Abimelech now begins to shift the blame to Abraham. In some languages it may be unacceptable for Abimelech to present his defense in this verse without repeating a suitable form of address to God: for example, by repeating “Lord,” or “Hear my words, Lord,” or “With your permission, Lord.”

Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’?: Abimelech continues his defense by asking a rhetorical question, which is the equivalent of saying “He [Abraham] himself said to me, ‘She is my sister.’ ” To strengthen his argument he blames Sarah as well: And she herself said, “He is my brother.”

If sister has been rendered by a word meaning “younger sister,” then the translation of brother will probably need to be “older brother.” Note that Good News Translation has avoided direct quotation: “Abraham himself said that she was….” And instead of giving Sarah’s actual words, Good News Translation translates “she said the same thing.” In the context of a plea of self-defense before God, the judge of this affair, translators should make certain that the plea is not weakened when making an adaptation such as in Good News Translation.

In some languages, if the rhetorical question form is used in relation to Abraham’s statement, it may be advisable to express the part about Sarah as a rhetorical question also. A further point to consider is the feeling about using rhetorical questions when speaking to God. If either the question form or the direct statement form will be inappropriate in this context, then an adjustment must be made. There is a further point to keep in mind, however: the rhetorical question in this context serves to shift the blame to Abraham and Sarah, but it does so indirectly. The question form invites God to decide for himself the truth of the matter. Even if translators are unable to use the rhetorical question form, they may be able to convey what that form suggests by saying, for example, “You must know that Abraham himself said to me … and that Sarah too said….”

In the integrity of my heart: the full expression integrity of … heart and innocence of … hands forms a poetic parallelism that sounds like Psa 24.4: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Westermann says “It presupposes the language of a later era.” For integrity of … heart see also 1 Kgs 9.4; Psa 101.2. Integrity translates a word meaning “completeness,” and in relation to the heart as the seat of reasoning or thought, it means that the heart or mind is rightly guided, not divided by good and bad motives.

Some modern versions translate this expression as “good [clear] conscience” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Bible en français courant) or “good faith” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New English Bible, Revised English Bible). To act with a good conscience is sometimes rendered by such figurative expressions as “the voice inside me speaks true words,” “my heart’s voice speaks straight,” “my liver knows I tell the truth.”

The innocence of my hands: the word translated innocence has the sense of cleanness, and in relation to the hands, which symbolize behavior or conduct, it means that conduct is free of wrongdoing, and therefore innocent or guiltless. We may translate the parallelism, for example, “The voice inside me speaks the truth, and what I did is not wrong.” Translators may find it more natural to relate the two statements as summary and reason; for example, “My conscience is clear because I am innocent of having done wrong.”

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 .