Genesis 26:10
New International Version
Then Abimelek said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

New Living Translation
“How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”

English Standard Version
Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

Berean Standard Bible
“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

King James Bible
And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

New King James Version
And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”

New American Standard Bible
And Abimelech said, “What is this that you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

NASB 1995
Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

NASB 1977
And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”

Amplified Bible
Abimelech said, “What is this that you have done to us? One of the men [among our people] might easily have been intimate with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us [before God].”

Christian Standard Bible
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.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Abimelech said, “What is this you’ve done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”

American Standard Version
And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might easily have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

Contemporary English Version
"Don't you know what you've done?" Abimelech exclaimed. "If someone had slept with her, you would have made our whole nation guilty!"

English Revised Version
And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Abimelech said, "What have you done to us! One of the people might have easily gone to bed with your wife, and then you would have made us guilty of sin."

Good News Translation
"What have you done to us?" Abimelech said. "One of my men might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have been responsible for our guilt."

International Standard Version
"What have you done to us?" Abimelech asked. "Any minute now, one of the people could have had sex with your wife and you would have caused all of us to be guilty."

Majority Standard Bible
?What is this you have done to us?? asked Abimelech. ?One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.?

NET Bible
Then Abimelech exclaimed, "What in the world have you done to us? One of the men might easily have had sexual relations with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!"

New Heart English Bible
Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done to us? one of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldst have brought guiltiness upon us.

World English Bible
Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us!”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Abimelech says, “What [is] this you have done to us? As a little thing one of the people had lain with your wife, and you had brought on us guilt”;

Young's Literal Translation
And Abimelech saith, 'What is this thou hast done to us? as a little thing one of the people had lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us guilt;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Abimelech will say, What this thou didst to us? nearly one of the people lay with thy wife, and thou broughtest blame upon us.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Abimelech said: Why hadst thou deceived us? Some man of the people might have lain with thy wife, and thou hadst brought upon us a great sin. And he commanded all the people, saying:

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Abimelech said: “Why have you burdened us? Someone from the people could have lain with your wife, and you would have brought a great sin upon us.” And he instructed all the people, saying,

New American Bible
“How could you have done this to us!” exclaimed Abimelech. “It would have taken very little for one of the people to lie with your wife, and so you would have brought guilt upon us!”

New Revised Standard Version
Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Abimeleck said to him, What is this thing that you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought sin upon us.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Abimelek said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, after a little time, one of the people would have been lying down with your wife and you would have been bringing sin upon us!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abimelech said: 'What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might easily have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abimelech said to him, Why hast thou done this to us? one of my kindred within a little had lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought a sin of ignorance upon us.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Isaac Deceives Abimelech
9Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” 10“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”…

Cross References
Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”

Genesis 12:18-19
So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? / Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

Exodus 32:21
“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”

2 Samuel 12:9-10
Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. / Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

Leviticus 18:24-25
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. / Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants.

Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Proverbs 6:32-33
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. / Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away.

1 Samuel 12:23
As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

2 Samuel 24:10
After David had numbered the troops, his conscience was stricken and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

1 Kings 21:25
(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.

Matthew 5:27-28
You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ / But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 19:9
Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

Mark 10:11-12
So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. / And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

John 8:4-5
and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. / In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”


Treasury of Scripture

And Abimelech said, What is this you have done to us? one of the people might lightly have lien with your wife, and you should have brought guiltiness on us.

Genesis 12:18,19
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? …

Genesis 20:9,10
Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done…

Jump to Previous
Abimelech Abim'elech Connection Easily Guilt Guiltiness Hadst Lain Little Shouldest Sin Slept Trespass Wife Wouldest
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Abimelech Abim'elech Connection Easily Guilt Guiltiness Hadst Lain Little Shouldest Sin Slept Trespass Wife Wouldest
Genesis 26
1. Isaac, because of famine, sojourns in Gerar, and the Lord blesses him.
7. He is reproved by Abimelech for denying his wife.
12. He grows rich, and the Philistines envy his prosperity.
18. He digs wells.
23. God appears to him at Beersheba, and blesses him;
26. and Abimelech makes a covenant with him.
34. Esau's wives.














