The Meaning of Genesis 20:5 Explained

Genesis 20:5

KJV: Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

YLT: hath not he himself said to me, She is my sister! and she, even she herself, said, He is my brother; in the integrity of my heart, and in the innocency of my hands, I have done this.'

Darby: Did he not say to me, She is my sister? and she, even she said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and in the innocency of my hands have I done this.

ASV: Said he not himself unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother. In the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Said  he not unto me, She  [is] my sister?  and she,  even  she  herself said,  He [is] my brother:  in the integrity  of my heart  and innocency  of my hands  have I done  this. 

What does Genesis 20:5 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 20:5 mean?

did not he say to me my sister she [is] and she even herself said my brother He [is] in the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands have I done this
הֲלֹ֨א ה֤וּא אָֽמַר־ לִי֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי ؟ הִ֔וא וְהִֽיא־ גַם־ הִ֥וא אָֽמְרָ֖ה אָחִ֣י ؟ ה֑וּא בְּתָם־ לְבָבִ֛י וּבְנִקְיֹ֥ן כַּפַּ֖י עָשִׂ֥יתִי זֹֽאת

הֲלֹ֨א  did  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָֽמַר־  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִי֙  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֲחֹ֣תִי  my  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
؟ הִ֔וא  she  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וְהִֽיא־  and  she 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
גַם־  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הִ֥וא  herself 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אָֽמְרָ֖ה  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָחִ֣י  my  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
؟ ה֑וּא  He  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
בְּתָם־  in  the  integrity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תֹּם  
Sense: integrity, completeness.
לְבָבִ֛י  of  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וּבְנִקְיֹ֥ן  and  innocence 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נִקָּיׄון 
Sense: innocency.
כַּפַּ֖י  of  my  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
עָשִׂ֥יתִי  have  I  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
זֹֽאת  this 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.