The Meaning of Genesis 20:17 Explained

Genesis 20:17

KJV: So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

YLT: And Abraham prayeth unto God, and God healeth Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they bear:

Darby: And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and his wife and his handmaids, and they bore children.

ASV: And Abraham prayed unto God. And God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants. And they bare children.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So Abraham  prayed  unto God:  and God  healed  Abimelech,  and his wife,  and his maidservants;  and they bare  [children]. 

What does Genesis 20:17 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 20:17 mean?

So prayed Abraham to God and healed God - Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants and they could bear children
וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶל־ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּרְפָּ֨א אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־ אֲבִימֶ֧לֶךְ וְאֶת־ אִשְׁתּ֛וֹ וְאַמְהֹתָ֖יו וַיֵּלֵֽדוּ

וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל  So  prayed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
אַבְרָהָ֖ם  Abraham 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיִּרְפָּ֨א  and  healed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָפָא  
Sense: to heal, make healthful.
אֱלֹהִ֜ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֲבִימֶ֧לֶךְ  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
אִשְׁתּ֛וֹ  his  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וְאַמְהֹתָ֖יו  and  his  maidservants 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמָה  
Sense: maid-servant, female slave, maid, handmaid, concubine.
וַיֵּלֵֽדוּ  and  they  could  bear  children 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.