Genesis 26 · Verse 10

Genesis 26:10

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.
Genesis 26:10, King James Version

Genesis 26:10 in other translations

BSB“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.”
WEBAbimelech 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!”
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd 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;'
DARBYAnd Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done to us? But a little and one of the people might have lain with thy wife, and thou wouldest have brought a trespass on us.
BBEThen Abimelech said, What have you done to us? one of the people might well have had connection with your wife, and the sin would have been ours.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Genesis 26:10 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 Thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us - It is likely that Abimelech might have had some knowledge of God's intentions concerning the family of Abraham, and that it must be kept free from all impure and alien mixtures; and that consequently, had he or any of his people taken Rebekah, the Divine judgment might have fallen upon the land. Abimelech was a good and holy man; and he appears to have considered adultery as a grievous and destructive crime.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 26:6-11

There is nothing in Isaac's denial of his wife to be imitated, nor even excused. The temptation of Isaac is the same as that which overcame his father, and that in two instances. This rendered his conduct the greater sin. The falls of those who are gone before us are so many rocks on which others have split; and the recording of them is like placing buoys to save future mariners. This Abimelech was not the same that…

Read the full comment on Genesis 26:6-11 →

Genesis 26:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֲבִימֶ֔לֶךְ'a.vi.Me.lekhAbimelechH40
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
זֹּ֖אתzotthisH2063
עָשִׂ֣יתָ'a.Si.tahave you doneH6213
לָּ֑נוּLa.nuto <the> us
כִּ֠מְעַטKim.'atlike a littleH4592
שָׁכַ֞בsha.Khavhe lay withH7901
אַחַ֤ד'a.Chadone ofH259
הָעָם֙ha.'Amthe peopleH5971
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אִשְׁתֶּ֔ךָ'ish.Te.khawife yourH802
וְהֵבֵאתָ֥ve.he.ve.Taand you will bringH935
עָלֵ֖ינוּ'a.Lei.nuon usH5921
אָשָֽׁם\׃'a.ShamguiltH817

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 26:10

  • 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? 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.

  • 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. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
12:18,19; 20:9,10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 26:9

    And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

  • Genesis 26:10

    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.

  • Genesis 26:11

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

Read all of Genesis 26

Genesis 26:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Abimelech dijo: ¿Por qué nos has hecho esto? Por poco hubiera dormido alguno del pueblo con tu mujer, y hubieras traído sobre nosotros el pecado.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Abimélec dit: Qu’est-ce que tu nous as fait? Car peu s’en est fallu que quelqu’un du peuple n’ait couché avec ta femme, et tu aurais fait venir la culpabilité sur nous.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Abimelech sprach: Was hast du uns da getan! Wenig fehlte, so hätte einer aus dem Volke bei deinem Weibe gelegen, und du hättest eine Schuld über uns gebracht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque Abimelech: Quare imposuisti nobis? potuit coire quispiam de populo cum uxore tua, et induxeras super nos grande peccatum. Præcepitque omni populo, dicens: