Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 12:18
18So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
Genesis 12:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
- New International Version (NIV)So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
- English Standard Version (ESV)So Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
Context of Genesis 12:18
16He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels. 17But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife, Sarai. So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.
Read all of Genesis 12Genesis 12:18 word by word
וַיִּקְרָ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ לְאַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֑י לָ֚מָּה לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י כִּ֥י אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ הִֽוא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Genesis 12:18
- Genesis 3:13So the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
- Genesis 4:10Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!
- Genesis 20:9Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.”
- Genesis 26:9Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
- Genesis 31:26Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war!
- Genesis 44:15“What have you done?” Joseph said to them. “Didn’t you know that a man like me could uncover the truth by divination?”
- Exodus 32:21Then Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you have led them into such a grave sin?”
- Joshua 7:19So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and make a confession to him. I urge you, tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”
- 1 Samuel 14:43Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die!”
- Proverbs 21:1A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses.
Commentaries on Genesis 12:18
- 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. 18-2018-20. Here is a most humiliating rebuke, and Abram deserved it. Had not God interfered, he might have been tempted to stay in Egypt and forget the promise (Psa 105:13, 15). Often still does God rebuke His people and remind them through enemies that this world is not their rest.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 12:18
In the dictionaries
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
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