“We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God,” Acts 14:22
Genesis 19
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
— here came two angels; that is, two of the three that had just before been with Abraham, who were now sent to execute God’s purpose concerning Sodom;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The two angels came to Sedom in the evening, while Lot was sitting at the gate of Sedom. Lot saw them, and he got up to greet them, and he bowed with his face to the ground.
2 and he said, “Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early and go on your ways.” And they said, “Nay, but we will remain in the street all night.”
— they said, Nay, but we will abide in the street all night; so they not only give Lot an opportunity of evincing the sincerity and cordiality of his invitation, it was their real intention to abide in the street, to manifest the great difference between Lot and the barbarous Sodomites;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He said, Behold [Please] now my lords, please [now] turn in to your servant’s house. Stay over night, bathe your feet, and get up early and continue on your way. They said, No, we will spend the night in the street.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him and entered into his house; and he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. — Lot’s invitation; at first declined, is at length accepted; and they entered his house;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He urged them greatly, and they turned in to him and came to his house. He made a feast for them, and baked matzos [for them], and they ate.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom — both young and old, all the people from every quarter —compassed the house around. — here were the old and young, all vile and from every quarter; for practices too shameful to be mentioned!
— the Targum Onkelos says
They had not yet lain down when the men of the city, the men of Sedom, surrounded the house—young and old alike—all the people from one end [of the city] to the other end.
5 And they called unto Lot and said unto him, “Where are the men who came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”
— bring them out that we may know them; not who they were, or from whence they came; nor did they pretend anything of this kind to hide and cover their design from Lot, but they were open and impudent, and declared their sin without shame and blushing;
— the Targum Onkelos says
They called to Lot and said to him, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them.
— the Targum of Jonathan says
And they cried to Lot, and said to him, Where are the men who entered with thee tonight? Bring them out to us, and we will lie with them.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him — and Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Lot went out to them in front of the entrance, shutting the door behind him.
7 and said, “I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. — Lot pleaded, do not so wickedly; as to use ill a man’s guests, to abuse strangers, to break the laws and rules of hospitality, and especially to commit that unnatural sin they were bent upon;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He said, My brothers, please [now] do not act wickedly.
8 Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes. Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.”
— I have two daughters; this was unadvisedly and unjustifiably offered, probably through the great discomposure and perturbation which his mind was in;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Behold! I have two daughters who have never known a man, I will bring them out to you, and do with them as you please; only do nothing to these men, since after all, they came under the shelter of my roof.
9 And they said, “Stand back.” And they said again, “This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will become a judge! Now will we deal worse with thee than with them.” And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
— and they said, stand back; turn on one side, get away from the door, that we may come to it;
— this one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge; this one man, and he a stranger and sojourner, not a citizen of this city, sets himself against the whole body of the inhabitants, and takes upon himself to be judge what is right and wrong;
— the Targum Onkelos says
They said, Step back out of the way! They said, This one came as an immigrant, and now he wants to be a judge. We will now deal worse with you than with them. They pushed hard against Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hands, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. — but the men, who were the two angels who had met Abraham, put forth their hand; they came to the door, and opened it, and put out their hands, one on one side the door, and the other on the other;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The men put out their hands, and pulled Lot to them, into the house, and closed the door.
11 And they smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door. — again the men, who were the two angels, smote the others with blindness;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The men who were at the entrance of the house, they struck with blindness—young and old alike—so that they wearied themselves trying to find the entrance.
12 And the men said unto Lot, “Hast thou here any besides? Soninlaw, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city — bring them out of this place. — the men said; these were the angels who had met Abraham earlier;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The men said to Lot, Who else do you have here—a son-in-law, your sons, your daughters? Whoever you have in the city, bring them out of his place.
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them has waxed great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.” — again, the “we” are the two angels; who said “we will destroy this place”
— might be clearer from the Message Bible:
10-11 But the two men reached out and pulled Lot inside the house, locking the door. Then they struck blind the men who were trying to break down the door, both leaders and followers, leaving them groping in the dark.
12-13 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have any other family here? Sons, daughters—anybody in the city? Get them out of here, and now! We’re going to destroy this place. The outcries of victims here to God are deafening; we’ve been sent to blast this place into oblivion.” Genesis 19:10-12 MSG
— the Targum Onkelos says
We are going to destroy this place, for the wailing concerning them has become great in the presence of Adonoy; and Adonoy has sent us to destroy it.
