Genesis Chapter 20 verse 11 Holy Bible
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place. And they will slay me for my wife's sake.
read chapter 20 in ASV
And Abraham said, Because it seemed to me that there was no fear of God in this place, and that they might put me to death because of my wife.
read chapter 20 in BBE
And Abraham said, Because I said, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me for my wife's sake.
read chapter 20 in DARBY
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
read chapter 20 in KJV
And Abraham said, Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
read chapter 20 in WBT
Abraham said, "Because I thought, 'Surely the fear of God is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife's sake.'
read chapter 20 in WEB
And Abraham saith, `Because I said, `Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they have slain me for the sake of my wife;
read chapter 20 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 11. - And Abraham said (offering as his first apology for his sinful behavior the fear which he entertained of the depravity of the people), Because I thought, - literally, said (sc. in my heart) - Surely the fear of God is not in this place; - otherwise, there is not any fear of God, רק having usually a confirming sense with reference to what follows (cf. Deuteronomy 4:6; 1 Kings 14:8; vide Gesenius, p. 779) - and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(11) Surely the fear of God . . . --Abraham's general condemnation of the people had some excuse in the widespread depravity of the nations in Canaan, but was nevertheless unjust. Even as regards these nations, they were not utterly corrupt (Genesis 15:16), and both in Egypt and in Gerar the standard of morality was higher than Abraham supposed. His difficulty was the result of his own imperfect faith; but the fact that this artifice was arranged between man and wife when starting on their long wanderings, proves that they rather over-rated than under-rated the risks that lay before them. The expedient was indeed a sorry one, and shows that Abraham's faith was not yet that of a martyr; but it also shows that both of them felt that Abraham might have to save his life by a means almost as bad as death. And thus, after all, it was no common-place faith, but one as firm at root as it was sorely tried and exercised.
