Genesis 12:18

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

16Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and he gave him sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants and female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that 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 myself as a wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go!” 20And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.

Genesis 12:18 word by word

וַיִּקְרָ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ לְאַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֑י לָ֚מָּה לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י כִּ֥י אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ הִֽוא׃Read the interlinear

• Then Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
• calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
• Abramאַבְרָם'abrâm · AbramH87
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• is thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• you have doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• did you not tellנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• me that she was your wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802

Cross-references for Genesis 12:18

• Genesis 3:13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
• Genesis 4:10Then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.
• Genesis 20:9Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.”
• Genesis 26:9Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, she certainly is your wife! So how is it that you said, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘otherwise I might be killed on account of her.’”
• Genesis 31:26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?
• Genesis 44:15Joseph said to them, “What is this thing that you have done? Do you not know that a man who is like me can indeed practice divination?”
• Exodus 32:21Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?”
• Joshua 7:19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”
• 1 Samuel 14:43So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I did indeed taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!”
• Proverbs 21:1The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He pleases.

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

• Abraham
• Chiding
• Conscience
• Cowardice
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• Falsehood
• Integrity
• Pharaoh
• Rulers
• Sarah
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Abram
• Pharaoh
• Abraham, Abram
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Abraham
• Appear
• Fair
• Grievous
• Journey
• Noah

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