Genesis 20:3
And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and he said to him: Lo thou shalt die for the woman thou hast taken: for she hath a husband.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Venit autem Deus ad Abimelech per somnium nocte, et ait illi : En morieris propter mulierem quam tulisti : habet enim virum.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Ἀβιμέλεχ ἐν ὕπνῳ τὴν νύκτα, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἰδοὺ σὺ ἀποθνήσκεις περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἧς ἔλαβες· αὕτη δέ ἐστιν συνῳκηκυῖα ἀνδρί. ⸆
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיָּבֹ֧א אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ בַּחֲל֣וֹם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ הִנְּךָ֥ מֵת֙ עַל הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אֲשֶׁר לָקַ֔חְתָּ וְהִ֖וא בְּעֻ֥לַת בָּֽעַל
Haydock's commentary
Abimelech. This was an usual title of kings in Chanaan, and a very good one, to remind them and their subjects, of their obligations, (Haydock) as it means "my father the king." The behaviour of the prince shews, that as yet all sense of duty and knowledge of the true God was not banished from the country. (Calmet)
Shalt die, unless thou restore the woman, whom thou hast taken by force; on whose account I have already afflicted thee, (Ver. 7, 17.) and thus prevented thee from touching her. This testimony was more requisite, that there might be no doubt respecting Isaac's legitimacy. (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CV
8. “What time as they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people” ( ver. 13 ). This is a repetition of what he had said, “from one nation to another.” “He suffered no man to do them harm: but reproved even kings for their sakes” ( ver. 14 ). “Touch not,” He said, “Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm” ( ver. 15 ). He declareth the words of God chiding or reproving kings, that they might not harm the holy fathers, while they were small in number, very few, and they strangers in the land of Canaan. Although these words be not read in the books of that history, yet they are to be understood as either secretly spoken, as God speaketh in the hearts of men by unseen and true visions, or even as announced through an Angel. …