Abimelech now addresses Sarah.

Behold, I have given …: Behold is probably not to call Sarah’s attention to the silver itself but to the fact that she is considered worthy of vindication, or being put in the right in the eyes of everyone. In this sense Behold may serve as an address to Sarah personally, which we may translate, for example, “Well, Sarah,” “Now about you, Sarah,” or “As for you, Sarah.”

Abimelech refers to Abraham as Sarah’s brother. As von Rad says, “In this way he avoids compromising Abraham. Abimelech does everything to demonstrate Abraham’s and Sarah’s honorableness….” In some languages brother will be “older brother.”

A thousand pieces of silver is literally “a thousand in silver.” The text does not say in what form the silver is given. Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation supply pieces. Although some translations supply “shekels” or convert to modern units, it is better to leave the amount general.

It is your vindication in the eyes of all who are with you is literally “it is for you a covering for the eyes to all who are with you.” Although the exact meaning of this idiom is not clear, it appears to be used to say that this gift will serve to cover the critical eyes of Sarah’s people, so that they will not see any wrong in her. Instead of demanding compensation for wrongdoing, the king is rewarding her for her goodness. The gift, even though given through Abraham, is to remove any suggestion of dishonor done to Sarah. New Jerusalem Bible says “This will allay suspicions about you.” We may translate, for example, “This gift is to show all who are with you that you are innocent,” “This gift is to show … that you are not guilty of any wrong.”

And before every one you are righted: this clause, as it stands in the text, seems to repeat what has just been said regarding Sarah’s innocence. If the purpose is to say that Sarah will be looked upon as innocent by everyone (not just among her own people), then the sense can be taken as a public vindication, and so Speiser translates “You have been publicly vindicated.” See Good News Translation “everyone will know that you have done no wrong.”

The verb rendered you are righted is a legal term with the general sense of “judge,” “decide,” “prove.” The same form of the verb is used in Job 23.7 and Isa 1.18 with the sense of to reason or to argue (New English Bible and Revised English Bible have “vindicate” in Job 23.7). It is the result of legal reasoning or arguing that gives the basis for rendering the term here as “to put right” or “to vindicate.” Good News Translation states the same negatively, “you have done no wrong,” which provides a good translation model.

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 .