English Standard Version
Genesis 20:16
16To 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."
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.”
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”
Context of Genesis 20:16
14Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15And Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you." 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." 17Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Read all of Genesis 20Genesis 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 20:5Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this."
- Proverbs 27:5Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
- Genesis 23:15"My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead."
- Genesis 23:16Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
- Genesis 26:11So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."
- Genesis 24:65and said to the servant, "Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself.
- 1 Chronicles 21:3But Joab said, "May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?"
- Proverbs 9:8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
- Proverbs 12:1Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
- Proverbs 25:12Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
- Jonah 1:6So the captain came and said to him, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish."
- Revelation 3:19Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
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
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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Commentaries