Discovery BoxGenesis 20:3 
Context20:3 But God appeared 1 to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead 2 because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” 3
Genesis 20:6-7
Context20:6 Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. 4 That is why I have kept you 5 from sinning against me and why 6 I did not allow you to touch her. 20:7 But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed 7 he is a prophet 8 and he will pray for you; thus you will live. 9 But if you don’t give her back, 10 know that you will surely die 11 along with all who belong to you.”
1 tn Heb “came.”
2 tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.
3 tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.
4 tn Heb “with the integrity of your heart.”
5 tn Heb “and I, even I, kept you.”
6 tn Heb “therefore.”
7 tn Or “for,” if the particle is understood as causal (as many English translations do) rather than asseverative.
8 sn For a discussion of the term prophet see N. Walker, “What is a Nabhi?” ZAW 73 (1961): 99-100.
9 tn After the preceding jussive (or imperfect), the imperative with vav conjunctive here indicates result.
sn He will pray for you that you may live. Abraham was known as a man of God whose prayer would be effectual. Ironically and sadly, he was also known as a liar.
10 tn Heb “if there is not you returning.” The suffix on the particle becomes the subject of the negated clause.
11 tn The imperfect is preceded by the infinitive absolute to make the warning emphatic.
