King James Version

Genesis 12:19

Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

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Hebrew

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לָמָ֤הlamahto howמָהpreposition, particle, interrogative — “to how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.אָמַ֨רְתָּ֙amartasayאָמַרverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “say”, a completed actionH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֲחֹ֣תִיachotisisterאָחוֹתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “sister”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH269a sister (used very widely (like brother), literally and figuratively)(an-) other, sister, together.הִ֔ואhivas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.וָאֶקַּ֥חvaeqachand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and take”, the next action in the storyH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.אֹתָ֛הּotahobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).לִ֖יlitoלִ֖יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toלְאִשָּׁ֑הleishahto eachאִשָּׁהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.וְעַתָּ֕הveatahand this timeעַתָּהconjunction, adverb — “and this time”H6258at this time, whether adverb, conjunction or expletivehenceforth, now, straightway, this time, whereas.הִנֵּ֥הhinehloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ishtekhaeachאִשָּׁהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “each”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.קַ֥חqachtakeלָקַחverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “take”, a commandH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.וָלֵֽךְvalekheand carryיָלַךְconjunction, verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and carry”, a commandH3212to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)[idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took her to be my wife; now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

Young’s Literal Translation

Why hast thou said, She [is] my sister, and I take her to myself for a wife? and now, lo, thy wife, take and go.'

World English Bible

Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.”

Darby Translation

Why didst thou say, She is my sister, so that I took her as my wife. And now, behold, there is thy wife: take [her], and go away.

Douay-Rheims

For what cause didst thou say, she was thy sister, that I might take her to my wife? Now, therefore, there is thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took her to be my wife; now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Wherefore didst thou say, She is my sister? and I took her for a wife to myself; and now, behold, thy wife is before thee, take her and go quickly away.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἱνατί εἶπας ὅτι ἀδελφή μου ἐστίν; καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ γυναῖκα· καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἔναντί σου, λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε.