household in this matter.
Commenting on Genesis 20:8-13
And Abraham said,.... In defence of himself, as well as he could: because I thought; within himself, concluding from the general depravity of the Canaanites, that this was the case of the inhabitants of Gerar: surely the fear of God is not in this place; this is a certain truth, which he thought might be depended upon, and taken for granted, since so it was...