Genesis 20:12 BSB — MannaFest

Genesis 20:12

Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:

KJV

And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

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Commentary

4 voices

Jerome

Hebrew Questions on Genesis (420)

(Chapter 20, verse 12.) Truly my sister is from my father, but not from my mother. That is, her father is Aran, not her mother. But because it says in Hebrew: truly my sister is the daughter of my father, and not the daughter of my mother: and it sounds more likely that she should be called Abraham's sister, we say this in her defense, that at that time such marriages were not yet prohibited by law.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

And yet indeed she is my sister,.... In the same sense as Lot was his brother; for she was sister to Lot, and both were the children of Haran, the brother of Abraham: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; she was the daughter of his father, being his granddaughter, grandchildren are sometimes called children, but not the daughter or granddaughter of Abraham's mother; Terah having had two wives, by the one he had Haran, the father of Sarah, and by the other Abraham.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Some think she was own sister to Lot, who is called his brother Lot ( ch. xiv. 16 ), though he was his nephew; so Sarah is called his sister. But those to whom he said, She is my sister, understood that she was so his sister as not to be capable of being his wife; so that it was an equivocation, with an intent to deceive.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

She is my sister - I have not told a lie; I have suppressed only a part of the truth. In this place it may be proper to ask, What is a lie? It is any action done or word spoken, whether true or false in itself, which the doer or speaker wishes the observer or hearer to take in a contrary sense to that which he knows to be true. It is, in a word, any action done or speech delivered with the intention to deceive, though both may be absolutely true and right in themselves.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

13 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וְגַם־	ve.gam-	and also	H1571 →
אָמְנָ֗ה	'a.me.Nah	truly	H546 →
אֲחֹתִ֤י	'a.cho.Ti	[is] sister my	H269 →
בַת־	vat-	[the] daughter of	H1323 →
אָבִי֙	'a.Vi	father my	H1 →
הִ֔וא	hi'	she	H1931 →
אַ֖ךְ	'akh	only	H389 →
לֹ֣א	lo'	not	H3808 →
בַת־	vat-	[the] daughter of	H1323 →
אִמִּ֑י	'i.Mi	mother my	H517 →
וַתְּהִי־	va.te.hi-	and she became	H1961 →
לִ֖י	li	of me
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃	le.'i.Shah	<into> a wife	H802 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from every form of evil.
leads to
- 2 Corinthians 6:3
  We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.
- Philippians 4:8
  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.
- 2 Corinthians 8:20–21
  We hope to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31–33
  So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
- Romans 12:17
  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
Through
Genesis 12:13
Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”
leads to
- Genesis 26:7
  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…
- Genesis 20:12–13
  Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.
- Genesis 20:2
  Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.

Featured studies on this passage

Walks through Genesis 20

Sarah: Mother of Nations · MannaFest

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Walks through Genesis 20

Type-Scenes: the Stories Scripture Tells Twice

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About Genesis

The Creation of Light — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Genesis: the study guide →Read chapter 20 →The featured study →

Continue: Genesis 20 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Genesis

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Genesis