Kommentar zu Bereschit 20:17

וילדו AND THEY BROUGHT FORTH — Explain it as the Targum takes it: “and they were relieved” — their channels were opened (cf. 5:9) and they brought forth their secretions — and this is לידה “bringing forth”, as far as they are concerned.

‘VAYEILEIDU’ (AND THEY BORE CHILDREN). If this is understood literally as referring to his wife, and his maidservants and stating that the Eternal had restrained their wombs, it is astonishing! For it appears that on the first night that Sarah was taken to Abimelech’s house, and he had not even approached her,²⁹⁴Verse 4 here. G-d immediately came to him in the dream, and in the morning he rose early and called his servants and also Abraham.²⁹⁵Verses 8-9 here. When then did they experience this restraining of the womb? Perhaps it so happened that they were in their due time, experiencing the pangs of childbirth, unable to be relieved by giving birth. Perhaps, also, Abraham delayed his prayer for many days. But according to this interpretation, the nature of Abimelech’s healing as well as his sickness have not been explained in Scripture.
Now Rashi comments: “Vayeileidu — and they were relieved,²⁹⁶In our Rashi: “Explain it as the Targum does, ‘and they were relieved.’” their channels were opened, and they brought forth their wastes. This was the leidah (bringing forth) as it referred to them. All the wombs means every opening of the body.”
But this is not correct. Even if we were to say concerning the word vayeileidu that it means “bringing forth” — as we do indeed find the word leidah used in many contexts, such as: Yea, he conceiveth mischief ‘veyolad’ (and bringeth forth) falsehood;²⁹⁷Psalms 7:15. Before the decree ‘ledeth’ (bring forth);²⁹⁸Zephaniah 2:2. for thou knowest not what a day ‘yolad’ (may bring forth),²⁹⁹Proverbs 27:1. meaning what the days will bring forth and originate — but the word rechem (womb) never refers to any other openings. This is not contradicted by the verse, Or, who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, and issued out of the womb,³⁰⁰Job 38:8. for this is merely a figure of speech,³⁰¹Meaning when the sea broke from the abyss, where it was formed as a child in his mother’s womb. (Ramban in his commentary to Job, ibid.,) similar to “the belly of the earth.”³⁰²See Jonah 2:3, the belly of the netherworld.
Now Onkelos’ opinion is not like that of the Rabbi³⁰³Rashi. for even if he translated, “and they were relieved,” yet the word rechem (womb) he renders literally as “the opening for giving birth to a child.” However, [the reason why Onkelos translated it, “and they were relieved,” and not “and they gave birth,” is that] he wanted to include Abimelech also in the word vayeileidu.
In Bereshith Rabbah³⁰⁴52:14. it is said: “For the Eternal had fast closed up (‘atzor atzar’),³⁰⁵Verse 18 here. i.e., closed up the mouth, closed up the neck, closed up the eye, closed up the ear, closed up above,³⁰⁶“Above… below,” a reference to urination, the minor function of the body, and defecation, the major function. and closed up below.” Now the Rabbis derived this exposition from the double usage of the expression, atzor atzar, but they did not explain the expression, every womb, as meaning every opening of the body.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that from the day Sarah was taken to Abimelech’s house, Abimelech was stricken in his limbs and was unable to fulfill his needs. This is [what the verse alludes to when it says], Therefore I did not suffer thee to touch her,³⁰⁷Verse 6 here. as “touching” or “approaching” women are euphemisms for sexual intercourse, as in the verse, Draw not near a woman;³⁰⁸Exodus 19:15. And I came unto the prophetess.³⁰⁹Isaiah 8:3. And He restrained the wombs of his wife and his maidservants who were pregnant so they could not give birth. “Restraining a womb” means that the woman could not conceive, even as it says, And the Eternal had closed up her womb.³¹⁰I Samuel 1:5. But “restraining the womb” denotes inability to give birth, similar in usage to the verse, He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go forth.³¹¹Lamentations 3:7.
Sarah stayed in Abimelech’s house many days, and Abimelech did not repent his way as he did not understand his transgression until G-d came to him in a dream and informed him of it. Now Scripture does not explain Abimelech’s sickness explicitly but mentions it only by hint in an ethical manner and out of respect for Sarah. After Abraham’s prayer, Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants were healed, and the women gave birth.

ויתפלל...את אבימלך, he again possessed an active libido, just as he had before G’d struck him.