Genesis 26:11

11 Then Abimelech instructed all the people, saying, "The [one who] touches this man or his wife shall certainly die."

Genesis 26:11 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 26:11

And Abimelech charged all [his] people
All his subjects throughout his kingdom, and particularly the inhabitants of Gerar, and more especially his courtiers and servants about him: saying, he that toucheth this man or his wife;
that does any injury to one either by words or deeds, or behaves immodestly to the other, or attempts to ravish her; this being sometimes used as a modest expression carnal knowledge of a woman; or that does either of them any harm or hurt in any respect whatever: shall surely be put to death;
this severe edict he published, in order to deter his subjects from using them ill, to which they might be provoked by Isaac's dissimulation, and by his evil suspicions of them.

Genesis 26:11 In-Context

9 And Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Surely she [is] your wife. Now why did you say 'She [is] my sister'?" And Isaac said to him, "Because I thought I would die on account of her."
10 And Abimelech said, "What [is] this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have slept with your wife! Then you would have brought guilt upon us!"
11 Then Abimelech instructed all the people, saying, "The [one who] touches this man or his wife shall certainly die."
12 And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in that [same] year a hundredfold, and Yahweh blessed him.
13 And the man {became wealthier and wealthier} until he was exceedingly wealthy.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.