14 And Lot went out and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, “Up, get ye out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But he seemed as one who mocked unto his sons-in-law.
— Lot spoke to his sons-in-law; it is a possibilty that these sons-in- law had married other daughters of Lot; and according to Jewish sources, Lot had two other daughters that perished in Sodom;
— but according to Josephus (Antiquities. l. 1. c. 11. sect. 4) were espoused to men in the city, but not yet married; and on account of such espousals, as were usual in the eastern countries, Lot calls them his sons-in-law;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who had married his daughters. He said [to them], Get up! Get out of this place, for Adonoy is going to destroy the city! He appeared as a comedian in the eyes of his sons-in-law.
— the Targum of Jonathan says
“And Lot went out and spoke with his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Arise, go out from this place, for the Lord is destroying the city!’ But the word was like a wonder (absurdity), like a man who is mocking, in the eyes of his sons-in-law.”
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, “Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters who are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.” — when the morning arose; Lot had thus the night for making his preparations, part of this he spent in his visits to his sons-in-law;
— the Targum Onkelos says
At the break of dawn, the angels urged Lot on, saying, Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here [who are found to be faithful to you], lest you be swept away in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful unto him; and they brought him forth and set him outside the city.
— while he lingered; he did not make so much haste as the case required, and this would have been fatal to him, if the angels had not laid hold on his hand, and brought him forth. Herein the Lord was merciful to him; and if God had not been merciful to them, their lingering had been their ruin;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He hesitated, and the men grabbed his hand and the hand of his wife and two daughters, for Adonoy had pity on him. They brought him out and placed him outside the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth outside, that he said, “Escape for thy life! Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed!” — look not behind thee; they must not loiter by the way; stay not in all the plain;
— for it would all be made into one dead sea; he must not take up short of the place of refuge appointed him; escape to the mountain; such are the commands given to those who are delivered out of a sinful state: first, return not to sin and second, rest not in the world, for that is staying in the plain;
— the Targum Onkelos says
When they were brought out [of the city], he [the angel] said, Escape [Have pity] for your life! Do not look back! Do not remain anywhere in the valley [plain]. Escape to the mountain, lest you be swept away.
18 And Lot said unto them, “Oh, not so, my lord. — oh, not so, my Lord; that is, let me not be obliged to go so far as to the mountain;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Lot said to them, Please, not so my Master. [Please, now, my Master.]
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.
— lest some evil take me, and I die; or “that evil” the burning of Sodom, and the cities of the plain, lest that should overtake him before he got to the mountain;
— thus Lot had some distrust of the power of God to strengthen him to go thither, who had appeared so wonderfully for him in his present deliverance; and he might have assured himself, that he that brought him out of Sodom would never suffer him to perish in the destruction of it;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Behold your servant has found favor in Your eyes [before You]. Great is your kindness [goodness] that you have done with me, to keep me alive. I cannot escape to the mountain, lest the evil attach itself to me and I die.
20 Behold now, this city is near enough to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.” — the MSG version says:
But Lot protested, “No, masters, you can’t mean it! I know that you’ve taken a liking to me and have done me an immense favor in saving my life, but I can’t run for the mountains—who knows what terrible thing might happen to me in the mountains and leave me for dead.
Look over there—that town is close enough to get to. It’s a small town, hardly anything to it. Let me escape there and save my life—it’s a mere wide place in the road.” Genesis 19:19-21 MSG
— the Targum Onkelos says
Behold, please, this city is near [enough] to flee there. It is insignificant. Let me escape there! It is insignificant, and my life will be saved.
21 And he said unto him, “See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for which thou hast spoken. — the MSG version says:
“All right, Lot. If you insist. I’ll let you have your way. And I won’t stamp out the town you’ve spotted. But hurry up. Run for it! I can’t do anything until you get there.” That’s why the town was called Zoar, that is, Smalltown. Genesis 19:19-21 MSG
— the Targum Onkelos says
He said to him, See I have also given you consideration regarding this. I will not overturn the city that you mentioned [for which you have beseeched].
