Genesis 12:14

14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful his wife was.

Genesis 12:14 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 12:14

And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt,
&c.] To the city of Heliopolis; for there it was that Abram had his abode, as Eupolemus F18 says, when upon the famine he went into Egypt, and where he conversed with the Egyptian priests, and taught them astrology, and other things belonging to it; and of this descent of Abram into Egypt, and teaching astrology, Artapanus F19, another Heathen writer, speaks; Abram, he says, having learned the science of astrology, went first into Phoenicia and taught it the Phoenicians, and afterwards went into Egypt, and taught it there.

[The] Egyptians beheld the woman, that she was very fair;
Abram knew that Sarai was a fair woman; but in the eyes of the Egyptians she was very fair, exceeding fair, they not being used to see very beautiful women.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 Apud Euseb. ut supra. (Praepar. Evangel. c. 17. p. 418, 419.)
F19 Apud ib. c. 18. p. 420.

Genesis 12:14 In-Context

12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife,' and they will kill me but let you live.
13 So tell them you are my sister so that they will treat me well for your sake, and I will survive because of you."
14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful his wife was.
15 When Pharaoh's princes saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's household.
16 Things went well for Abram because of her: he acquired flocks, cattle, male donkeys, men servants, women servants, female donkeys, and camels.
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