God’s Word Translation
Genesis 12:18
18Then Pharaoh called for Abram. “What have you done to me?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that she’s 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
16Everything went well for Abram because of her, and he was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels. 17However, the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with terrible plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Then Pharaoh called for Abram. “What have you done to me?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that she’s your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister’ and allow me to take her for my wife? Here’s your wife! Take her and go!” 20Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram. They sent Abram away with his wife and everything that 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 3:13Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The snake deceived me, and I ate,” the woman answered.
- Genesis 4:10The Lord asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.
- Genesis 20:9Then Abimelech called for Abraham and asked him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you that you would bring such a serious sin on me and my kingdom? You shouldn’t have done this to me.”
- Genesis 26:9Abimelech called for Isaac and said, “So she’s really your wife! How could you say, ‘She’s my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “I thought I would be killed because of her.”
- Genesis 31:26Then Laban asked Jacob, “What have you done by tricking me? You’ve carried off my daughters like prisoners of war.
- Genesis 44:15Joseph asked them, “What have you done? Don’t you know that a man like me can find things out because he knows the future?”
- Exodus 32:21Moses asked Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you encouraged them to commit such a serious sin?”
- Joshua 7:19Joshua said to Achan, “Son, give honor and praise to the Lord God of Israel! Tell me what you have done. Don’t hide anything from me.”
- 1 Samuel 14:43“Tell me,” Saul asked Jonathan. “What did you do?” So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey on the tip of the staff I had in my hand. And for that I am to die?”
- Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is like streams of water. Both are under the Lord’s control. He turns them in any direction 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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