Genesis 20:7
in Genesis 20Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
KJV
Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
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This verse in Genesis 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseHe is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee - The word prophet, which we have from the Greek προφητες, and which is compounded of προ, before, and φημι, I speak, means, in its general acceptation, one who speaks of things before they happen, i.e., one who foretells future events. But that this was not the original notion of the word, its use in this place sufficiently proves. Abraham certainly was not a prophet in the present general acceptation of the term, and for the Hebrew נביא nabi, we must seek some other meaning.
This site's exposition
I have kept you from sinning against Me
on Genesis 20:6-7
God tells the king that the restraint was His own work. The line of promise is kept by God holding a foreigner back. Verse 7 carries the first use of the word prophet in Scripture, and it lands on Abraham, who is told to pray for the king.
This site's exposition
for he is a prophet
God tells Abimelech to return the man's wife, for Abraham is a prophet who will pray for him. Adam Clarke notes that prophet came to mean one who foretells, and Abraham foretells nothing here. The prophet's work in this verse is prayer.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The reason why the good Lord inflicted this penalty on the king, guiltless though he was of sin, was that he might accede to the just man's prayers and thus resolve the problem, thereby rendering the just man more famous and well known. You see, all God's planning and each arrangement he makes have the purpose of rendering conspicuous those who serve him, just like lamps, and making their virtue obvious in every way.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
(2.) Being a prophet, he shall pray for thee; this is a prophet's reward, and a good reward it is. It is intimated that there was great efficacy in the prayers of a prophet, and that good men should be ready to help those with their prayers that stand in need of them, and should make, at least, this return for the kindnesses that are done them.
Now therefore restore the man his wife,....
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֗ה | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| הָשֵׁ֤ב | hashev | return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֵֽשֶׁת־ | ʾeshet- | [the] wife of | H802 → | 781 times |
| הָאִישׁ֙ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נָבִ֣יא | navi' | [is] a prophet | H5030 → | |
| ה֔וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל | veyitpalel | so he may pray | H6419 → | 84 times |
| בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ | baadkha | for you | H1157 → | 105 times |
| וֶֽחְיֵ֑ה | vechyeh | and live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| וְאִם־ | veim- | and if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אֵֽינְךָ֣ | ʾeinekha | not [are] you | H369 → | 789 times |
| מֵשִׁ֗יב | meshiv | returning [her] | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| דַּ֚ע | da' | know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מ֣וֹת | mot | certainly <to die> | H4191 → | 839 times |
| תָּמ֔וּת | tamut | you will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אַתָּ֖ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לָֽךְ׃ | lakh | [belong] to <the> you |
וְעַתָּ֗הand therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
הָשֵׁ֤בreturn
hashevH7725 →1056 times
אֵֽשֶׁת־[the] wife of
ʾeshet-H802 →781 times
הָאִישׁ֙the man
haishH376 →1663 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
נָבִ֣יא[is] a prophet
navi'H5030 →
ה֔וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֥לso he may pray
veyitpalelH6419 →84 times
בַּֽעַדְךָ֖for you
baadkhaH1157 →105 times
וֶֽחְיֵ֑הand live
vechyehH2421 →282 times
וְאִם־and if
veim-H518 →1069 times
אֵֽינְךָ֣not [are] you
ʾeinekhaH369 →789 times
מֵשִׁ֗יבreturning [her]
meshivH7725 →1056 times
דַּ֚עknow
da'H3045 →945 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
מ֣וֹתcertainly <to die>
motH4191 →839 times
תָּמ֔וּתyou will die
tamutH4191 →839 times
אַתָּ֖הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־who
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
לָֽךְ׃[belong] to <the> you
lakh
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 13:4Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
it leads to
- Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
- Proverbs 5:15–23
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
- 1 Corinthians 7:2–16
But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.
- Galatians 5:19
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
- Genesis 1:27–28
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
- Genesis 2:24
Through
1 Chronicles 16:22‘Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!’
it leads to
- Psalms 105:15
“Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!”
- Psalms 105:15
Through
Job 42:8So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer…
it leads to
- Numbers 23:1
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.”
- James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
- Numbers 23:1
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Chuck Missler, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 45.23; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.