Genesis 12:10

Genesis 12:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
• New International Version (NIV)Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

Context of Genesis 12:10

8From there Abram moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built an altar to the LORD, and he called on the name of the LORD. 9And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. 11As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

Genesis 12:10 word by word

וַיְהִ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַבְרָ֤ם מִצְרַ֙יְמָה֙ לָג֣וּר שָׁ֔ם כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד הָרָעָ֖ב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

• Now there wasהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• a famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• So Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• went downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• to Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• to live thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• for a whileגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• was severeכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515

Cross-references for Genesis 12:10

• Genesis 26:1Now there was another famine in the land, subsequent to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines at Gerar.
• Genesis 42:5So the sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, since the famine had also spread to the land of Canaan.
• Genesis 43:1Now the famine was still severe in the land.
• Genesis 47:13There was no food, however, in all that region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan had been exhausted by the famine.
• Ruth 1:1In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man from Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the land of Moab.
• 2 Samuel 21:1During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
• 1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”
• 2 Kings 4:38When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting at his feet, he said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and boil some stew for the sons of the prophets.”
• 2 Kings 6:25So there was a great famine in Samaria. Indeed, they besieged the city so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver.
• 2 Kings 7:1Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD! This is what the LORD says: ‘About this time tomorrow at the gate of Samaria, a seah of fine flour will sell for a shekel, and two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel.’”
• Psalms 34:19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
• Psalms 107:34and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.
• Jeremiah 14:1This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:
• John 16:33I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
• Acts 7:11Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food.
• Acts 14:22strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

Commentaries on Genesis 12:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10There was a famine in the land - Of Canaan. This is the first famine on record, and it prevailed in the most fertile land then under the sun; and why? God made it desolate for the wickedness of those who dwelt in it. Went down into Egypt - He felt himself a stranger and a pilgrim, and by his unsettled state was kept in mind of the city that hath foundations that are permanent and stable, whose builder is the living God. See Hebrews 11:8, Hebrews 11:9.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. 10The Nile River supplied plenty of water for crops, so Egypt was usually the last area to experience famine.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. there was a famine ... and Abram went down into Egypt--He did not go back to the place of his nativity, as regretting his pilgrimage and despising the promised land (He 11:15), but withdrew for a while into a neighboring country.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 12:10

• Abraham
• Canaan
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• Famine
• Sarah

In the dictionaries

• Abram
• Egypt
• Abraham, Abram
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Abraham
• Appear
• Dearth
• Fair
• Grievous
• Journey

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