Genesis 12:10

Genesis 12:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
• New International Version (NIV)Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

Context of Genesis 12:10

8Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9Then Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a time, because the famine was severe in the land. 11It came about, when he was approaching Egypt, that he said to his wife Sarai, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Genesis 12:10 word by word

וַיְהִ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַבְרָ֤ם מִצְרַ֙יְמָה֙ לָג֣וּר שָׁ֔ם כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד הָרָעָ֖ב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear

• a famineרָעָבrâ‛âb · famineH7458
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• so Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• wentיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• to Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• to liveגּוּרgûr · to sojournH1481
• thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• becauseכִּיkîy · forH3588
• severeכָּבֵדkâbêd · heavyH3515

Cross-references for Genesis 12:10

• Genesis 26:1Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines.
• Genesis 42:5So the sons of Israel came to buy grain among those who were coming, because the famine was also in the land of Canaan.
• Genesis 43:1Now the famine was severe in the land.
• Genesis 47:13Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.
• Ruth 1:1Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
• 2 Samuel 21:1Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the Lord. And the Lord said, “It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
• 1 Kings 17:1Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall certainly be neither dew nor rain during these years, except by my word.”
• 2 Kings 4:38When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. As the sons of the prophets were sitting in front of him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.”
• 2 Kings 6:25So there was a severe famine in Samaria; and behold, they kept besieging it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver.
• 2 Kings 7:1Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; this is what the Lord says: ‘About this time tomorrow a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’”
• Psalms 34:19The afflictions of the righteous are many, But the Lord rescues him from them all.
• Psalms 107:34And a fruitful land into a salt waste, Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
• Jeremiah 14:1That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah regarding the drought:
• John 16:33These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
• Acts 7:11“Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food.
• Acts 14:22strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Commentaries on Genesis 12:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10There was a famine in the land - Of Canaan. This is the first famine on record, and it prevailed in the most fertile land then under the sun; and why? God made it desolate for the wickedness of those who dwelt in it. Went down into Egypt - He felt himself a stranger and a pilgrim, and by his unsettled state was kept in mind of the city that hath foundations that are permanent and stable, whose builder is the living God. See Hebrews 11:8, Hebrews 11:9.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. 10The Nile River supplied plenty of water for crops, so Egypt was usually the last area to experience famine.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. there was a famine ... and Abram went down into Egypt--He did not go back to the place of his nativity, as regretting his pilgrimage and despising the promised land (He 11:15), but withdrew for a while into a neighboring country.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 12:10

• Abraham
• Canaan
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• Famine
• Sarah

In the dictionaries

• Abram
• Egypt
• Abraham, Abram
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Abraham
• Appear
• Dearth
• Fair
• Grievous
• Journey

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