Genesis 26:9
New International Version
So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

New Living Translation
Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” “Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.

English Standard Version
So Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’”

Berean Standard Bible
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”

King James Bible
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

New King James Version
Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”

New American Standard Bible
Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she certainly is your wife! So how is it that you said, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘otherwise I might be killed on account of her.’”

NASB 1995
Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister ‘?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘I might die on account of her.’”

NASB 1977
Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’”

Amplified Bible
Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “See here, Rebekah is in fact your wife! How did you [dare to] say to me, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I might be killed because of her [desirability].”

Christian Standard Bible
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’? ” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”

American Standard Version
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die because of her.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Abimelek called to Isaaq and said to him, “Behold, she is your wife; how were you saying ‘she is my sister?’” Isaaq said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I shall die because of her.’

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said to him, Is she then thy wife? why hast thou said, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, I did so, for I said, Lest at any time I die on her account.

Contemporary English Version
Abimelech called him in and said, "Rebekah must be your wife! Why did you say she is your sister?" "Because I thought someone would kill me," Isaac answered.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And calling for him, he said: It is evident she is thy wife: why didst thou feign her to be thy sister? He answered: I feared lest I should die for her sake.

English Revised Version
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Abimelech called for Isaac and said, "So she's really your wife! How could you say, 'She's my sister'?" Isaac answered him, "I thought I would be killed because of her."

Good News Translation
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, "So she is your wife! Why did you say she was your sister?" He answered, "I thought I would be killed if I said she was my wife."

International Standard Version
So Abimelech called Isaac and confronted him. "She is definitely your wife!" he accused him, "So why did you claim, 'She's my sister?'" Isaac responded, "Because I had thought '…otherwise, I'll die on account of her.'"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said: 'Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou: She is my sister?' And Isaac said unto him: 'Because I said: Lest I die because of her.'

Literal Standard Version
And Abimelech calls for Isaac and says, “Behold, she [is] surely your wife; and how could you have said, She [is] my sister?” And Isaac says to him, “Because I said, Lest I die for her.”

Majority Standard Bible
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”

New American Bible
He called for Isaac and said: “She must certainly be your wife! How could you have said, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “I thought I might lose my life on her account.”

NET Bible
So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "She is really your wife! Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac replied, "Because I thought someone might kill me to get her."

New Revised Standard Version
So Abimelech called for Isaac, and said, “So she is your wife! Why then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought I might die because of her.”

New Heart English Bible
Abimelech called Isaac, and said, "Look, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister?'" Isaac said to him, "Because I thought, 'Lest I die because of her.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, surely she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? and Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I should die on her account.

World English Bible
Abimelech called Isaac, and said, “Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister?’” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die because of her.’”

Young's Literal Translation
And Abimelech calleth for Isaac, and saith, 'Lo, she is surely thy wife; and how hast thou said, She is my sister?' and Isaac saith unto him, 'Because I said, Lest I die for her.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Isaac Deceives Abimelech
8When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. 9Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” 10“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”…

Cross References
Genesis 26:8
When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

Genesis 26:10
"What is this you have done to us?" asked Abimelech. "One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us."


Treasury of Scripture

And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is your wife; and how said you, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

Jump to Previous
Abimelech Abim'elech Account Clear Death Die Fear Isaac Really Sister Summoned Surely Surety Thought Wife
Jump to Next
Abimelech Abim'elech Account Clear Death Die Fear Isaac Really Sister Summoned Surely Surety Thought Wife
Genesis 26
1. Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him.
7. He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife.
12. He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity.
18. He digs wells.
23. God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26. and Abimelech makes a covenant with him.
34. Esau's wives.














Verse 9. - And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said (sc. in my heart, or to myself), Lest I die for her.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

sent for
וַיִּקְרָ֨א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

Isaac
לְיִצְחָ֗ק (lə·yiṣ·ḥāq)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

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

“So she
הִ֔וא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is really
אַ֣ךְ (’aḵ)
Adverb
Strong's 389: A particle of affirmation, surely

your wife!
אִשְׁתְּךָ֙ (’iš·tə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

How
וְאֵ֥יךְ (wə·’êḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 349: How?, how!, where

could you say,
אָמַ֖רְתָּ (’ā·mar·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘She
הִ֑וא (hî)
Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

is my sister’?”
אֲחֹ֣תִי (’ă·ḥō·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 269: Sister -- a sister

Isaac
יִצְחָ֔ק (yiṣ·ḥāq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3327: Isaac -- 'he laughs', son of Abraham and Sarah

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

“Because
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I thought
אָמַ֔רְתִּי (’ā·mar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

I might
פֶּן־ (pen-)
Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

die
אָמ֖וּת (’ā·mūṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

on account of her.”
עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


Links
Genesis 26:9 NIV
Genesis 26:9 NLT
Genesis 26:9 ESV
Genesis 26:9 NASB
Genesis 26:9 KJV

Genesis 26:9 BibleApps.com
Genesis 26:9 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 26:9 Chinese Bible
Genesis 26:9 French Bible
Genesis 26:9 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 26:9 Abimelech called Isaac and said Behold surely (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 26:8
Top of Page
Top of Page