Genesis 20

Genesis · Chapter 20

Genesis 20:14

1And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.2And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.4But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?5Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.6And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.7Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.8Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.9Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.10And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?11And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.12And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.13And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.14And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.15And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.16And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.17So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.18For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
14And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he tookוַיִּקַּ֨חvai-yi-KACHH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ'a-vi-ME-lekhH0040G
Abimelech

אֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ (a.vi.me.lekh) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.20.2 § Abimelech = "Melek is father" or "my father is king" 1) king of Gerar in Abraham's time 2) king of Gath in David's time; maybe title of Philistine kings 3) son of Gideon by a concubine 4) priest, son of Abiathar

sheepצֹ֣אןtzonH6629G
flock

צֹאן (tson) 1) small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks 1a) small cattle (usually of sheep and goats) 1b) of multitude (simile) 1c) of multitude (metaphor)

and cattleוּבָקָ֗רu-va-KARH1241
cattle

בָּקָר (ba.qar) 1) cattle, herd, oxen, ox 1a) cattle (generic pl. but sing. in form-coll) 1b) herd (particular one) 1c) head of cattle (individually)

and [male] servantsוַעֲבָדִים֙va-'a-va-DIMH5650
servant/slave

עֲבַד (a.vad) servant, slave Aramaic of e.ved (עֶ֫בֶד "servant/slave" H5650)

and female servantsוּשְׁפָחֹ֔תu-she-fa-CHOTH8198
maidservant

שִׁפְחָה (shiph.chah) 1) maid, maid-servant, slavegirl 1a) maid, maid-servant (as belonging to a mistress) 1b) of address, speaker, humility (fig)

and he gave [them]וַיִּתֵּ֖ןvai-yi-TENH5414G
to give: give

נָתַן (na.tan) : give/deliver/send/produce 1) to give, put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend 1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate 1a3) to make, constitute 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned 1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted …

to Abrahamלְאַבְרָהָ֑םle-'av-ra-HAMH0085
Abraham

אַבְרָהָם (av.ra.ham) A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.26; son of: Terah (H8646); brother of: Nahor (H5152H), Haran (H2039) and Sarah (H8283); married to Sarah (H8283), Hagar (H1904) and Keturah (H6989); father of: Ishmael (H3458), Isaac (H3327), Zimran (H2175), Jokshan (H3370), Medan (H4091), Midian (H4080), Ishbak (H3435) and Shuah (H7744); also called Abram at Gen.11.26--17.5; 2x § Abraham = "father of a multitude" or "chief of multitude" friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God's elective covenant

and he restoredוַיָּ֣שֶׁבvai-YA-shevH7725G
to return: return

שׁוּב (shuv) : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) …

Sarahשָׂרָ֥הsa-RAHH8283
Sarah

שָׂרָה (sa.rah) A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.29; daughter of: Terah (H8646); sister of: Abraham (H0085), Nahor (H5152H) and Haran (H2039); married to Abraham (H0085); mother of: Isaac (H3327); also called Sarai at Gen.11.29,30,31; 12.5,11,17; 16.1,2,3,5,6,8; 17.15; § Sarah = "noblewoman" wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac

wife hisאִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃'ish-TOH0802H
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.