Genesis 12:17

Genesis 12:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.
• New International Version (NIV)But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

Context of Genesis 12:17

15Pharaoh’s princes (officials) also saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken [for the purpose of marriage] into Pharaoh’s house (harem). 16Therefore Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake; he acquired sheep, oxen, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. But the Lord punished Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her and go!”

Genesis 12:17 word by word

וַיְנַגַּ֨ע יְהוָ֧ה׀ אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה נְגָעִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים וְאֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר שָׂרַ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת אַבְרָֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• plaguedנָגַעnâga‛ · to touchH5060
• Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• and his houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• with greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• plaguesנֶ֫גַעnega‛ · plagueH5061
• because ofדָּבָרdâbâr · word: becauseH1697
• Saraiשָׂרַיώâray · SaraiH8297
• Abram’sאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802

Cross-references for Genesis 12:17

• Genesis 20:18for the Lord had securely closed the wombs of all [the women] in Abimelech’s household because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
• 1 Chronicles 16:21He allowed no man to oppress or exploit them, And, He reproved and punished kings for their sakes, saying,
• 1 Chronicles 21:22Then David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of this threshing floor, so that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall charge me the full price for it, so that the plague may be averted from the people.”
• Job 34:19Who is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands.
• Psalms 105:14He allowed no man to oppress them; He rebuked kings for their sakes, saying,
• Hebrews 13:4Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Commentaries on Genesis 12:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17The Lord plagued Pharaoh - What these plagues were we know not. In the parallel case, Genesis 20:18, all the females in the family of Abimelech, who had taken Sarah in nearly the same way, were made barren; possibly this might have been the case here; yet much more seems to be signified by the expression great plagues. Whatever these plagues were, it is evident they were understood by Pharaoh as proofs of the disapprobation of God; and, consequently, even…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 - XXXVIII. Abram in Egypt 15. פרעה par‛oh Paroh, “ouro.” Coptic for “king,” with the masculine article pi. or p. P-ouro, “the king.” If we separate the article p. from the Hebrew form, we have רעה re‛oh for king, which may be compared with רעה ro‛eh “pastor, leader,” and the Latin rex, king. This is the common title of the Egyptian sovereigns, to which we have the personal name occasionally added, as Pharaoh-Necho, Pharaoh-Hophrah. Genesis…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 There is no state on earth free from trials, nor any character free from blemishes. There was famine in Canaan, the glory of all lands, and unbelief, with the evils it ever brings, in Abram the father of the faithful. Perfect happiness and perfect purity dwell only in heaven. Abram, when he must for a time quit Canaan, goes to Egypt, that he might not seem to look back, and meaning to tarry there no longer than needful. There Abram dissembled…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-19God intervened to rescue Sarai and to preserve her marriage to Abram so that the covenant promise could be fulfilled. When Sarai was returned to Abram, Pharaoh rebuked him because of what had happened (12:18–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-201. Now the Lord had said unto Abram--It pleased God, who has often been found of them who sought Him not, to reveal Himself to Abraham perhaps by a miracle; and the conversion of Abraham is one of the most remarkable in Bible history. Get thee out of thy country--His being brought to the knowledge and worship of the true God had probably been a considerable time before. This call included two promises: the first, showing the land of his future posterity…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 12:17

• Abraham
• Cowardice
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• Falsehood
• Ignorance
• Pharaoh
• Rulers
• Sarah

In the dictionaries

• Pharaoh
• Sarai
• Sarah; Sarai
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Abraham
• Appear
• Fair
• Grievous
• Journey
• Noah

Commentaries on Genesis 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings