Covering of the eyes

The covering of the eyes appears only in Genesis 20:16, in the context of Abimelech's restoration of Sarah to Abraham after he had taken her, believing her to be Abraham's sister. Abimelech gave Abraham a thousand pieces of silver and told Sarah: Behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other. The precise meaning is disputed. The Revised Version renders it: he is unto thee a covering of the eyes, suggesting that Abraham's authority and wealth would serve as a public vindication that protects Sarah's honor.

Some interpreters understand the silver as compensation that would enable Sarah to afford a face veil — the physical covering of the eyes — that would protect her from future unwanted attention. Others read the phrase as meaning that the silver would speak publicly on her behalf, covering (vindicating) her in the eyes of others. The passage is unique in the biblical text and its exact social and legal background remains a subject of scholarly discussion.