“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech.
Abimelech's question reflects a common theme in Genesis where foreign rulers confront the patriarchs about their deceptive actions. This echoes a similar situation with Abraham and Pharaoh in Genesis 12:18-19. The repetition of such events highlights the recurring human tendency towards fear and self-preservation, even among the patriarchs. Abimelech, likely a title rather than a personal name, was a Philistine king, and his question underscores the moral expectations even among pagan rulers of the time.

“One of the people could easily have slept with your wife,”
This phrase indicates the potential for serious transgression and the importance of marital fidelity, a value upheld across cultures. The mention of "one of the people" suggests the communal nature of guilt and responsibility in ancient societies. The Philistines, though often depicted as adversaries of Israel, are shown here to have a sense of moral order. This situation parallels the earlier incident with Sarah in Genesis 20, where God intervenes to prevent sin.

“and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
The concept of collective guilt is significant in the ancient Near Eastern context, where the actions of individuals could impact entire communities. This reflects the biblical principle that sin has communal consequences, as seen in stories like Achan's sin in Joshua 7. The Philistines' concern for avoiding guilt shows an awareness of divine justice, which transcends cultural boundaries. This incident foreshadows the broader biblical narrative of God's concern for all nations, not just Israel, and the universal need for righteousness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaac
The son of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac is a patriarch of Israel. In this chapter, he repeats a mistake similar to his father by claiming his wife is his sister.

2. Rebekah
Isaac's wife, who is involved in the deception. Her beauty prompts Isaac to fear for his life, leading to the lie.

3. Abimelech
The king of the Philistines in Gerar. He discovers Isaac's deception and confronts him, showing a sense of moral responsibility.

4. Gerar
A Philistine city where Isaac settles during a famine. It is the setting for the events of this chapter.

5. Deception
The event of Isaac lying about Rebekah being his sister, echoing Abraham's earlier deception with Sarah.
Teaching Points
The Repercussions of Deception
Deception can lead to unintended consequences and harm to others. Isaac's lie could have led to sin and guilt for the Philistines.

Fear and Faith
Isaac's fear led him to deceive, showing a lack of trust in God's protection. Believers are called to trust God rather than resort to deceit.

Moral Responsibility of Leaders
Abimelech's response shows that even those outside the covenant community can act with integrity and moral responsibility.

Generational Patterns
Isaac's actions mirror those of Abraham, suggesting the importance of breaking negative patterns and trusting God fully.

God's Sovereignty and Protection
Despite Isaac's failure, God protected Rebekah and maintained His covenant promises, demonstrating His faithfulness.Verse 10. - And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, - literally, within a little (cf. Psalm 73:2; Psalm 119:87) one of the people might have lain with thy wife - and thou shouldest - i.e. (within a little) thou mightest - have brought (or caused to come) guiltiness upon us (cf. Genesis 20:9, where חַטָּאָה is used instead of אָשָׁם).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“What
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

is this
זֹּ֖את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

you have done
עָשִׂ֣יתָ (‘ā·śî·ṯā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

to us?”
לָּ֑נוּ (lā·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's Hebrew

Abimelech
אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ (’ă·ḇî·me·leḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 40: Abimelech -- 'father is king', a Philistine name, also an Israelite name

said,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“One
אַחַ֤ד (’a·ḥaḏ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of the people
הָעָם֙ (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

could easily
כִּ֠מְעַט (kim·‘aṭ)
Preposition-k | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

have slept with
שָׁכַ֞ב (šā·ḵaḇ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7901: To lie down

your wife,
אִשְׁתֶּ֔ךָ (’iš·te·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

and you would have brought
וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ (wə·hê·ḇê·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

guilt
אָשָֽׁם׃ (’ā·šām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 817: Guilt, a fault, a sin-offering

upon us.”
עָלֵ֖ינוּ (‘ā·lê·nū)
Preposition | first person common plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Law: Genesis 26:10 Abimelech said What is this you have (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 26:9
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