Genesis 12:11-20

11 And when he was nigh to enter into Egypt, he said to Sarai, his wife, I know that thou art a fair woman,

12 and that when (the) Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, It is his wife, and they shall slay me, and keep thee (and then they shall kill me, but keep thee alive).

13 Therefore, I beseech thee, say that thou art my sister, that it be well to me for thee, and that my life live for the love of thee. (And so I beseech thee, say that thou art my sister, and then all shall be well with me, because of thee, and I shall remain alive, because thou hast shown thy love for me.)

14 And so when Abram had entered into Egypt, (the) Egyptians saw the woman, (and) that she was full fair;

15 and the princes told (about her) to Pharaoh, and praised her with him; and (so) the woman was taken up into the house of Pharaoh.

16 Forsooth they used well Abram for her; and sheep, and oxen, and asses, and servants, and servantesses, and she-asses, and camels were (given) to him. (And Pharaoh treated Abram well because of her; and sheep, and oxen, and donkeys, and male and female slaves, and female donkeys, and camels were given to him.)

17 Forsooth the Lord beat Pharaoh and his house with most vengeances for Sarai, the wife of Abram. (But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with great plagues, because of Sarai, the wife of Abram.)

18 And Pharaoh called (for) Abram, and said to him, What is it that thou hast done to me? why showedest thou not to me that she was thy wife?

19 for what cause saidest thou, that she was thy sister, (so) that I should take her into wife to me? Now therefore lo! thy wife; take thou her, and go(!).

20 And Pharaoh commanded to men on Abram, and they led forth him, and his wife, and all things that he had. (And Pharaoh commanded to his men about Abram, and they sent him away with his wife, and all the things that he had been given.)

Genesis 12:11-20 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 12

In this chapter an account is given of the call of Abram to depart from his own country, with a promise of a divine blessing, Ge 12:1-3 of his obedience to it, Ge 12:4,5 of his journey through the land of Canaan, and of the Lord's appearance to him in it, and his promise of it to his seed, and of Abram's building altars in it, and calling on the name of the Lord, Ge 12:6-9 and of a famine there, which occasioned him to go into Egypt, Ge 12:10 where, through fear of being slain, he desired his wife to call herself his sister, Ge 12:11-13 and she being greatly admired by the Egyptians for her beauty, it went well with Abram for her sake, Ge 12:14-16 but the Egyptians were plagued because of her, who, when they understood she was Abram's wife, sent them both away, and all that belonged to them, Ge 12:17-20.