God’s Word Translation
Genesis 20:7
7Give the man’s wife back to him now, because he’s a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you don’t give her back, you and all who belong to you are doomed to die.”
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 tell me himself, ‘She’s my sister,’ and didn’t she even say, ‘He’s my brother’? I did this in all innocence and with a clear conscience.” 6“Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience,” God said to him in the dream. “In fact, I kept you from sinning against me. That’s why I didn’t let you touch her. Give the man’s wife back to him now, because he’s a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live. But if you don’t give her back, you and all who belong to you are doomed to die.” 8Early in the morning Abimelech called together all his officials. He told them about all of this, and they were terrified. 9Then Abimelech called for Abraham and asked him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you that you would bring such a serious sin on me and my kingdom? You shouldn’t have done this to me.”
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 a flask of olive oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “The Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and save them from all their enemies. This will be the sign that the Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people.
- 1 Kings 18:1A while later in the third year of the drought, the Lord spoke his word to Elijah: “Present yourself to Ahab. I will allow rain to fall on the ground.”
- 1 Corinthians 14:4When a person speaks in another language, he helps himself grow. But when a person speaks what God has revealed, he helps the church grow.
- Exodus 4:16Aaron will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will be like God.
- Exodus 7:1The Lord answered Moses, “I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is your prophet.
- Exodus 12:1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,
- Exodus 18:17Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you’re doing is not good.
- 1 Chronicles 16:22‘Do not touch my anointed ones or harm my prophets.’
- Psalms 25:14The Lord advises those who fear him. He reveals to them the intent of his promise.
- Psalms 105:9the promise that he made to Abraham, and his sworn oath to Isaac.
- Hebrews 1:1In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets.
- Leviticus 6:4you are sinning and will be guilty. Return what you stole or seized, what you were supposed to take care of, the lost item you found,
- 1 Samuel 7:5Then Samuel said, “Gather all the Israelites together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”
- 1 Samuel 12:19All the people pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us so that we will not die. We have added ⌞another⌟ evil thing to all our other sins by asking for a king.”
- 2 Samuel 24:17When David saw the Messenger who had been killing the people, he said to the Lord, “I’ve sinned. I’ve done wrong. What have these sheep done? Please let your punishment be against me and against my father’s family.”
- 1 Kings 13:6Then the king asked the man of God, “Please make an appeal to the Lord your God, and pray for me so that I can use my arm again.” So the man of God made an appeal to the Lord, and the king was able to use his arm again, as he had earlier.
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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