Abraham claims he lied about Sarah being his wife because he thought there was no fear of God in that place - so people would kill him for her. He's saying: without God-consciousness, people become dangerous.
I teach ethics, and this phrase shows up when we talk about what constrains violence. Abraham believes that God-fear is a moral restraint. Without it, chaos.
It's not that non-believers are necessarily violent. But the text suggests that religious consciousness functions as a kind of brake on certain impulses. That's worth considering - what constrains harm in a society?
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