Why God Sealed Abimelech's House and Struck Him for Sarah

"For the LORD had fast closed up ('atzor 'atzar, lit. 'closing, He had closed')." Why is the closing-up doubled? Because they could neither pass water, nor relieve themselves, nor emit any semen at all. "Because of Sarah" — when Sarah would say to the angels, "Strike Abimelech," they would strike him; and when she would say to them, "Let him be," they would let him be. And from where do you say that Abimelech was stricken with great plagues, just as Pharaoh was stricken? And likewise, from where do you say that Pharaoh was stricken with closing-up, just as Abimelech was stricken? "Because of" / "because of" — by a verbal analogy (gezerah shavah).