The Meaning of Genesis 20:13 Explained

Genesis 20:13

KJV: And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

YLT: and it cometh to pass, when God hath caused me to wander from my father's house, that I say to her, This is thy kindness which thou dost with me: at every place whither we come, say of me, He is my brother.'

Darby: And it came to pass when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, Let this be thy kindness which thou shalt shew to me: at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

ASV: and it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me. At every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass, when God  caused me to wander  from my father's  house,  that I said  unto her, This [is] thy kindness  which thou shalt shew  unto me; at every place  whither we shall come,  say  of me, He [is] my brother. 

What does Genesis 20:13 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 20:13 mean?

And it came to pass when caused to wander me God from the house of my father that I said to her this [is] your kindness that you should do for me in every place wherever we go there say of me my brother [is] he
וַיְהִ֞י כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר הִתְע֣וּ אֹתִ֗י אֱלֹהִים֮ מִבֵּ֣ית אָבִי֒ וָאֹמַ֣ר לָ֔הּ זֶ֣ה חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשִׂ֖י : עִמָּדִ֑י אֶ֤ל כָּל־ הַמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָב֣וֹא שָׁ֔מָּה אִמְרִי־ לִ֖י אָחִ֥י הֽוּא

וַיְהִ֞י  And  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הִתְע֣וּ  caused  to  wander 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: תָּעָה  
Sense: to err, wander, go astray, stagger.
אֹתִ֗י  me 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלֹהִים֮  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מִבֵּ֣ית  from  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אָבִי֒  of  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וָאֹמַ֣ר  that  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֔הּ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
זֶ֣ה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ  your  kindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תַּעֲשִׂ֖י  you  should  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
: עִמָּדִ֑י  for  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עִמָּד  
Sense: with.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַמָּקוֹם֙  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  wherever 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נָב֣וֹא  we  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אִמְרִי־  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִ֖י  of  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אָחִ֥י  my  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
הֽוּא  [is]  he 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.