Verses 9-10 introduce a new dialogue, in which Abimelech accuses Abraham of wrongdoing that has brought grief upon him and his people. In verses 11-13 Abraham defends himself with what appear to be excuses for his misconduct.
Then Abimelech called Abraham: called, as in verse 8, means “sent for Abraham” or “had Abraham brought to him.”
And said to him: in some languages it is necessary to indicate that Abraham came to the king before Abimelech spoke to him; for example, “When Abraham came, Abimelech said” or “After Abraham arrived, Abimelech said….”
What have you done to us?: this question is rhetorical and does not seek to find out what Abraham has done so much as to ask why he did it or to scold him: “Look what you have done to us!” “How wrongly you have dealt with us!” Abimelech’s speech probably reveals that the court officials are still present. Us refers to Abimelech and others, excluding Abraham.
And how have I sinned against you: Abimelech continues with a second rhetorical question. If keeping the form of a rhetorical question is inappropriate in the translator’s language, it can be shifted, for example, to a negative statement: “I have done nothing wrong to you,” “I have not offended you,” “I am not guilty of harming you.”
That you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin?: brought on me … means “you [Abraham] have caused me and my people to do a bad thing.” It is also possible that Abimelech is placing the guilt on Abraham by asking, as in Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, “How have I offended you so that you have brought such a great sin on me and on my people?” Although this clause is contained within the question punctuation in Revised Standard Version and other English translations, it really states the consequence of the assumed wrong in the first part. This kind of question may require some adjustments in translation. Note Good News Translation “… to make you bring this disaster….” In some languages it may be more natural to begin a new sentence and switch the order of the question and the consequence to say, for example, “You have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin. But how have I sinned against you?” If the question is expressed as a negative statement, we may translate, for example, “I have not offended you, but you have brought on me and my people….” We may also make the second part become the question: “I have not wronged you; why then have you brought on me and my people…?”
Kingdom refers not to the political and geographical area where the king rules but more exactly to the people he rules. Even if the infertility mentioned in verses 17-18 affects only the king’s harem, it indirectly affects all his people. Therefore Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and others translate “me and my people.”
You have done to me things that ought not to be done: in Hebrew the order is reversed, “things that ought not to be done you have done to me.” Here Abimelech appeals to a common set of values that people generally should be able to rely on. He thus appears to be on a higher moral ground than Abraham. We may also translate “You have done something to me that nobody should do to another person” or “You have wronged me. Such wrongs should not be done to anybody.”
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 .