22 Hasten thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou hast come thither.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. — called Zoar in later times, probably first by Lot, from his use of the word “little” which was his request, which Zoar signifies; called Bela, see Genesis 14:2
— the Targum Onkelos says
Hurry, escape there, for I can do nothing until you get there. The city was therefore called Zoar.
23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. — in haste; the ruin of Sodom was suspended till he was secure;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The sun had risen upon the earth, when Lot came to Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the Lord out of heaven; — the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire; the Lord (Yehovah יְהוָ֖ה);
— from the Lord (Yehovah יְהוָ֖ה) out of heaven; this destruction was brought upon them by Yehovah the Son of God, who had appeared to Abraham in an human form, and gave him notice of it, and heard all he had to plead for those cities, and then departed from him to Sodom,
— and the Son, who was the author of this catastrophe; this amazing shower of fire and brimstone was re-inforced and rained by him from Yehovah his Father, out of heaven; as the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem both call him, the Word of the Lord;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Adonoy caused to rain upon Sedom and Amorah—sulfur and fire—from [before] Adonoy, from heaven.
25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. — and he overthrew those cities; of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim: very probably at the same time that this fiery tempest was from the heavens; and all the plain; the plain of Jordan, and the cities on it, all but Zoar;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He overturned these cities, and the entire plain, and all those who lived in the cities and all that grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. — but his wife looked back from behind him; herein she disobeyed an express command; according to the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, she was a native of Sodom; hence menories of her kinmen and sons-in-law; and she became a pillar of salt;
— the Targum Onkelos says
His [Lot’s] wife looked behind him; and she became a pillar of salt.
— the Targum of Jonathan says
“And his wife looked from behind the angel to know what would be the end of her father’s house, for she was of the daughters of the Sodomites; and because she had sinned with salt by revealing [the presence of] the poor, behold, she was made a pillar of salt.”
— the Targum Jerusalem says
“Because Lot’s wife was from the children of the children of the people of Sodom, she looked back from behind her to see what would be the end of her father’s house; and behold, she stands as a pillar of salt until the time when the Resurrection comes, when the dead shall live.”
27 And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord; — stood before the Lord, and he looked toward Sodom; he has an extensive view spread out before him which would be the Dead Sea;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avraham got up early in morning [to return] to the place where he had stood before the Presence of Adonoy [to the place where he had served in prayer before Adonoy].
28 and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld. And lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
— the violence of the fire is indicated by the last word, which is not the ordinary word for a furnace, but means a kiln, such as that used for burning chalk into lime, or for melting ores of metal;
— the smoke of a furnace; after the fiery shower was over, and the cities burnt down, the smoke ascended toward heaven, as the smoke of mystical Babylon will do, Revelation 19:3; like the reek of a boiling cauldron; or like the smoke of a lime kiln always burning;
— the Targum Onkelos says
He [Avraham] stared at Sedom and Amorah, and the whole land of the plain, and he saw the heavy smoke rising from the earth like the smoke of a furnace.
29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt. — the prayer or promise made by Abraham, Genesis 18:23-32, who doubtless in his promise for Sodom would not forget Lot;
— the Targum Onkelos says
When Elohim destroyed the cities of the plain; Elohim remembered Avraham, and He sent Lot out of the upheaval when He overturned the cities in which Lot had lived.
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt on the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. — for he feared to dwell in Zoar; probably he found it as wicked as Sodom; and therefore concluded it could not survive long;
— and dwelt in the mountain; which the Lord had directed him to go to before, but was unwilling, and chose Zoar, and his two daughters with him; and they dwelt in a cave;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Lot went up from Zoar and lived in the mountain; and his two daughters went with him, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. He lived in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth. — the whole earth; for they thought the same deluge of fire which destroyed the four cities, and all other places;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The older girl said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man [left] on earth who will come into us in the normal manner.
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.” — and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our father; have children by him, and propagate and preserve the human species; this incestuous copulations, they might think lawful;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Come let us urge our father to drink wine, and sleep with him; that we may give life to seed [children] from our father.
33 And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. — he perceived not; wherein there is nothing strange, it being usual with drunken men to do many things in that condition, which, when they come to themselves, they perfectly forget;
— the Targum Onkelos says
They urged wine upon their father that night; and the older girl went in and slept with her father. He was not aware that she lay down or got up.
