King James Version

Genesis 20:3

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּבֹ֧אvayavoand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…אֱלֹהִ֛יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְavimelekhAbimelechאֲבִימֶלֶךְnoun, proper name — “Abimelech”H40Abimelek, the name of two Philistine kings and of two IsraelitesAbimelech.בַּחֲל֣וֹםbachalomin dreamחֲלוֹםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in dream”, the ordinary formH2472a dreamdream(-er).הַלָּ֑יְלָהhalayelahthe nightלַיִלdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the night”, the ordinary formH3915properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity(mid-)night (season).וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to 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…ל֗וֹlvotoל֗וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toהִנְּךָ֥hinkhaloהִנֵּהparticle, demonstrative, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.מֵת֙metdieמוּתverb, qal, participle, absolute — “die”, a verb used as a describing wordH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הָאִשָּׁ֣הhaishahthe eachאִשָּׁהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the each”, the ordinary formH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.אֲשֶׁרasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…לָקַ֔חְתָּlaqachtatakeלָקַחverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “take”, a completed actionH3947to 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.וְהִ֖ואvehivand as for herהוּאconjunction, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and 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.בְּעֻ֥לַתbeulatbe husbandבָּעַלverb, qal, passive participle, construct — “be husband”, a verb used as a describing wordH1166to be master; hence, to marryhave dominion (over), be husband, marry(-ried, [idiom] wife).בָּֽעַלbaalhusbandבַּעַלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “husband”, the ordinary formH1167a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)[phrase] archer, [phrase] babbler, [phrase] bird, captain, chief man, [phrase] confederate, [phrase] have to do, [phrase] dreamer, those to whom it is due, [phrase] furious, those that are given to it, great, [phrase] hairy, he that hath i…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: 'Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.

Young’s Literal Translation

And God cometh in unto Abimelech in a dream of the night, and saith to him, 'Lo, thou [art] a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken — and she married to a husband.'

World English Bible

But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife.”

Darby Translation

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art [but] a dead man, because of the woman that thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

Douay-Rheims

And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: Lo thou shalt die for the woman thou hast taken: for she hath a husband.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: 'Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman, whom thou hast taken, whereas she has lived with a husband.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Ἀβιμέλεχ ἐν ὕπνῳ τὴν νύκτα, καὶ εἶπεν, ἰδοὺ σὺ ἀποθνήσκεις περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς, ἧς ἔλαβες· αὕτη δέ ἐστι συνῳκηκυῖα ἀνδρί.