New American Standard Bible 2020
Genesis 20:3
31But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, 2you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is 3married.”
Genesis 20:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
- New International Version (NIV)But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."
- New King James Version (NKJV)But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
Context of Genesis 20:3
1Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he lived for a time in Gerar. 2And Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent men and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” 4Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You kill a nation, even though blameless? 5Did he himself not 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.”
Read all of Genesis 20Genesis 20:3 word by word
וַיָּבֹ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ בַּחֲל֣וֹם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ הִנְּךָ֥ מֵת֙ עַל־הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־לָקַ֔חְתָּ וְהִ֖וא בְּעֻ֥לַת בָּֽעַל׃Read the interlinear
- But Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- in a dreamחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472
- of the nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to him, “Beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
- you are a deadמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- man becauseעַל‛al · uponH5921
- of the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- whomאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- you have takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- marriedבַּעַלba‛al · master: menH1167
- marriedבָּעַלbâ‛al · rule: to marryH1166
Cross-references for Genesis 20:3
- Genesis 28:12And he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
- Genesis 31:24However, God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, “Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.”
- Genesis 37:5Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.
- Genesis 40:8And they said to him, “We have had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do interpretations not belong to God? Tell it to me, please.”
- Genesis 41:1Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.
- Job 4:12“Now a word was brought to me secretly, And my ear received a whisper of it.
- Job 33:15In a dream, a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls on people, While they slumber in their beds,
- Matthew 1:20But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 2:12And after being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
- Matthew 27:19And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
- Genesis 20:7Now then, 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.”
- Psalms 105:14He allowed no one to oppress them, And He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying,
- Ezekiel 33:14But when I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness,
- Jonah 3:4Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
Commentaries on Genesis 20:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3But God came to Abimelech - Thus we find that persons who were not of the family of Abraham had the knowledge of the true God. Indeed, all the Gerarites are termed צדיק גוי goi tsaddik, a righteous nation, Genesis 20:4.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. 3One night … God came … in a dream: God urgently intervened to stop Abimelech from harming Sarah's purity right before fulfilling his promise (18:10; 21:1–3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. But God came to Abimelech in a dream--In early times a dream was often made the medium of communicating important truths; and this method was adopted for the preservation of Sarah.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 20:3
In the dictionaries
Notes
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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