And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

GENESIS 26:10KJV
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Genesis 26:10 (KJV)

What does Genesis 26:10 mean?

Genesis 26:10 shows King Abimelech confronting Isaac after discovering that Isaac had lied about Rebekah being his sister instead of his wife. Abimelech warns Isaac that this deception could have led someone from the people to unknowingly sleep with Rebekah, which would have brought guilt and wrongdoing upon the whole community.

In this verse, Abimelech is speaking directly to Isaac after realizing the truth about Rebekah. The king is upset because Isaac’s lie put everyone at risk of committing a serious offense without knowing it. The concern is not just for personal morality but for the collective guilt ("guiltiness") that could have fallen on the entire group if someone had unknowingly violated Isaac’s marriage.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 26:10

  • חָטָא (ḥāṭā’, “guiltiness”): This word is often used for sin or guilt, especially in a legal or moral sense. Abimelech’s use of it shows he is worried about the community being held responsible for a serious wrongdoing, not just a private mistake.
  • שָׁכַב (shākhav, “lien”): This word means to lie down, often as a euphemism for sexual relations. Abimelech’s concern is very concrete—someone might have had relations with Rebekah, not knowing she was married.
  • עַם (‘am, “people”): The word for “people” here refers to the whole community, showing that Abimelech is thinking about the broader consequences, not just individual actions.

Why Genesis 26:10 matters

  • This verse clears up that the ancient world took marital boundaries seriously, and even foreign kings like Abimelech were concerned about communal guilt, not just personal wrongdoing.
  • Genesis 26:10 highlights the real risks and unintended consequences that can come from deception, especially when it affects more than just the person who lied.
  • The verse connects to a wider pattern in Genesis where both Abraham and Isaac face similar situations with foreign rulers, showing a recurring theme of fear, deception, and the importance of honesty regarding marriage.

Where else these words appear

“guiltiness” Hebrew H817 · used in 41 verses

  • Leviticus 5:6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.
  • Leviticus 14:12 And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
  • Numbers 18:9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.

“Abimelech” Hebrew H40 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
  • Genesis 26:16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
  • Judges 9:34 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.

“lightly” Hebrew H4592 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • 1 Samuel 14:43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
  • Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.