I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place: fear of God is here to be understood as an attitude of reverence or respect for God, who requires respect for human life. Abraham had assumed the pagan people of Gerar would have no more respect for him than those in Sodom had for Lot. Good News Translation translates “reverence for God,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant have “respect for God.” A literal translation of fear of God is probably appropriate in this context. We may also say, for example, “Nobody here is afraid of what God might do.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch attempts to associate fear of God with disobedience to God’s Law: “the people do not care about God’s law.” We may also say “The people here pay no attention to what God commands them to do.”

And they will kill me because of my wife: this is the consequence of the people’s lack of respect for God’s demands for the sanctity of human life. Because of my wife must often be adjusted to state the purpose or reason more exactly; for example, “they will kill me in order to take my wife,” or “they will want my wife and so will kill me.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .