Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Genesis 20:16/ספורנו על בראשית כ׳:ט״ז

אהִנֵּה נָתַתִּי אֶלֶף כֶּסֶף לְאָחִיךְ. לְמֹהַר כְּמִנְהַג לוֹקֵחַ בַּת אִישׁ אוֹ אֲחוֹתוֹ לְאִשָּׁה.
1הנה נתתי אלף כסף לאחיך, as dowry, as was the custom for any groom marrying the daughter or sister of a man.
בהִנֵּה הוּא לָךְ כְּסוּת עֵינַיִם. מַלְבּוּשׁ שֶׁל כַּמָּה גְּוָנִים שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹבְשׁוֹת הַנָּשִׁים לְכָבוֹד, כִּי אָמְנָם הַמֹּהַר שֶׁנָּתַתִּי מוֹרֶה עַל כְּבוֹדֵךְ, שֶׁלֹּא לְקַחְתִּיךְ לְזוֹנָה וְלֹא לְפִילֶגֶשׁ, אֲבָל לְקַחְתִּיךְ לְאִשָּׁה, וְלֹא עֲזַבְתִּיךְ כָּל כָּךְ מְהֵרָה לוּלֵי ה' שֶׁהָיָה לָךְ וְהֻצְרַכְתִּי לְהַחֲזִירֵךְ.
2הנה לך כסות עינים, clothing consisting of a variety of colours which women used to wear as a mark of distinction. The dowry he gave her brother was intended to show that he did not consider her a whore but someone reputable, and that he did not mean her to be his concubine but his regular wife. Also, he meant that he would not have let Sarah go so easily except for Divine intervention which forced him to let her go.
גלְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ. לְעֵינֵי כָּל אֲשֶׁר אִתָּךְ וּבְנֵי בֵיתֵךְ:
3לכל אשר אתך, before the eyes of everybody, so that they know in your household that everything is above board.
דוְאֵת כֹּל וְנוֹכָחַת. וּבְעֵינֵי כָּל שׁוֹמֵעַ וּבְעֵינֵי כֹּל נוֹכַחַת, שֶׁתְּבַקֵּשׁ אוּלַי לִגְנוּתֵךְ כְּמִנְהַג הַנָּשִׁים הַמּוֹכִיחוֹת וּמְגַנּוֹת זוֹ אֶת זוֹ בְּמִילֵי דְּעֶרְוָה.
4ואת כל ונוכחת, and you will be perceived exonerated in every respect even in the eyes of those who would have felt tempted to interpret what happened to you in a negative light, reflecting discredit upon you.