Genesis 20:5
3 One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?
Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
6 Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.
7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
- KJV
- Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
- WEB
- Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
- ASV
- Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.
- DARBY
- Did he not say to me, She is my sister? and she, even she said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and in the innocency of my hands have I done this.
- BLB
- Did not he say to me, ‘She [is] my sister’? And even she herself said, ‘He [is] my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and in the innocence of my hands I have done this.”
- ÅB
- Har han ikke selv sagt til meg: Hun er min søster? Og hun har også sagt: Han er min bror. I mitt hjertes uskyldighet og med rene hender har jeg gjort dette.
- OTB
- Sa han ikke selv til meg: ‘Hun er min søster’? Og hun selv sa: ‘Han er min bror.’ Jeg har gjort dette med god samvittighet og uskyldige hender.»
- B1930
- Har han ikke selv sagt til mig: Hun er min søster? Og hun har også sagt: Han er min bror. I mitt hjertes uskyldighet og med rene hender har jeg gjort dette.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Psalms 7:8
The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity.
Read in context1 Kings 9:4
And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,
Read in contextProverbs 11:3
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the faithless destroys them.
Read in contextProverbs 20:7
The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him.
Read in context1 Thessalonians 2:10
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.
Read in contextJob 33:9
‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
Read in contextPsalms 25:21
May integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You.
Read in context1 Chronicles 29:17
I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.
Read in context