Genesis 20:7

Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks to King Abimelech in a dream to command the immediate return of Abraham’s wife. The directive follows God’s prior statement that He restrained Abimelech from sinning by touching her.

The words — The imperative הָשֵׁ֤ב (ha.Shev) commands “return,” while נָבִ֣יא (na.Vi’) identifies Abraham as a “prophet” whose prayer will secure Abimelech’s life.

The thread — The connection between prophetic intercession and preservation appears in 1 Samuel 7:5 and Job 42:8, while the safeguarding of marital boundaries aligns with Hebrews 13:4.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate restitution of the wronged wife to avert corporate death, establishing that obedience to God’s command preserves life.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

Cross-references

Job 42:8 So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”
1 Samuel 7:5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
2 Samuel 24:17 When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “Surely I, the shepherd, have sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house.”
Numbers 16:32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
1 Kings 13:6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him as it was before.
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the spot to cure my leprosy.
1 Chronicles 16:22 ‘Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!’
Revelation 11:5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.
Genesis 2:17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”