Genesis 20:16

Genesis 20:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And 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.
• New International Version (NIV)To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)To Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.

Context of Genesis 20:16

14Then Abimelech brought sheep and cows to give to Abraham. He also gave to Abraham male and female servants. And he gave Sarah back to Abraham. 15Abimelech said, ‘Look! See my land all round you. Go and live anywhere that you want to live.’ Abimelech said to Sarah, ‘I have given 1,000 pieces of silver to your brother. This is to show everyone that you yourself did nothing wrong. It will pay you for any trouble that you have received.’ 17Then Abraham prayed to God. As a result, God made Abimelech become well again. He also made Abimelech's wife and his female slaves become well, so that they could have children again. 18The Lord had made them unable to have children. He did this because of what happened to Abraham's wife, Sarah.

Genesis 20:16 word by word

וּלְשָׂרָ֣ה אָמַ֗ר הִנֵּ֨ה נָתַ֜תִּי אֶ֤לֶף כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לְאָחִ֔יךְ הִנֵּ֤ה הוּא־לָךְ֙ כְּס֣וּת עֵינַ֔יִם לְכֹ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתָּ֑ךְ וְאֵ֥ת כֹּ֖ל וְנֹכָֽחַת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And unto Sarahשָׂרָהώârâh · SarahH8283
• he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Behold, I have givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• thy brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• to thee a coveringכְּסוּתkesûth · coveringH3682
• of the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• thus she was reprovedיָכַחyâkach · to rebukeH3198

Cross-references for Genesis 20:16

• Genesis 20:5Abraham told me that Sarah was his sister. And she herself said, “I am his sister.” So I am not guilty! I did not think that I was doing a bad thing.’
• Proverbs 27:5When a friend is not afraid to warn you that you are wrong, it shows that he really loves you.
• Genesis 23:15‘Listen to me, sir. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver. But the price is not important, because we are friends. Now bury your dead wife there.’
• Genesis 23:16Abraham agreed to the price that Ephron had asked for. He weighed the correct amount of silver to give to Ephron. The Hittites there knew that it had been done properly. The weight of 400 shekels agreed with the weights that people used at that time.
• Genesis 26:11So Abimelech told his people, ‘I will kill anyone who hurts this man, or his wife.’
• Genesis 24:65She asked Abraham's servant, ‘I see a man in the field who is coming towards us. Who is he?’ The servant replied, ‘He is my master’. Rebekah covered her face with a piece of cloth.
• 1 Chronicles 21:3But Joab replied, ‘I pray that the Lord will make your army grow 100 times bigger! All your men are your faithful servants, my lord the king. But why do you want to do this? You will cause all Israel to become guilty.’
• Proverbs 9:8So do not warn proud people. They will only hate you. But if you warn a wise person, he will love you.
• Proverbs 12:1Do you want to know the right way to live? Then you must accept it when people warn you that you have done something wrong. Only stupid people hate it when people warn them.
• Proverbs 25:12When a wise person warns you, that is also a beautiful thing. It is like a gold ear-ring or a gold necklace.
• Jonah 1:6The ship's captain went to Jonah. He said, ‘Why are you sleeping like that? Get up now! Call to your god for help! Maybe he will listen to us and we will not die.’
• Revelation 3:19I help everyone that I love. When they have done wrong things, I tell them, ‘You have done a wrong thing.’ I show them the right thing that they should do. So be serious about how you live. Stop doing wrong things and turn to me.

Commentaries on Genesis 20:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16And unto Sarah he said - But what did he say? Here there is scarcely any agreement among interpreters; the Hebrew is exceedingly obscure, and every interpreter takes it in his own sense. A thousand pieces of silver - Shekels are very probably meant here, and so the Targum understands it. The Septuagint has , a thousand didrachma, no doubt meaning shekels; for in Genesis 23:15, Genesis 23:16, this translation uses for the Hebrew שקל shekel . As shakal…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
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 We often trouble ourselves, and even are led into temptation and sin, by groundless suspicions; and find the fear of God where we expected it not. Agreements to deceive generally end in shame and sorrow; and restraints from sin, though by suffering, should be thankfully acknowledged. Though the Lord rebuke, yet he will pardon and deliver his people, and he will give them favour in the sight of those with whom they sojourn; and overrule their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16Abimelech showed he was an honorable person by making things right (see study note on 20:4–5). He made things right by letting Abraham live in the area. He also gave him slaves, livestock (compare 21:27), and 1,000 pieces of silver to make up for any wrong done to Sarah.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 20:16

• Falsehood
• Good for Evil
• Ignorance
• Marriage
• Money
• Silver

In the dictionaries

• Sarah
• Sarah; Sarai
• Covering of the eyes
• Abimelech
• Abraham
• Coin
• Dream
• Money
• Pieces
• Restore

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