Bible Strands
Genesis 20:8
Early the next morning Abimelech got up and summoned all his servants; and when he described to them all that had happened, the men were terrified.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Abimelech rises early and summons his servants to recount the events of Genesis 20:7, immediately before confronting Abraham in Genesis 20:9. The narrative moves from God’s warning to the king’s urgent human response at the start of the next day.
The words — The Hebrew וַ/יַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם (va/i.yashKem) literally means “he rose early,” marking immediate action, while וַ/יִּקְרָא֙ (va/i.yikRa) means “he summoned,” indicating a formal gathering of his household. These terms frame the administrative urgency triggered by the prior divine threat.
The thread — The sequence of sudden warning followed by immediate terror appears in Genesis 15:12 and Exodus 19:16, where divine encounters produce fear and prompt urgent human reaction. Abimelech’s response follows the established biblical pattern that confronting holiness breaks human composure.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to observe how fear functions as a catalyst for accountability before any resolution occurs. It demands acknowledgment that divine warnings produce immediate, tangible consequences in human affairs.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.