Genesis 20:9

Genesis 20:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then 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.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, "What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.”

Context of Genesis 20:9

7You must now give her back to her husband. He is a prophet and he will pray for you. Because of that, you will not die. But if you do not give her back, you and all your people will surely die.’ 8Early the next morning, Abimelech called together his officers. He told them what had happened. When the officers heard about it, they were very afraid. Abimelech called Abraham to come to him. He said to Abraham, ‘Why have you done this bad thing against us? I have not done anything wrong against you. Now you have made me and the people in my kingdom guilty of a very bad thing. Nobody should ever do the things that you have done to me.’ 10Abimelech asked Abraham, ‘What caused you to do this?’ 11Abraham replied, ‘I did it because I was afraid. I thought, “The people here do not respect God. They will kill me so that they can take my wife from me.”

Genesis 20:9 word by word

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ לְאַבְרָהָ֗ם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֜וֹ מֶֽה־עָשִׂ֤יתָ לָּ֙נוּ֙ וּמֶֽה־חָטָ֣אתִי לָ֔ךְ כִּֽי־הֵבֵ֧אתָ עָלַ֛י וְעַל־מַמְלַכְתִּ֖י חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה מַעֲשִׂים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יֵֽעָשׂ֔וּ עָשִׂ֖יתָ עִמָּדִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
• calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, What hast thou doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• unto us? and what have I offendedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• thee, that thou hast broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• on me and on my kingdomמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
• a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• sinחֲטָאָהchăţâ'âh · sinH2401
• deedsמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deedH4639

Cross-references for Genesis 20:9

• Genesis 12:18So Pharaoh called Abram to come to him. Pharaoh said, ‘You have done this bad thing to me! You did not tell me that Sarai is your wife! Why not?
• Genesis 26:10Abimelech said, ‘You have done a bad thing against us! One of my men might have had sex with your wife. Then we would have been guilty of a bad sin.’
• Exodus 32:21Moses said to Aaron, ‘Why did you agree to do this? What did the people do to you? You have made them guilty of a great sin.’
• Joshua 7:25Joshua said, ‘Why did you cause so much trouble to come to us? The Lord will certainly give you trouble today!’ Then all the Israelites threw stones at him until he died. They also killed his family and they burned all the bodies.
• 1 Samuel 26:18David also said, ‘Why are you chasing after me, my master? What have I done that is wrong? Why am I guilty?
• Proverbs 28:10If you cause a good person to do evil things, your own evil trap will catch you. But people who do nothing wrong will receive good things.
• Genesis 38:24Three months later, someone told Judah, ‘Your dead son's wife, Tamar, has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant.’ Judah said, ‘Take her out of the town and burn her to death!’
• Genesis 39:9No one has more authority in this house than I do. My master keeps nothing from me, except you. That is because you are his wife. I could not do such a bad thing. I could not do a sin that is against God.’
• Leviticus 20:10If a man has sex with another man's wife you must kill him and the woman.
• 2 Samuel 12:5When David heard what the rich man had done, he became very angry. He said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, that man deserves to die.
• Romans 2:11God is always fair when he judges people, whoever they are.
• Hebrews 13:4When a man and a woman have married each other, they must each respect the marriage. Husbands and wives must only have sex with each other. God will punish anyone who has sex with another person's husband or wife. He will punish anyone who has sex in a wrong way.
• Genesis 34:7Jacob's sons now heard what had happened and they came home from the fields. They were very angry because Shechem had done such a bad thing. When he caught Dinah and had sex with her, he had brought shame on Jacob's family. It was a bad thing that nobody should ever do.
• 2 Samuel 13:12Tamar answered him, ‘Do not do this, my brother! Do not make me ashamed. Nobody in Israel would do such a wicked thing. Do not be so foolish!

Commentaries on Genesis 20:9

• 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. 9-13Verses 9-13 See here much to blame, even in the father of the faithful. Mark his distrust of God, his undue care about life, his intent to deceive. He also threw temptation in the way of others, caused affliction to them, exposed himself and Sarah to just rebukes, and yet attempted an excuse. These things are written for our warning, not for us to imitate. Even Abraham hath not whereof to glory. He cannot be justified by his works, but must be indebted…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10Abraham received rebukes from Abimelech and God (compare 12:17–19). Abimelech was upset because Abraham's lie made him guilty of this serious sin (see study note on 20:3–7). Abimelech understood that taking a married woman into his harem (a group of wives and concubines) was wrong.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said ... What hast thou done?--In what a humiliating plight does the patriarch now appear--he, a servant of the true God, rebuked by a heathen prince. Who would not rather be in the place of Abimelech than of the honored but sadly offending patriarch! What a dignified attitude is that of the king--calmly and justly reproving the sin of the patriarch, but respecting his person and heaping coals of fire on his head by…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 20:9

• Cowardice
• Ignorance
• Marriage
• Nation
• Sarah
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Abimelech
• Abraham
• Abraham, Abram
• Dream
• Restore
• Wander
• Atonement, Day of
• Deed
• Genesis
• Gerar

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