Genesis 26:9
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.”
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.
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.”
11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
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
- 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.”
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- 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.’”
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- Then Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, she is certainly thy wife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? and Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I die on account of her.
- BLB
- And Abimelech called to Isaac and said, “Surely behold, she [is] your wife! And how did you say, ‘She [is] my sister?’” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘lest I die on account of her.’”
- ÅB
- Da kalte Abimelek Isak til seg og sa: Hun er jo din hustru, hvor kunne du da si: Hun er min søster? Isak svarte: Jeg tenkte jeg kunne komme til å miste livet for hennes skyld.
- OTB
- Så Abimelek kalte Isak til seg og sa: «Hun er virkelig din kone! Hvorfor sa du: ‘Hun er min søster’?» Isak svarte: «Fordi jeg tenkte at jeg kunne bli drept på grunn av henne.»
- B1930
- Da kalte Abimelek Isak til sig og sa: Hun er jo din hustru, hvor kunde du da si: Hun er min søster? Isak svarte: Jeg tenkte jeg kunde komme til å miste livet for hennes skyld.