English Standard Version
Genesis 12:17
17But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
Context of Genesis 12:17
15And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18So Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this 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 for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go."
Read all of Genesis 12Genesis 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 closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
- 1 Chronicles 16:21he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
- 1 Chronicles 21:22And David said to Ornan, "Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the Lord—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people."
- Job 34:19who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?
- Psalms 105:14he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
- Hebrews 13:4Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, 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
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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