Genesis 26:9

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, "Surely, she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" Isaac replied, "Because I thought I might be killed on account of her."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ לְיִצְחָ֗ק וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַ֣ךְ הִנֵּ֤ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֙ הִ֔וא וְאֵ֥יךְ אָמַ֖רְתָּ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ יִצְחָ֔ק כִּ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי פֶּן־אָמ֖וּת עָלֶֽיהָ׃

Transliteration

and-wayyiqrāʾ ʾăbîmelek to-yiṣḥāq and-wayyōmer ʾak hinnēh your-wife she and-how ʾāmartā my-sister she and-wayyōmer to-him yiṣḥāq for ʾāmartî lest-ʾāmût on-her

Grammar Details

• *wayyiqrāʾ*: 3rd masculine singular Qal imperfect waw-consecutive of קרא - and he called
• *ʾăbîmelek*: proper noun - Abimelech
• *yiṣḥāq*: proper noun - Isaac
• *wayyōmer*: 3rd masculine singular Qal imperfect waw-consecutive of אמר - and he said
• *ʾak*: adverb - surely/indeed
• *hinnēh*: interjection - behold
• *ʾāmartā*: 2nd masculine singular Qal perfect of אמר - you said
• *ʾāmartî*: 1st singular Qal perfect of אמר - I said
• *ʾāmût*: 1st singular Qal imperfect of מות - I will die

Word Meanings

• *wayyiqrāʾ*: and he called/and he summoned
• *ʾak*: surely/indeed/certainly/only
• *ʾāmût* on-her: I would die because of her/I would be killed over her

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, certainly she is your wife: and how did you say, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And Abimelech sende for Isaac and sayde: se she is of a suertie thi wife and why saydest thou yt she was thi sister? And Isaac saide vnto hi: I thoughte yt I mighte peradventure haue dyed for hir sake.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Then Abimelech called Isaac, and sayde: Beholde, she is thy wyfe, why saydest thou then: She is my sister? Isaac answered him: I thought, I might peraduenture hahe died because of her.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Then Abimelech called Izhak, and sayde, Loe, shee is of a suertie thy wife, and why saydest thou, She is my sister? To whom Izhak answered, Because I thought this, It may be that I shall dye for her.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Abimelech called Isahac, and said: beholde, she is of a suretie thy wife, and why saydest thou, she is my sister? To whom Isahac aunswered: because I thought that I might peraduenture haue dyed for her sake.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  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.'"

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And Abimelech calleth for Isaac, and saith, `Lo, she `is' surely thy wife; and how hast thou said, She `is' my sister?' and Isaac saith unto him, `Because I said, Lest I die for her.'

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And he said to Isaac, It is clear that she is your wife: why then did you say, She is my sister? And Isaac said, For fear that I might be put to death because of her.

• World English Bible (2000)

  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.'"

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said,“She is really your wife! Why did you say,‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied,“Because I thought someone might kill me to get her.”