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34 And it came to pass on the morrow that the firstborn said unto the younger, “Behold, I lay yesternight with my father. Let us make him drink wine this night also, and go thou in and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.”
— the firstborn said to the younger, behold, I lay last night with my father; informed her, that what they had contrived succeeded according to her wish, and therefore, with her encouragement to go on, proposes to take the same method again;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The next day, the older girl said to the younger, Last night I slept with my father. Let us urge wine upon him tonight also, and you go in and sleep with him that we may give life to seed from our father.
35 And they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. — and the younger arose, and lay with him following the bad example of her sister; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose;
— the Targum Onkelos says
That night also, they urged their father [to drink] wine. The younger went up and slept with him, and he was not aware that she lay down or got up.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. — Lot’s daughters had so little feeling of shame in connection with their conduct, that they gave names to the sons they bore, which have immortalized their paternity;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Lot’s two daughters became pregnant from their father.
37 And the firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. — his name Moab; the Moabites, who originally inhabited the country northeast of the Dead Sea, and afterward, they occupied the district east of the Salt Sea;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The older girl gave birth to a son and she named him Moav. He is the ancestor of the Moabite nation even to this day.
38 And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Benammi; the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. — the Ammonites dwelt to the northeast of Moab, where they had a capital called Rabbah; they both ultimately merged into the more general class of the Arabs;
— and according to Deuteronomy 2:9, Deuteronomy 2:19, later on, Israel was ordered not to touch the territory of either of these tribes because of their descent from Lot, Abraham’s nephew;
— the Targum Onkelos says
The younger girl also gave birth to a son, and she named him Ben-Ami. He is the ancestor of the people of Ammon even to this day.
Genesis 20
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1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur and sojourned in Gerar. — and Abraham sojourned in Gerar; in the southern border of Canaan which were occupied by the Philistines. We are not told upon what occasion he removed;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avraham journeyed from there to the land of the Negev [south], and he lived between Kadeish [Rekem] and Shur [Chagar]. He lived for a while in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. — she is my sister;
— twenty years before, Abraham had acted in the same way in Egypt, and Pharaoh had rebuked him; she was now ninety years of age, yet her naturally beauty had not faded;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avraham said regarding Sarah, his wife, She is my sister. Avimelech, king of Gerar sent [messengers] and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.”
— God came to Abimelech in a dream by night; put fear into his mind, by which he cautioned him against taking Sarah to be his wife; so careful was the Lord that no wrong should be done to such a godly and virtuous person, to which she was exposed through the weakness of her husband;
— and said unto him, behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; that is, God would punish him with death, unless he restored the woman, whom he had taken, to her husband;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Elohim came to Avimelech [Word came from before Elohim to Avimelech] in a dream at night, and said to him, Behold, you shall die because of the woman you took, for she is a married woman [a man’s wife].
4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, wilt Thou slay also a righteous nation? — “Thou wilt die,” the point of death if he persisted; wilt thou also slay a righteous nation?
— he probably referred to the late destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plain, which, no doubt, must have caused great consternation; and or he knew that this had been usual for people to suffer for the crimes of their governors, or kings, if they sin;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avimelech had not come near to her. He said, My Master, will You also kill an innocent nation?
5 Said he not unto me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.” — in the integrity of my heart; not only does Abimelech assert this, but God himself (Genesis 20:6) admits the plea;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Did he not say to me, She is my sister? And she also said, He is my brother. With an innocent [upright] heart and clean [righteous] hands I did this.
6 And God said unto him in a dream, “Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore I suffered thee not to touch her. — without any adulterous design in my heart, or outward actions tending to it, being wholly ignorant of what thou now informest him;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Elohim said to him [Word from Elohim was said to him] in a dream, I also know [it is also revealed before me] that you did this with an innocent [upright] heart. I also prevented you from sinning against [before] Me. That is why I did not give you the chance to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. And if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine.” — for he is a prophet; of course Abraham is a true prophet of God;
— to whom he communicates his secrets; is able to foretell things to come, as well as to interpret the mind of God, that he might pray for him and save his life, and threatened him with certain death to himself and all belonging to him in case he should refuse;
— a prophet is God’s spokesman, who speaks with authority the things of God Exodus 7:1; Exodus 4:15. This implies two things: first, the things of God are known only to him, and therefore must be communicated by him; secondly, the prophet must be enabled of God to announce in correct terms the things made known to him;
— these things refer not only to the future, but in general to all such matters as fall within the purpose and procedure of God, like Moses and Aaron in Exodus 7:1. They may even include things otherwise known or knowable by man, so far as these are necessary to the exposition of the divine will. Now Abraham has heretofore received numerous communications from God; this, also constitutes him a prophet;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you and you will live. If you do not return her, you should know that you will surely die—you and all that is yours.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were sore afraid.
