Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” New Living Translation Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” “Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied. English Standard Version So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” Berean Standard Bible Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” King James Bible And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. New King James Version Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ” New American Standard Bible Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she certainly is your wife! So how is it that you said, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘otherwise I might be killed on account of her.’” NASB 1995 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister ‘?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘I might die on account of her.’” NASB 1977 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Legacy Standard Bible Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” Amplified Bible Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “See here, Rebekah is in fact your wife! How did you [dare to] say to me, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I might be killed because of her [desirability].” Christian Standard Bible Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’? ” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” Holman Christian Standard Bible Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” American Standard Version And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die because of her. Contemporary English Version Abimelech called him in and said, "Rebekah must be your wife! Why did you say she is your sister?" "Because I thought someone would kill me," Isaac answered. English Revised Version And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. GOD'S WORD® Translation Abimelech called for Isaac and said, "So she's really your wife! How could you say, 'She's my sister'?" Isaac answered him, "I thought I would be killed because of her." Good News Translation Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, "So she is your wife! Why did you say she was your sister?" He answered, "I thought I would be killed if I said she was my wife." International Standard Version So Abimelech called Isaac and confronted him. "She is definitely your wife!" he accused him, "So why did you claim, 'She's my sister?'" Isaac responded, "Because I had thought '…otherwise, I'll die on account of her.'" Majority Standard Bible Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” NET Bible So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac replied, "Because I thought someone might kill me to get her." New Heart English Bible Abimelech called Isaac, and said, "Look, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister?'" Isaac said to him, "Because I thought, 'Lest I die because of her.'" Webster's Bible Translation And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, surely she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? and Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I should die on her account. World English Bible Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister?’” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd Abimelech calls for Isaac and says, “Behold, she [is] surely your wife; and how could you have said, She [is] my sister?” And Isaac says to him, “Because I said, Lest I die for her.” Young's Literal Translation And Abimelech calleth for Isaac, and saith, 'Lo, she is surely thy wife; and how hast thou said, She is my sister?' and Isaac saith unto him, 'Because I said, Lest I die for her.' Smith's Literal Translation And Abimelech will call to Isaak, and will say, Surely, behold, she thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaak will say to him, Because I said, Lest I shall die for her. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd calling for him, he said: It is evident she is thy wife: why didst thou feign her to be thy sister? He answered: I feared lest I should die for her sake. Catholic Public Domain Version And summoning him, he said: “It is clear that she is your wife. Why did you falsely claim her to be your sister?” He answered, “I was afraid, lest I might die because of her.” New American Bible He called for Isaac and said: “She must certainly be your wife! How could you have said, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “I thought I might lose my life on her account.” New Revised Standard Version So Abimelech called for Isaac, and said, “So she is your wife! Why then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I might die because of her.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleSo Abimeleck called Isaac, and said, Behold, she is your wife; how then did you say, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I may die on account of her. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Abimelek called to Isaaq and said to him, “Behold, she is your wife; how were you saying ‘she is my sister?’” Isaaq said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I shall die because of her.’ OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Abimelech called Isaac, and said: 'Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou: She is my sister?' And Isaac said unto him: 'Because I said: Lest I die because of her.' Brenton Septuagint Translation And Abimelech called Isaac, and said to him, Is she then thy wife? why hast thou said, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, I did so, for I said, Lest at any time I die on her account. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Isaac Deceives Abimelech…8When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” 10“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”… Cross References Genesis 12:11-13 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, / and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. / Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.” Genesis 20:2-5 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him. / One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” / Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? ... Genesis 20:9-10 Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.” / Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?” Genesis 12:18-19 So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? / Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” Genesis 20:11-13 Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’ / Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife. / So when God had me journey from my father’s house, I said to Sarah, ‘This is how you can show your loyalty to me: Wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Proverbs 12:19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Proverbs 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish. Proverbs 21:6 Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit. Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another. John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. Revelation 21:8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” 1 John 2:21 I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 1 Peter 3:10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. Treasury of Scripture And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is your wife; and how said you, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. Jump to Previous Abimelech Abim'elech Account Clear Death Die Fear Isaac Really Sister Summoned Surely Surety Thought WifeJump to Next Abimelech Abim'elech Account Clear Death Die Fear Isaac Really Sister Summoned Surely Surety Thought WifeGenesis 26 1. Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him.7. He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife. 12. He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity. 18. He digs wells. 23. God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him; 26. and Abimelech makes a covenant with him. 34. Esau's wives. So Abimelech summoned Isaac The name "Abimelech" is a title used for Philistine kings, similar to "Pharaoh" in Egypt. This particular Abimelech is likely a successor to the one who interacted with Abraham. The act of summoning indicates a position of authority and concern. Historically, the Philistines were a significant presence in the region, often interacting with the patriarchs. This summoning reflects the diplomatic and sometimes tense relationships between the patriarchs and local rulers. and said, 'She is really your wife! So why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? Isaac replied, 'Because I thought I might die on account of her.' Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ (’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 40: Abimelech -- 'father is king', a Philistine name, also an Israelite name sent for וַיִּקְרָ֨א (way·yiq·rā) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read Isaac לְיִצְחָ֗ק (lə·yiṣ·ḥāq) Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah and said, וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “So she הִ֔וא (hî) Pronoun - third person feminine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are is really אַ֣ךְ (’aḵ) Adverb Strong's 389: A particle of affirmation, surely your wife! אִשְׁתְּךָ֙ (’iš·tə·ḵā) Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female How וְאֵ֥יךְ (wə·’êḵ) Conjunctive waw | Interjection Strong's 349: How?, how!, where could you say, אָמַ֖רְתָּ (’ā·mar·tā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘She הִ֑וא (hî) Pronoun - third person feminine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are is my sister’?” אֲחֹ֣תִי (’ă·ḥō·ṯî) Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 269: Sister -- a sister Isaac יִצְחָ֔ק (yiṣ·ḥāq) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah replied, וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “Because כִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction I thought אָמַ֔רְתִּי (’ā·mar·tî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 559: To utter, say I might פֶּן־ (pen-) Conjunction Strong's 6435: Removal, lest die אָמ֖וּת (’ā·mūṯ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Strong's 4191: To die, to kill on account of her.” עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (‘ā·le·hā) Preposition | third person feminine singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against Links Genesis 26:9 NIVGenesis 26:9 NLT Genesis 26:9 ESV Genesis 26:9 NASB Genesis 26:9 KJV Genesis 26:9 BibleApps.com Genesis 26:9 Biblia Paralela Genesis 26:9 Chinese Bible Genesis 26:9 French Bible Genesis 26:9 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 26:9 Abimelech called Isaac and said Behold surely (Gen. Ge Gn) |