Genesis 26:8
6 So Isaac settled in Gerar.
7 But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
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.
9 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.”
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.”
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
- 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.
- KJV
- And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
- WEB
- When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.
- ASV
- And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
- DARBY
- And it came to pass when he had been there some time, that Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked out of the window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was dallying with Rebecca his wife.
- BLB
- And it came to pass, when the days had been prolonged to him there, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through the window, and he saw—and behold—Isaac was caressing Rebekah his wife.
- ÅB
- Da han nå hadde vært der en tid, hendte det engang at Abimelek, filistrenes konge, så ut gjennom vinduet og fikk se at Isak kjærtegnet Rebekka, sin hustru.
- OTB
- Etter at Isak hadde vært der en lang tid, så Abimelek, filisternes konge, ut av et vindu og så Isak kjærtegne sin kone Rebekka.
- B1930
- Da han nu hadde vært der en tid, hendte det engang at Abimelek, filistrenes konge, så ut gjennem vinduet og fikk se at Isak kjærtegnet Rebekka, sin hustru.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 62:5
For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
Read in contextProverbs 5:18–19
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
Read in contextProverbs 7:6
For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.
Read in contextSong of Solomon 2:9
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
Read in contextJudges 5:28
Sisera’s mother looked through the window; she peered through the lattice and lamented: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? What has delayed the clatter of his chariots?’
Read in contextEcclesiastes 9:9
Enjoy life with your beloved wife all the days of the fleeting life that God has given you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For this is your portion in life and in your labor under the sun.
Read in context