The Bible Book

GENESIS 47

wealth, servants, and livestock.

When God hears that Pharaoh has

taken Abraham’s wife as his own,

he inflicts plague on Pharaoh and

his household. Realizing he has

been lied to, Pharaoh summons

Abraham and asks him why he

pretended Sarah was his sister.

After an angry exchange, Pharaoh

commands Abraham and Sarah

to leave Egypt, yet he allows

Abraham to retain the riches he

has accumulated. Leaving Egypt,

Abraham, Sarah, and Lot head

toward the Negev.

Traditions and meanings

The biblical account of Abraham’s

life is rooted in oral traditions rather

than historical records, so no true

biography of Abraham can be

written. However, the story of

Abraham’s life is so central to

the fabric of the Bible that scholars

have long debated when Abraham

lived and what were the precise

circumstances of his existence.

One commonly held view is

that the story of Abraham’s journey

to Canaan was first related in

the early Persian period (late 6th

century bce) by Jewish landowners

defending their property in the

face of Jews returning to Judah

from their captivity in Babylon

(see pp. 128–31). They were keen to

trace the ownership of their lands

back to their “father Abraham” to

counter the land claims of the

returning exiles.

Many readers of Abraham’s

narrative are struck by the moral

ambiguity at its heart—Abraham’s

lie that Sarah is his sister instead

of his wife, which he tells in order

to preserve his own life. As if to

soften the blow of this deception,

the story later reveals that Sarah

is Abraham’s half-sister, as well as

his wife: “Besides, she really is my

sister, the daughter of my father”

(20:12). This means that Abraham’s

statement to the Egyptians can be

construed not only as a practical

measure to ensure his survival, but

also as a half-lie, or half-truth.

A merciful God

The ambiguities in the story also

serve to show God as a benevolent,

forgiving Lord. Later in the Bible,

all kinds of noble acts are ascribed

to Abraham (see pp. 50–53), but

here he is an ordinary man, an

example of how God’s work can

be carried out through anyone.

God allows Abraham to lie to the

Egyptians in order to save his life,

but punishes Pharaoh for taking

another man’s wife as his own.

Abraham is allowed to retain the

riches he has accumulated because

God is gracious and lenient.

Although God does not approve

of Abraham’s actions, He will not

rescind His promise or His blessing.

In order to understand the full

impact of God’s choice of Abraham

as such an important representative

on Earth, the reader must look

beyond his deception in Egypt

in the broader context of the

subsequent events in his life. ■

Nation will not lift up

sword against nation,

and never again will

they learn war.

Isaiah 2:4

God calls

Abraham to leave his

homeland and journey to

the land of Canaan.

God promises to

make Abraham’s

descendants into a

great nation.

God says all

people on earth will

be blessed through

Abraham.

God will bless those

who bless Abraham

and curse those who

curse him.

God tells Abraham

that his descendants

will inherit the

Promised Land.

Abraham

has faith in God

and builds his

first altar to

the Lord.

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