Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 20:7
7Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
Genesis 20:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Now 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
Context of Genesis 20:7
5Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.” 6Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.” 8Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things, and the men were terrified. 9Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
Read all of Genesis 20Genesis 20:7 word by word
וְעַתָּ֗ה הָשֵׁ֤ב אֵֽשֶׁת־הָאִישׁ֙ כִּֽי־נָבִ֣יא ה֔וּא וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ וֶֽחְיֵ֑ה וְאִם־אֵֽינְךָ֣ מֵשִׁ֗יב דַּ֚ע כִּי־מ֣וֹת תָּמ֔וּת אַתָּ֖ה וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Now therefore restoreשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- a prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- and he shall prayפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
- for theeבַּ֫עַדbe‛ad · about/through/forH1157
- and thou shalt liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
- not, knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- thou that thou shalt surelyמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
Cross-references for Genesis 20:7
- 1 Samuel 10:1Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it out on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?
- 1 Kings 18:1After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: “Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:4The person who speaks in a tongue builds himself up, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.
- Exodus 4:16He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him.
- Exodus 7:1The Lord answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.
- Exodus 12:1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
- Exodus 18:17“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’s father-in-law said to him.
- 1 Chronicles 16:22“Do not touch my anointed ones or harm my prophets.”
- Psalms 25:14The secret counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he reveals his covenant to them.
- Psalms 105:9the covenant he made with Abraham, swore to Isaac,
- Hebrews 1:1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways.
- Leviticus 6:4once he has sinned and acknowledged his guilt — he must return what he stole or defrauded, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost item he found,
- 1 Samuel 7:5Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”
- 1 Samuel 12:19They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.”
- 2 Samuel 24:17When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the Lord, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let your hand be against me and my father’s family.”
- 1 Kings 13:6Then the king responded to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of the Lord your God and pray for me so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God pleaded for the favor of the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.
Commentaries on Genesis 20:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7He is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee - The word prophet, which we have from the Greek , and which is compounded of , before, and , I speak, means, in its general acceptation, one who speaks of things before they happen, i.e., one who foretells future events. But that this was not the original notion of the word, its use in this place sufficiently proves. Abraham certainly was not a prophet in the present general acceptation of the term, and for the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-18Verses 1-18 - Abraham in Gerar 2. אבימלך .2 'ǎbı̂ymelek Abimelekh, “father of the king.” 7. נביא nābı̂y' “prophet,” he who speaks by God, of God, and to God, who declares to people not merely things future, but also things past and present, that are not obvious to the sense or the reason; related: “flow, go forth.” 13. התעוּ hı̂t‛û is plural in punctuation, agreeing grammatically with אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym ו (w), however, may be regarded as the third…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7Abraham's prayer saved the king's life and restored his family (20:17–18). Abimelech learned that Abraham's God was sovereign (meaning God has complete power and authority over everything). Abraham, as God's prophet, received God's messages and would pray for others (see Numbers 12:13; Deuteronomy 9:20). This was true even if he did not always act like a prophet.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-181. Abraham journeyed from thence ... and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur--Leaving the encampment, he migrated to the southern border of Canaan. In the neighborhood of Gerar was a very rich and well-watered pasture land.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 20:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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