New King James Version
Genesis 20:3
3But 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.”
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 Living Translation (NLT)But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
Context of Genesis 20:3
1And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 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.” 4But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- But Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- to Abimelechאֲבִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăbîymelek · AbimelechH40
- in a dreamחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472
- by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- a dead manמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- for the womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- which thou hast takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- a man’sבַּעַלba‛al · master: menH1167
- wifeבָּעַלbâ‛al · rule: to marryH1166
Cross-references for Genesis 20:3
- Genesis 28:12Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
- Genesis 31:24But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”
- Genesis 37:5Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
- Genesis 40:8And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.” So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
- Genesis 41:1Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.
- Job 4:12“Now a word was secretly brought to me, And my ear received a whisper of it.
- Job 33:15In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds,
- Matthew 1:20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 2:12Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
- Matthew 27:19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”
- Genesis 20:7Now 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.”
- Psalms 105:14He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
- Ezekiel 33:14Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right,
- Jonah 3:4And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall 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
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries