Genesis 12:13

Genesis 12:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
• New International Version (NIV)Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”

Context of Genesis 12:13

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. Please 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. 15When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh.

Genesis 12:13 word by word

אִמְרִי־נָ֖א אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יִֽיטַב־לִ֣י בַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ וְחָיְתָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

• Pleaseנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• you areאַתְּ'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(f.s.)H859
• my sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• so thatמַ֫עַןma‛an · becauseH4616
• I will be treated wellיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• for your sakeעָבוּר‛âbûr ‛âbûr · for the sake ofH5668
• and on account of youגָּלָלgâlâl · because ofH1558
• my lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• will be sparedחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421

Cross-references for Genesis 12:13

• John 8:44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
• Romans 3:6Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?
• Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Colossians 3:6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
• Genesis 11:29And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah.
• Genesis 20:2Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
• 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.”
• Isaiah 57:11Whom have you dreaded and feared, so that you lied and failed to remember Me or take this to heart? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear Me?
• Matthew 26:69Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.
• Galatians 2:12For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.
• Psalms 146:3Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
• Jeremiah 17:5This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
• Ezekiel 18:4Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

Commentaries on Genesis 12:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister - Abram did not wish his wife to tell a falsehood, but he wished her to suppress a part of the truth. From Genesis 20:12, it is evident she was his step-sister, i.e., his sister by his father, but by a different mother. Some suppose Sarai was the daughter of Haran, and consequently the grand-daughter of Terah: this opinion seems to be founded on Genesis 11:29, where Iscah is thought to be the same with Sarai, but the…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. 13Please say you are my sister: This request appears three times in Genesis (see also 20:2; 26:7). The text explains that this was Abram’s usual strategy (20:13), and his son Isaac did the same thing. The first time this happened was outside the land, and the second time within it (chapter 20). This shows that God protected his promise in both regions.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 12:13

• Abraham
• Cowardice
• Deception
• Doubting
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• Falsehood
• Ignorance
• Marriage
• Sarah
• Temptation

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