Genesis 26:11
New International Version
So Abimelek gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

New Living Translation
Then Abimelech issued a public proclamation: “Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death!”

English Standard Version
So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Berean Standard Bible
So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

King James Bible
And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

New King James Version
So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

New American Standard Bible
So Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will certainly be put to death.”

NASB 1995
So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

NASB 1977
So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Amplified Bible
Then Abimelech commanded all his people, “Whoever touches this man [Isaac] or his wife [Rebekah] shall without exception be put to death.”

Christian Standard Bible
So Abimelech warned all the people, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly be put to death.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So Abimelech warned all the people with these words: “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly die.”

American Standard Version
And Abimelech charged all the people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Contemporary English Version
Then Abimelech warned his people that anyone who even touched Isaac or Rebekah would be put to death.

English Revised Version
And Abimelech charged all the people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Abimelech ordered his people, "Anyone who touches this man or his wife will be put to death."

Good News Translation
Abimelech warned all the people: "Anyone who mistreats this man or his wife will be put to death."

International Standard Version
So he issued this order to everyone: "Whoever touches this man or his wife is to be executed."

Majority Standard Bible
So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”

NET Bible
So Abimelech commanded all the people, "Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death."

New Heart English Bible
Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

World English Bible
Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Abimelech commands all the people, saying, “He who comes against this man or against his wife, dying does die.”

Young's Literal Translation
and Abimelech commandeth all the people, saying, 'He who cometh against this man or against his wife, dying doth die.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Abimelech will command all the people, saying, He touching this man and his wife, dying, shall die.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that shall touch this man's wife, shall surely be put to death.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Whoever will touch the wife of this man will die a death.”

New American Bible
Abimelech then commanded all the people: “Anyone who maltreats this man or his wife shall be put to death.”

New Revised Standard Version
So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Abimeleck charged all the people, saying, Whoever harms this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Abimelek commanded all the people and said, “Whoever molests this man or his wife shall surely be killed.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Abimelech charged all the people, saying: 'He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Abimelech charged all his people, saying Every man that touches this man and his wife shall be liable to death.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Isaac Deceives Abimelech
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 20:3-7
One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” / Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? / Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.” ...

Genesis 12:17-20
The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai. / 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 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 22:28
You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

Leviticus 18:26-30
But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you. / For the men who were in the land before you committed all these abominations, and the land has become defiled. / So if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it spewed out the nations before you. ...

Deuteronomy 5:18
You shall not commit adultery.

Deuteronomy 22:22-24
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. / If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her, / you must take both of them out to the gate of that city and stone them to death—the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. So you must purge the evil from among you.

1 Samuel 24:6
So he said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed. May I never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD’s anointed.”

2 Samuel 12:13-14
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. / Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”

Proverbs 6:29-32
So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. / Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger. / Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house. ...

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 19:18
“Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness,

Mark 10:19
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

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

John 8:3-11
The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them / 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 charged all his people, saying, He that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

toucheth.

Genesis 20:6
And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

Psalm 105:15
Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Proverbs 6:29
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

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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.














So Abimelech
The name "Abimelech" is of Hebrew origin, meaning "my father is king." This title was often used for Philistine kings, similar to "Pharaoh" in Egypt. Abimelech's role here is significant as a ruler who recognizes the sanctity of Isaac's marriage. Historically, the Philistines were a powerful group in the region, and their interactions with the patriarchs are pivotal in understanding the socio-political dynamics of the time.

warned all the people
The act of warning indicates a formal proclamation, suggesting Abimelech's authority and the seriousness of the decree. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, a king's word was law, and such proclamations were binding. This warning reflects a protective stance over Isaac and Rebekah, acknowledging the divine favor upon them.

saying, 'Whoever harms
The phrase "whoever harms" implies a broad and inclusive warning against any form of injury or wrongdoing. The Hebrew root for "harms" can also mean "touch" or "strike," indicating both physical harm and broader implications of wrongdoing. This reflects a deep respect for personal integrity and divine protection.

this man or his wife
The specific mention of "this man or his wife" highlights the sanctity of marriage and the protection of family units. In the biblical narrative, the protection of Isaac and Rebekah is crucial for the continuation of God's covenant promises. This phrase underscores the importance of marital fidelity and divine blessing in the lineage of the patriarchs.

shall surely be put to death
The phrase "shall surely be put to death" is a strong deterrent, emphasizing the seriousness of the offense. In Hebrew, the construction often used here is an emphatic form, indicating certainty and severity. This reflects the ancient legal systems where capital punishment was a means to maintain order and justice. The protection of Isaac and Rebekah is thus seen as a matter of divine justice, ensuring the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham's descendants.

Verse 11. - And Abimelech charged all his (literally, the) people, saying, He that toucheth - in the sense of injureth (cf. Joshua 9:19; Psalm 105:15) - this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. The similarity of this incident to that related in Genesis 20. concerning Abraham in Gerar may be explained without resorting to the hypothesis of different authors, The stereotyped character of the manners of antiquity, especially in the East, is sufficient to account for the danger to which Sarah was exposed recurring in the case of Rebekah three quarters of a century later. That Isaac should have resorted to the miserable expedient of his father may have been due simply to a lack of originality on the part of Isaac; or perhaps the recollection of the success which had attended his father's adoption of this wretched subterfuge may have blinded him to its true character. But from whatever cause resulting, the resemblance between the two narratives cannot be held as destroying the credibility of either, and all the more that a careful scrutiny will detect sufficient dissimilarity between them to establish the authenticity of the incidents which they relate.

CHAPTER 26:12-22

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

warned
וַיְצַ֣ו (way·ṣaw)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

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

saying,
לֵאמֹ֑ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Whoever harms
הַנֹּגֵ֜עַ (han·nō·ḡê·a‘)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5060: To touch, lay the hand upon, to reach, violently, to strike

this
הַזֶּ֛ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

man
בָּאִ֥ישׁ (bā·’îš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

or his wife
וּבְאִשְׁתּ֖וֹ (ū·ḇə·’iš·tōw)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

will surely
מ֥וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

be put to death.”
יוּמָֽת׃ (yū·māṯ)
Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT Law: Genesis 26:11 Abimelech commanded all the people saying He (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 26:10
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