(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)
“Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!” Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.””
(Genesis 26:9-11)
Abimelech was offended. He was hurt that any man would lie in such a way and then use the excuse of other people’s behaviour to cover his own terrible behaviour. And Abimelech was looking at more than just the lie. He was looking beyond it to the immoral behaviour such a lie could create. He believed it was WRONG to share spouses. To take someone that was in covenant with another to yourself for any reason. He was offended at the ungodly attitude and behaviour of Isaac.
Abimelech commanded protection for Rebekah and Isaac at the point of death. He could have done this because the people in his land were immoral enough that the threat of death was needed to secure proper behaviour. But I think because of how offended and shocked he was that Isaac would do this, he was making a point to Isaac. Instead of lying and deceit, Isaac could have come to the king for protection. He could have laid out his case and been protected. Isaac didn’t have to resort to lies.
Issac didn’t give an excuse. Caught in his lie, he was honest about his motivations. He simply told what what in his head when he made his decision. Never give excuses. Simply tell what happened and what your process was. Excuses are another form of lying and only make things worse.
The sage Radak writes: ‘ויקרא…אך הנה אשתך, the word אך in this verse means the same as the word אבל, “but, however.” It also appears in this sense in Exodus 31,13 אך את שבתותי תשמורו, “but you must observe My Sabbath days,” (even when engaged in building the Tabernacle) In Exodus 21,22, when speaking about someone dying as a result of an injury deliberately inflicted upon him, the Torah writes אך אם יום או יומים יעמוד, “but if the victim can stand on his feet for a day or two days, etc.” (his death is not directly attributable to the injury described). In our verse, Avimelech challenges Yitzchok who had presented his wife as being his sister by saying: “but I have seen with my own eyes that she is your wife!” He used the fact that he had observed Yitzchok being intimate with Rivkah as proof that therefore she must be his wife, as no one sleeps with a woman who is not his wife. ואיך אמרת, the Avimelech mentioned in our chapter here was not the same one that lived in the days of Avraham. Had he been the same it is inconceivable that he could have asked Yitzchok such a question. He had, after all, had experience with Sarah and Avraham concerning the same subject. The Kings of the Philistines generally assumed the title “Avimelech,” just as the Kings of Egypt generally assumed the title “Pharaoh.” ויאמר.. כמעט שכב, he meant that it had been very likely that someone among his people would have slept with Rivkah seeing that Yitzchok had represented her as being his sister. They would not have considered such a sexual encounter as something sinful and therefore Yitzchok would have been to blame for any guilt arising from such an encounter. ויצו, after Avimelech had found out that Rivkah was Yitzchok’s wife, he had to inform the people of this fact to ensure that no one would touch her. Also, he had to warn the people not to harm Yitzchok, so that he would not be killed on account of his wife.’
The Torah: A Women’s Commentary writes: ‘Rebekah’s position is not compromised. Isaac’s wealth results from his efforts and from God’s blessings.’
The sage Sforno writes: ‘כמעט שכב אחד העם, the person described here as אחד העם, a euphemistic expression, was the king himself, who was after all, אחד העם, in a unique position compared to the common people. He had considered himself above the law doing whatever he pleased; or he had imagined that seeing that he was the king no one would dream of refusing to sleep with him, on the contrary every woman would be pleased to have been chosen for such an experience and that Yitzchok would be highly honoured to have his sister marry the king. והבאת עלינו אשם, by misrepresenting who Rivkah was, you, Yitzchok, almost made us guilty of a sin, for if the outstanding citizen of this land would have taken her, this would have caused also his subjects to be punished. This is the reason why he said: עלינו, “upon us,” instead of עליו, “upon himself.”’
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