Genesis 12:14

14 When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw how very 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'll say, 'This is his wife!' Then they'll kill me but let you live.
13 Please say that you're my sister. Then everything will be alright for me, and because of you I will live."
14 When Abram arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians saw how very beautiful his wife was.
15 When Pharaoh's officials saw her, they raved about her to Pharaoh, so Sarai was taken to Pharaoh's palace.
16 Everything went well for Abram because of her, and he was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.