ch name denotes one derived
from a kinsman. The former of whom was the father of the Moabites,
which is even still a great nation; the latter was the father of the
Ammonites; and both of them are inhabitants of Celesyria. And such was
the departure of Lot from among the Sodomites.

CHAPTER 12. Concerning Abimelech; And Concerning Ismael The Son Of
Abraham; And Concerning The Arabians, Who Were His Posterity.

1. Abraham now removed to Gerar of Palestine, leading Sarah along with
him, under the notion of his sister, using the like dissimulation
that he had used before, and this out of fear: for he was afraid of
Abimelech, the king of that country, who did also himself fall in love
with Sarah, and was disposed to corrupt her; but he was restrained from
satisfying his lust by a dangerous distemper which befell him from God.
Now when his physicians despaired of curing him, he fell asleep, and
saw a dream, warning him not to abuse the stranger's wife; and when he
recovered, he told his friends that God had inflicted that disease upon
him, by way of punishment, for his injury to the stranger; and in order
to preserve the chastity of his wife, for that she did not accompany him
as his sister, but as his legitimate wife; and that God had promised to
be gracious to him for the time to come, if this person be once secure
of his wife's chastity. When he had said this, by the advice of his
friends, he sent for Abraham, and bid him not to be concerned about his
wife, or fear the corruption of her chastity; for that God took care of
him, and that it was by his providence that he received his wife again,
without her suffering any abuse. And he appealed to God, and to his
wife's conscience; and said that he had not any inclination at first to
enjoy her, if he had known she was his wife; but since, said he, thou
leddest her about as thy sister, I was guilty of no offense. He also
entreated him to be at peace with him, and to make God propitious to
him; and that if he thought fit to continue with him, he should have
what he wanted in abundance; but that if he designed to go away, he
should be honorably conducted, and have whatsoever supply he wanted
when he came thither. Upon his saying this, Abraham told him that
his pretense of kindred to his wife was no lie, because she was his
brother's daughter; and that he did not think himself safe in his
travels abroad, without this sort of dissimulation; and that he was not
the cause of