Genesis 12:12

Genesis 12:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
• New International Version (NIV)When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Context of Genesis 12:12

10Now 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, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.” 14So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

Genesis 12:12 word by word

וְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי־יִרְא֤וּ אֹתָךְ֙ הַמִּצְרִ֔ים וְאָמְר֖וּ אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ זֹ֑את וְהָרְג֥וּ אֹתִ֖י וְאֹתָ֥ךְ יְחַיּֽוּ׃Read the interlinear

• andהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• whenכִּיkîy · forH3588
• the Egyptiansמִצְרִיmitsrîy · EgyptianH4713
• see youרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• they will sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Thisזֹאתzô'th · thisH2063
• is his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• Then they will killהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• will let you liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421

Cross-references for Genesis 12:12

• Genesis 20:11Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’
• Genesis 26:7But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
• 1 Samuel 27:1David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
• Proverbs 29:25The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.
• Matthew 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
• 1 John 1:8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Commentaries on Genesis 12:12

• 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. 10-13Abram's scheme came from fear, putting his family and God's promises at risk. He lacked faith when he went to Egypt. He stopped building altars, and deception became the main pattern of his behavior. Deception would trouble his family throughout Genesis (26:1–11; 27:1–29; 29:15–30; 30:34–36; 31:6–11; 37:18–35; 39:7–20). Abram's plan probably followed a custom where a brother arranged his sister's marriage (compare 24:29–61). Abram may have thought that…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. Sarai's complexion, coming from a mountainous country, would be fresh and fair compared with the faces of Egyptian women which were sallow. The counsel of Abram to her was true in words, but it was a deception, intended to give an impression that she was no more than his sister. His conduct was culpable and inconsistent with his character as a servant of God: it showed a reliance on worldly policy more than a trust in the promise; and he not only…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 12:12

• Abraham
• Cowardice
• Doubting
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• Falsehood
• Ignorance
• Sarah

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Appear
• Fair
• Grievous
• Journey
• Lie
• Noah
• Pharaoh
• Sojourn
• Tell

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