Genesis 12:11

11 When he was about to cross the border into Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "You are a beautiful woman.

Genesis 12:11 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 12:11

And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into
Egypt
Just entering into it, having travelled from the mountain between Bethel and Hai, two hundred and forty miles F16; or when he "caused to come near" F17, either his camp, as Aben Ezra supplies it, or his tent, or his family, as others:

that he said unto Sarai his wife, behold now, I know that thou art
a fair woman to look upon;
though sixty five years of age, being ten years younger than her husband, see ( Genesis 17:17 ) who was now seventy five years old, ( Genesis 12:4 ) yet might still be a fair woman, having a good complexion and comely features, and having never bore children, and especially she would be reckoned so among the Egyptians, whose women were of a blackish, sallow, swarthy complexion.


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Travels of the Holy Patriarchs p. 56.
F17 (byrqh rvak) "quum admoveret, sub tentorium", so some in Vatablus; "familiam", Munster.

Genesis 12:11 In-Context

9 Then he moved on from place to place, going toward the southern part of Canaan.
10 But there was a famine in Canaan, and it was so bad that Abram went farther south to Egypt, to live there for a while.
11 When he was about to cross the border into Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "You are a beautiful woman.
12 When the Egyptians see you, they will assume that you are my wife, and so they will kill me and let you live.
13 Tell them that you are my sister; then because of you they will let me live and treat me well."
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.