Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Torah

AND ABRAHAM SAID OF SARAH HIS WIFE, SHE IS MY SISTER. This was not like what happened in Egypt. There, when they entered the land, it is said that the Egyptians saw that the woman was beautiful, and they praised her to the lords and to Pharaoh, as they were an immoral people but this king was perfect and upright, and his people were likewise good. However Abraham suspected them, and he told everyone that she was his sister. AND ABIMELECH, KING OF GERAR, SENT AND TOOK SARAH. It is wondrous that Sarah, after being worn with age, was extremely beautiful, fit to be taken by kings. When she was taken to Pharaoh, though she was sixty-five years old, it is possible that she still had her beautiful appearance, but after being worn with age and the manner of women had ceased with her, that is a wonder! Perhaps her youthfulness returned to her when the angel brought her the tidings, as our Rabbis have said.

AND YET SHE IS MY SISTER, THE DAUGHTER OF MY FATHER. I know not the sense of this apology. Even if it were true that she was his sister and his wife, nevertheless when they wanted to take her as a wife and he told them, She is my sister, in order to lead them astray, he already committed a sin towards them by bringing upon them a great sin, and it no longer mattered at all whether the thing was true or false! Perhaps it was because Abimelech said, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? meaning “What sin or wickedness have you seen in me that caused you to do this out of fear? I have never attempted to take women away from their husbands.” Then Abraham answered: “I did not know you, but I thought, perhaps the fear of G-d is not in this place, for in most places in the world there is no fear of G-d. Therefore, from the time I left my country and aimlessly wandered among the nations not knowing to which place we would come, I made this condition with her that she say thus in all places. For the matter is true, and I thought that by doing this, human life would be saved. I did not begin this practice upon entering your country for I did not see that you had committed any sin.” And yet she is my sister, the daughter of my father. This expression represents a different argument. Abraham said: “According to my custom, I said so for it is true, and I further thought that in case they will want her they will ask me if she is also my wife. Since your servants took her and they did not ask me any questions, I said, ‘The fear of G-d is also not in this place’ and I remained quiet.” It is possible that he established this condition with her when they came to Egypt even though he said that he did it when G-d caused me to wander from my father’s house. It may be that he again warned her there in Egypt at the time of the event, as I have explained. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra’s opinion is that all these words were to put off Abimelech.

BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN THY BROTHER A THOUSAND PIECES OF SILVER. The sheep, the cattle and the servants which he gave him were worth a thousand pieces of silver. He thus said to Sarah: “Behold, I have given much money to your brother. Now the money will serve you as a cause for the covering of the eyes of all those who look at your beauty, closing their eyes, and those of their leaders, the seers,. to prevent them looking at you and at all that belongs to you, even your manservants and maidservants. Thus your being taken forcibly to my house was for your benefit as they will fear you and cover their eyes to avoid looking at you, saying: ‘The king had to redeem himself for having stretched forth his hand to the prophet’s wife.’” The verse thus tells that Abimelech mollified Abraham with money, and Sarah with words, so that he should not be punished on account of either of them. The verse states in conclusion, venochachath, as Sarah did not accept his apology, for with all this, she yet continued arguing with him, saying that she would not forgive him. The verse thus speaks in her praise. Abraham, however, was appeased, and he prayed for the king. The word venochachath is similar in usage to these verses: And with Israel ‘yithvakach’ (He has an argument); But my ways ‘ochiach’ (will I argue) before Him; There the upright ‘nochach’ (might reason) with Him., 23:7. It is possible that the expression, a thousand pieces of silver to thy brother, means thousands of pieces of silver, much wealth, according to the bounty of the king. Similarly, The smallest shall become a thousand, [means that the smallest will become] a great people. Similarly: Restore, I pray you, to them even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundred pieces of silver, and the corn, the wine, and oil, that ye exact of them — [here too the hundred pieces of silver refer to] many hundreds, a great deal of money.

‘VAYEILEIDU’ (AND THEY BORE CHILDREN). If this is understood literally as referring to his wife, and his maidservants and stating that the Eternal had restrained their wombs, it is astonishing! For it appears that on the first night that Sarah was taken to Abimelech’s house, and he had not even approached her, G-d immediately came to him in the dream, and in the morning he rose early and called his servants and also Abraham. When then did they experience this restraining of the womb? Perhaps it so happened that they were in their due time, experiencing the pangs of childbirth, unable to be relieved by giving birth. Perhaps, also, Abraham delayed his prayer for many days. But according to this interpretation, the nature of Abimelech’s healing as well as his sickness have not been explained in Scripture. Now Rashi comments: “Vayeileidu — and they were relieved, their channels were opened, and they brought forth their wastes. This was the leidah (bringing forth) as it referred to them. All the wombs means every opening of the body.” But this is not correct. Even if we were to say concerning the word vayeileidu that it means “bringing forth” — as we do indeed find the word leidah used in many contexts, such as: Yea, he conceiveth mischief ‘veyolad’ (and bringeth forth) falsehood; Before the decree ‘ledeth’ (bring forth); for thou knowest not what a day ‘yolad’ (may bring forth), meaning what the days will bring forth and originate — but the word rechem (womb) never refers to any other openings. This is not contradicted by the verse, Or, who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, and issued out of the womb, for this is merely a figure of speech,,) similar to “the belly of the earth.”. Now Onkelos’ opinion is not like that of the Rabbi for even if he translated, “and they were relieved,” yet the word rechem (womb) he renders literally as “the opening for giving birth to a child.” However, [the reason why Onkelos translated it, “and they were relieved,” and not “and they gave birth,” is that] he wanted to include Abimelech also in the word vayeileidu. In Bereshith Rabbah it is said: “For the Eternal had fast closed up (‘atzor atzar’), i.e., closed up the mouth, closed up the neck, closed up the eye, closed up the ear, closed up above, and closed up below.” Now the Rabbis derived this exposition from the double usage of the expression, atzor atzar, but they did not explain the expression, every womb, as meaning every opening of the body. The correct interpretation appears to me to be that from the day Sarah was taken to Abimelech’s house, Abimelech was stricken in his limbs and was unable to fulfill his needs. This is [what the verse alludes to when it says], Therefore I did not suffer thee to touch her, as “touching” or “approaching” women are euphemisms for sexual intercourse, as in the verse, Draw not near a woman; And I came unto the prophetess. And He restrained the wombs of his wife and his maidservants who were pregnant so they could not give birth. “Restraining a womb” means that the woman could not conceive, even as it says, And the Eternal had closed up her womb. But “restraining the womb” denotes inability to give birth, similar in usage to the verse, He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go forth. Sarah stayed in Abimelech’s house many days, and Abimelech did not repent his way as he did not understand his transgression until G-d came to him in a dream and informed him of it. Now Scripture does not explain Abimelech’s sickness explicitly but mentions it only by hint in an ethical manner and out of respect for Sarah. After Abraham’s prayer, Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants were healed, and the women gave birth.