Behold

A Behold picture book

My Sister

Abe told one little lie. It worked out great. For Abe.

  1. There was no food where Abe and Sarah lived. So they moved to a big, rich city.

  2. On the way, Abe said, "Sarah, you are so beautiful. When the people here see you, they'll kill me so they can have you. Tell them you're my sister. Then they'll be nice to me."

  3. The richest man in the city, Mr. Rhodes, saw Sarah. He took her into his house to be his wife. And he gave Abe sheep, cows, donkeys, camels and servants.

  4. But the Voice sent terrible sicknesses on Mr. Rhodes and everyone in his house, because of Sarah.

  5. Mr. Rhodes found out the truth. "What did you do to me?" he asked Abe. "Why did you say she was your sister? Here is your wife. Take her and go!" Abe left with Sarah, and with everything Mr. Rhodes had given him.

  6. Years later, in another town, Abe did it again. "She's my sister," he said. And the man in charge, Mr. Gerard, took Sarah into his house.

  7. That night, the Voice came to Mr. Gerard in a dream. "You're a dead man. She is married." "But I didn't know!" said Mr. Gerard. "He said she was his sister. She said he was her brother." The Voice said, "I know. Give her back. He is my prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live."

  8. "Well," said Abe, "she really is my half-sister. Same dad, different mom." Mr. Gerard gave Sarah back. He also gave Abe sheep, cows, servants and 1,000 pieces of silver.

  9. Then Abe prayed, and the Voice healed Mr. Gerard's family. The Voice had made sure no woman in his house could have a baby, all because of Sarah. Years later, Abe's son did the very same trick with his own wife.

The End.

The source, revealed

The Fine Print

Genesis 12:10–20; Genesis 20; Genesis 26:6–11

Read it yourself

Where it's from

Genesis 12 and 20 (and Genesis 26 for the son). Abraham is the founding father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Who's who

In our story In the Bible
Abe Abraham (first called Abram)
Sarah Sarah (first called Sarai)
Mr. Rhodes Pharaoh, king of Egypt
Mr. Gerard Abimelech, king of Gerar
Abe's son Isaac
The Voice God (the LORD)

What the text says

  • Plain words: God plagued Pharaoh and his household because of Sarah.

  • KJV (Genesis 12:17): "And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife."

  • Plain words: God told the king to give her back, and called Abraham a prophet who would pray for him.

  • KJV (Genesis 20:7): "Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live"

  • Plain words: Abraham explained she really was his half-sister.

  • KJV (Genesis 20:12): "And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife."

What we kept

  • A famine sends Abram to Egypt. He asks Sarai to say she's his sister, because otherwise "they will kill me."
  • Pharaoh takes her into his house, and treats Abram well for her sake: sheep, oxen, donkeys, servants, camels.
  • God plagues Pharaoh's house because of Sarai.
  • Pharaoh: "What is this that thou hast done unto me?" He sends them away with everything.
  • It happens again in Gerar. God comes to Abimelech in a dream: "thou art but a dead man."
  • Abimelech: he said she was his sister, and she said he was her brother.
  • God: I know you were innocent; give her back; "he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee."
  • Abraham: she is my half-sister.
  • Abimelech gives animals, servants and a thousand pieces of silver.
  • Abraham prays and God heals them; God had closed every womb in Abimelech's house because of Sarah.
  • Isaac later tells the same lie about Rebekah (Genesis 26).

What we changed

  • Names, and today's world: two powerful men instead of two kings.
  • In the Bible, Pharaoh is the one who calls for Abram; the text doesn't say exactly how he found out.

Look closely

The kings are the ones who get punished, and both times they didn't know. God himself tells Abimelech, "I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart" (Genesis 20:6). Abraham leaves richer both times.

How it's usually taught

Many teachers say these stories show Abraham's fear and weakness, and God's faithfulness anyway: God protects Sarah because she's the one who will have the promised son. They say the Bible is honest about its heroes' flaws, and that describing something isn't the same as approving it.

What the story doesn't say

God never scolds Abraham for lying. Abraham keeps all the gifts. The people who are punished are the ones who were lied to.

Talk about it

  1. Was it okay for Abe to lie to keep himself safe?
  2. Was it fair to Sarah?
  3. Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Gerard didn't know the truth. Who should have been punished?
  4. Abe ended up richer. What does that teach?
  5. Do you believe this is good advice?

One last question

If you told a lie and someone else got in trouble for it, would you keep the presents?

Read Genesis 12:10–20; Genesis 20; Genesis 26:6–11 yourself