The Meaning of Genesis 20:12 Explained

Genesis 20:12

KJV: And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

YLT: and also, truly she is my sister, daughter of my father, only not daughter of my mother, and she becometh my wife;

Darby: But she is also truly my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

ASV: And moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And yet indeed  [she is] my sister;  she [is] the daughter  of my father,  but not the daughter  of my mother;  and she became my wife. 

What does Genesis 20:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 20:1-18 - Abraham Again Denies His Wife
It is wonderful that Abraham should fall like this. He had walked with God for so many years, and experienced so many deliverances, that we should have expected him to have reached an unassailable position. But the best of men are men at the best; and God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, remembers that we are dust. He often steps in by His providence to intercept the full consequences of our wrongdoing, provided always that our heart is really true to Him. There is delightful reassurance in the words, "I withheld thee." God may have to chastise His children for their backslidings, but He will not hand them over to the will of their enemies, nor allow His covenant to fail. He rebukes king's for the sake of His people. See Psalms 105:15. There is a high-toned morality in some who are outside our religious pale, which may put us to shame. It crops up in unexpected places, as here in Abimelech's remonstrance. It was terrible that He was compelled to address Abraham as in Genesis 20:9. God has direct dealings with such men, but they need our prayer and help. See Genesis 20:3; Genesis 20:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 20

1  Abraham sojourns at Gerar
2  Denies his wife, who is taken by Abimelech
3  Abimelech is reproved for her in a dream
9  He rebukes Abraham
14  Restores Sarah;
16  and reproves her
17  Abimelech and his family are healed at Abraham's prayer

What do the individual words in Genesis 20:12 mean?

But truly indeed my sister the daughter of my father she [is] but not of my mother And she became my wife
וְגַם־ אָמְנָ֗ה אֲחֹתִ֤י בַת־ אָבִי֙ הִ֔וא אַ֖ךְ לֹ֣א אִמִּ֑י וַתְּהִי־ לִ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה

וְגַם־  But  truly 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
אָמְנָ֗ה  indeed 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָמְנָה  
Sense: verily, truly, indeed.
אֲחֹתִ֤י  my  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
בַת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
אָבִי֙  of  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
הִ֔וא  she  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אִמִּ֑י  of  my  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
וַתְּהִי־  And  she  became 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִ֖י  my 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
לְאִשָּֽׁה  wife 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 20:12?

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