I thought I would bring a Bible question to the board today.

Did Abraham sin when he told Pharaoh (Gen. 12:10-20) and later Abimelech (Gen. 20: 1-18) that Sarah was his sister?

If I remember correctly, almost every sermon I heard on the matter actually said Abraham did sin.

However, a Reformed friend who is an elder in his Church believes they are mistaken.

He says the following:

Quote
James B. Jordan, in his work Primeval Saints, offers a nuanced interpretation of Abraham’s actions when he told Pharaoh (Genesis 12:10–20) and later Abimelech (Genesis 20:1–18) that Sarah was his sister. At first glance, many readers see this as a lie or an act of cowardice. But Jordan argues that Abraham didn’t sin in doing this, and he provides a covenantal and cultural explanation.

Here’s Jordan’s basic reasoning:

1. Sarah was Abraham’s sister—technically.
Genesis 20:12 says:

“Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.”

So Abraham wasn’t lying in the strict sense. She was his half-sister, which in that cultural context was not uncommon for marriage.

2. Abraham was navigating covenant faithfulness in a fallen world.
Jordan suggests that Abraham’s act wasn’t a betrayal or sin, but a strategic move to protect the promise of God—that through Abraham, a great nation would come. If Abraham were killed by a pagan king who desired Sarah, that covenant line could be cut off. Abraham used a culturally acceptable practice of claiming kinship that would put the burden on the king to negotiate, rather than seize.

3. The blame falls more on the pagan kings than Abraham.
Jordan points out that both Pharaoh and Abimelech were in the wrong, as they assumed they could take Sarah without just cause. The Bible emphasizes God’s intervention to protect Sarah, not to rebuke Abraham. In fact, God afflicts the kings’ households, not Abraham’s.

4. This situation reflects wisdom under pressure, not deceit.
Jordan interprets Abraham’s actions as the actions of a man walking by faith in a world where he had little power. He didn’t trust the morality of pagan kings, but he trusted God to intervene—which He did.

Summary:

Jordan’s argument is that Abraham acted shrewdly, not sinfully. In a dangerous, pre-law world, where might made right, Abraham used truth selectively to avoid harm. His trust was ultimately in God’s covenant promise, and the narrative shows God’s faithful protection, not Abraham’s failure.


Tom