So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. And the men of the place asked about his wife. And (A)he said, “She is my sister”; for (B)he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is (C)beautiful to behold.” Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, [a]showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 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.’ ”

10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and (D)you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who (E)touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:8 caressing

So Isaac stayed in Gerar.(A)

When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,(B)” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.”

When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines(C) looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelek summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?(D)

Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.”

10 Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us?(E) One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

11 So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms(F) this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”(G)

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