Genesis 21:26
New International Version
But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

New Living Translation
“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered. “I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before.”

English Standard Version
Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.”

Berean Standard Bible
Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”

King James Bible
And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

New King James Version
And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor had I heard of it until today.”

New American Standard Bible
And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.”

NASB 1995
And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.”

NASB 1977
And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; neither did you tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, nor did I hear of it until today.”

Amplified Bible
Abimelech said, “I do not know who did this thing. Indeed, you did not tell me, and I did not hear of it until today.”

Christian Standard Bible
Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abimelech replied, “I don’t know who did this thing. You didn’t report anything to me, so I hadn’t heard about it until today.”

American Standard Version
And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abimelek said, “I did not know who did this matter, also you did not show me, neither had I heard except only today.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abimelech said to him, I know not who has done this thing to thee, neither didst thou tell it me, neither heard I it but only to-day.

Contemporary English Version
"This is the first I've heard about it," Abimelech replied. "Why haven't you said something before? I don't have any idea who did it."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abimelech answered: I knew not who did this thing: and thou didst not tell me, and I heard not of it till to day.

English Revised Version
And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Abimelech replied, "I don't know who did this. You didn't tell me, and I didn't hear about it until today."

Good News Translation
Abimelech said, "I don't know who did this. You didn't tell me about it, and this is the first I have heard of it."

International Standard Version
"I don't know who did this thing," Abimelech replied. "You didn't report this to me, and I didn't hear about it until today."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abimelech said: 'I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.'

Literal Standard Version
and Abimelech says, “I have not known who has done this thing, and even you did not declare to me, and I also, I have not heard except today.”

Majority Standard Bible
Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.”

New American Bible
“I have no idea who did that,” Abimelech replied. “In fact, you never told me about it, nor did I ever hear of it until now.”

NET Bible
"I do not know who has done this thing," Abimelech replied. "Moreover, you did not tell me. I did not hear about it until today."

New Revised Standard Version
Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.”

New Heart English Bible
Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done this thing. Neither did you tell me, neither did I hear of it, until today."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet have I heard of it, but to-day.

World English Bible
Abimelech said, “I don’t know who has done this thing. You didn’t tell me, and I didn’t hear of it until today.”

Young's Literal Translation
and Abimelech saith, 'I have not known who hath done this thing, and even thou didst not declare to me, and I also, I have not heard save to-day.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Covenant at Beersheba
25But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had seized, 26Abimelech replied, “I do not know who has done this. You did not tell me, so I have not heard about it until today.” 27So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.…

Cross References
Genesis 21:25
But when Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech's servants had seized,

Genesis 21:27
So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.


Treasury of Scripture

And Abimelech said, I know not who has done this thing; neither did you tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.

I wot.

Genesis 13:7
And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.

2 Kings 5:20-24
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him…

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Genesis 21
1. Isaac is born, and circumcised.
6. Sarah's joy.
8. Isaac is weaned.
9. Hagar and Ishmael sent away.
15. Hagar in distress.
17. The angel relieves and comforts her.
23. Abimelech's covenant with Abraham at Beersheba.














(26) I wot not.--This explains the reason of Abimelech's visit. The king's herdsmen had robbed Abraham of a well, a species of property jealously defended in the East because of its great value, and Abraham in some way had made his displeasure felt. Abimelech, ever friendly towards Abraham, by whose nobleness of character he had been greatly impressed, comes to learn the cause of the coolness, and to enter into a more close and lasting alliance with the patriarch. With Oriental indirectness, he makes no complaint, and speaks only of his wish for continued friendship, but by his allusion to his past kindness hints that this had not been received as it ought. Abraham fully understands his real meaning, and tells him what had happened; whereupon the matter is set right, and Abraham requites his previous generosity with gifts of cattle.

Verse 26. - And Abimelech said, I wet not who hath done this thing. There is no reason to question the sincerity of the Philistine monarch in disclaiming all knowledge of the act of robbery committed by his servants. Neither didst thou toll me, neither yet heard I of it, but today. The prince rather complains that Abraham had done him an injustice.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Abimelech
אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ (’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 40: Abimelech -- 'father is king', a Philistine name, also an Israelite name

replied,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I do not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know
יָדַ֔עְתִּי (yā·ḏa‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

who
מִ֥י (mî)
Interrogative
Strong's 4310: Who?, whoever, in oblique construction with prefix, suffix

has done
עָשָׂ֖ה (‘ā·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

this.
הַזֶּ֑ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

You
אַתָּ֞ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

did not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

tell
הִגַּ֣דְתָּ (hig·gaḏ·tā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5046: To be conspicuous

me,
לִּ֗י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

so I
אָנֹכִ֛י (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

have not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

heard
שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי (šā·ma‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

about it until today.”
בִּלְתִּ֥י (bil·tî)
Preposition
Strong's 1115: A failure of, not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until


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OT Law: Genesis 21:26 Abimelech said I don't know who has (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 21:25
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