— and the men were sore afraid; lest they should be struck with death; and perhaps they might call to mind the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, they had lately heard of, and might fear that some such calamity would befall them;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avimelech got up early in the morning, and called all his servants. He spoke all these words in their ears [before them], and the men were very frightened.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, “What hast thou done unto us? And how have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.”
— thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done; in saying Sarah was his sister, and persuading her to say the same;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avimelech called Avraham and said to him, What have you done to us? What wrong did I do to you that you brought on me and upon my kingdom such a great sin? Deeds that ought not to be done, you have done to me.
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, “What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?” — that thou hast done this thing? he desires to know what he had observed, either in him or his people, that gave him any reason to conclude that they were a lustful people, lest they should kill him for his wife’s sake;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avimelech [then] said to Avraham, What did you see that you did such a thing?
11 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. — 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 it was everywhere;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avraham said, Because I said [thought] there is no fear of Elohim in this place, and they will kill me [in order] to take my wife.
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. — and yet indeed she is my sister; in the same sense as Lot was his brother; for she was sister to Lot, and both were the children of Haran, the brother of Abraham;
— the Targum Onkelos says
In any case, she is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, ‘This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me: at every place whither we shall come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”
— at every place whither we shall come, say of me; or for the sake of me, in order to save me from the hands of wicked men, whom he feared would slay him for her sake: he is my brother; and so he hoped, instead of being ill used or killed, he should meet with favour and friendship on her account;
— the Targum Onkelos says
When Elohim caused me to wander from my father’s house [When the nations strayed after the works of their hands, Elohim brought me close to His worship from my father’s house], I said to her, this is the kindness [goodness] you shall do for me. At every place we come [go] to, say of me, He is my brother.
14 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and menservants and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife. — the Philistine gives atoning presents on restoring Sarah, and grants her husband permission to dwell in his land wherever it pleased him; this also implies that he had done Abraham a wrong;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avimelech took sheep, cattle, male and female slaves, and he gave them to Avraham. He [also] returned his wife Sarah to him.
15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before thee. Dwell where it pleaseth thee.” — and Abimelech said, behold, my whole land is before thee; instead of bidding him be gone, and sending him away in haste out of his country, as the king of Egypt did;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avimelech said, Behold, my land is before you. Live wherever you see fit.
16 And unto Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes unto all who are with thee and with all other.” Thus she was reproved.
— behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee; a protection of her chastity: so an husband, in our language, is said to be a cover to his wife, or that she is under a cover;
— the Targum Onkelos says
To Sarah, he said, Behold I have given to your brother a thousand pieces [shekalim] of silver. It will be for you a [compensational] eye covering for all who are with you, that you may face every one. [It will be for you a garment of honor, in return for my having sent for you, and taken you, and seeing you and all that is with you. And regarding everything that you said, you were just.]
17 So Abraham prayed unto God. And God healed Abimelech, and his wife and his maidservants; and they bore children, — and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants: who by reason of some disease were rendered unfit for and incapable of cohabitation with their husbands, and they with them;
— and they bare children; cohabited and conceived, bare and brought forth children, all which are comprehended in this expression;
— the Targum Onkelos says
Avraham prayed to [before] Elohim, and Elohim healed Avimelech, his wife, and his female slaves, and they gave birth [and they were relieved].
18 for the Lord had closed up fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. — for the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech; with large tumours probably, so that they could not cohabit with their husbands and conceive;
— the Targum Onkelos says
For Adonoy had restrained every womb in the house of Avimelech according to the word of Sarah, Avraham’s wife.
Joel
A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob 