Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you. Dwell where it pleases you.”
- KJV And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
- BSB And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”
- NKJV And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.”
- NASB Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abimelech invites Abraham to settle anywhere in his land. The king offers Abraham freedom and welcome rather than expulsion.
Overview
Abimelech's open invitation contrasts sharply with the rejection Abraham might have expected after such an offense. His gracious treatment of the sojourner reflects God's overruling hand turning a tense situation toward peace. The hospitality shown to Abraham foreshadows the place God grants His people among the nations, even while they live as pilgrims awaiting the promise.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Gen 34:10You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it.”
- Gen 13:9Isn’t the whole land before you? Please separate yourself from me. If you go to the left hand, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right hand, then I will go to the left.”
- Gen 47:6The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 20:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.