Genesis 20:5
“Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister?’ She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.””
What does Genesis 20:5 mean?
Abimelech is defending himself to God after taking Abraham's wife Sarah, not realizing she was married. He's saying he acted in good faith based on what Abraham told him, and his conscience is clear because he didn't know the full truth. This shows how Abimelech genuinely believed he was innocent, even though his actions were still wrong by the standards of the time. It's a reminder that sometimes people can do harmful things without malicious intent, yet the harm still needs to be made right, which is what God calls Abraham to do in the verses that follow.