Isaac and Abimelech

So Isaac settled in Gerar. When the men of the place asked him about his wife, (A)he said, “She is my sister,” for (B)he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah,” because (C)she was attractive in appearance. When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with[a] Rebekah his wife. 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.’” 10 Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and (D)you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 26:8 Hebrew may suggest an intimate relationship

So Isaac settled in Gerar.

Isaac’s Deception

When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,”(A) for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking,(B) “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.”(C) When Isaac had been there for some time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see[a] 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 answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”

10 Then Abimelech said, “What have you done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”(D) 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly be put to death.”

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Footnotes

  1. 26:8 Or and he looked and behold