Genesis 20:3

KJV1611 – Modern English

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by 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.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַיָּבֹ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ בַּחֲל֣וֹם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ הִנְּךָ֥ מֵת֙ עַל־הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־לָקַ֔חְתָּ וְהִ֖וא בְּעֻ֥לַת בָּֽעַל׃

Transliteration

wə-yāḇō' 'ĕlōhîm to-'ăḇîmeleḵ in-ḥălôm ha-laylāh wə-yō'mer to-him behold-you mēṯ on-hā-'iššāh that-lāqaḥtā and-she bə'ūlaṯ bā'al

Grammar Details

• *wə-yāḇō'*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he came
• *'ĕlōhîm*: common noun, masculine plural (used as singular) - God
• *'ăḇîmeleḵ*: proper noun, masculine singular - Abimelech
• *ḥălôm*: common noun, masculine singular construct - dream of
• *ha-laylāh*: definite article + common noun, masculine singular - the night
• *wə-yō'mer*: waw consecutive + Qal imperfect 3rd masculine singular - and he said
• *lô*: preposition + 3rd masculine singular suffix - to him
• *hinnəḵā*: interjection + 2nd masculine singular suffix - behold you
• *mēṯ*: Qal participle masculine singular - dying/dead
• *hā-'iššāh*: definite article + common noun, feminine singular - the woman
• *lāqaḥtā*: Qal perfect 2nd masculine singular - you have taken
• *bə'ūlaṯ*: Qal passive participle, feminine singular construct - married to
• *bā'al*: common noun, masculine singular - husband/lord/master

Word Meanings

• *yāḇō'*: come/enter/arrive
• *'ĕlōhîm*: God/gods/divine beings/judges
• *ḥălôm*: dream/vision during sleep
• *mēṯ*: dying/dead/about to die
• *bə'ūlaṯ bā'al*: married to a husband/owned by a master/possessed by an owner

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  But God came to Abimelech in a dream during the night and said to him, 'You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.'

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And God came to Abimelech by nyghte in a dreame and sayde to him: Se thou art but a deed man for the womas sake which thou hast taken awaye for she is a mans wyfe.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But God came to Abimelech by night in a dreame, & sayde vnto him: Beholde, thou art but a deed man, for the womans sake which thou hast taken, for she is a mans wife.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  But God came to Abimelech in a dreame by night, and said to him, Beholde, thou art but dead, because of the woman, which thou hast taken: for she is a mans wife.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  But God came to Abimelech by night in a dreame, and saide to hym: See, thou art but a dead man for the womans sake whiche thou hast taken away, for she is a mans wyfe.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ 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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  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."

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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.'

• 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.

• 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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

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

• World English Bible (2000)

  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."

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him,“You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.”

Referenced Verses

• Gen 20:7 : 7 Now therefore restore the man his wife, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you, and you shall live: and if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that belong to you.
• Job 33:15 : 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
• Ps 105:14 : 14 He allowed no man to do them wrong: yes, he reproved kings for their sakes;
• Matt 1:20 : 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
• Matt 27:19 : 19 When he sat down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.
• Matt 2:12-13 : 12 And being warned by God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13 And when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
• Ezek 33:14-15 : 14 Again, when I say to the wicked, You shall surely die; if he turns from his sin, and does that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, walks in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.
• Jonah 3:4 : 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city, a day's journey, and he cried out, saying, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
• Gen 28:12 : 12 And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
• Gen 31:24 : 24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, Beware that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
• Gen 37:5 : 5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brothers: and they hated him even more.
• Gen 37:9 : 9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed to me.
• Gen 40:8 : 8 And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams, please.
• Gen 41:1-9 : 1 At the end of two full years, Pharaoh had a dream, and saw himself standing by the river. 2 And saw seven well-favored and fat-fleshed cows come up out of the river, and they grazed in a meadow. 3 Then seven other cows, poor and thin-fleshed, came up after them out of the river, and stood by the other cows on the bank of the river. 4 And the poor and thin-fleshed cows ate up the seven well-favored and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke. 5 Then he slept and dreamed a second time, and saw seven ears of corn come up on one stalk, full and ripe. 6 Then seven ears, thin and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 7 And the thin ears swallowed the seven full and ripe ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and indeed, it was a dream. 8 In the morning, his spirit was troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but no one could interpret them for Pharaoh. 9 Then the chief butler spoke to Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day: 10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, both me and the chief baker. 11 And we each had a dream in one night, he and I; each of us dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. 12 There with us was a young Hebrew man, a servant of the captain of the guard, and we told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us, to each man according to his dream. 13 And it came to pass, just as he interpreted for us, so it was; he restored me to my office, and he hanged the other. 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothes, and came to Pharaoh. 15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you, that you can understand a dream to interpret it. 16 So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream, I stood on the bank of the river. 18 And saw seven cows come up out of the river, fat-fleshed and well-favored, and they grazed in a meadow. 19 Then seven other cows came up after them, poor, very ugly and thin, which I had never seen in all the land of Egypt for ugliness. 20 And the thin and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows. 21 When they had devoured them, it could not be known that they had eaten them, for they were still as ugly as before. So I awoke. 22 Then I saw in my dream, and saw seven ears come up on one stalk, full and good. 23 Then seven ears, withered, thin, and scorched by the east wind, sprouted up after them. 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. So I told this to the magicians, but no one could explain it to me. 25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 And the seven thin and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears scorched by the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing that I have spoken to Pharaoh. God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance will come throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 But after them seven years of famine will arise, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be known because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very severe. 32 As for the dream being repeated to Pharaoh twice, it means that the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. 33 Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. 35 Let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under Pharaoh's authority, and let them keep food in the cities. 36 This food shall be in reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.
• Job 4:12-13 : 12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a little of it. 13 In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men,