‘And it came to pass, when the worshippers of idols tried to lead me astray, I went forth from my father's house, and I said unto her…’

Other Targums on Genesis xx. 13

T.O.: ‘And it came to pass, when the people went astray after the works of their own hand the Lord brought me to fear him from my father's house, and I said unto her…’

Notes on Genesis xx. 13

Abraham's need to reject idolatry is based on Josh. xxiv. 2, and many stories were elaborated from it. For some of these, see the notes on Gen. xi. 28. There were two problems to be faced in the Hebrew of this verse: first, the verb, caused me to wander, is in the plural, although apparently Elohim is the subject. Elohim is a plural form, but since God is by definition One, the verb is usually singular. The problem was made more pressing when Christians pointed to instances of the plural verb with Elohim as suggesting persons in the Godhead (see the notes on Gen. i. 26). Secondly, the verb usually means ‘cause to stray’ or ‘err’. In this verse, therefore, the literal meaning would appear to be, ‘God caused me to err’.