Genesis 12:13

Genesis 12:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
• New International Version (NIV)Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you.”

Context of Genesis 12:13

11As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman. 12When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you.” 14When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife was taken into the household of Pharaoh,

Genesis 12:13 word by word

אִמְרִי־נָ֖א אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יִֽיטַב־לִ֣י בַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ וְחָיְתָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I pray theeנָאnâ' · pleaseH4994
• my sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• thatמַ֫עַןma‛an · becauseH4616
• it may be wellיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
• with me for thy sake; and my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• shall liveחָיָהchâyâh · to liveH2421
• because of theeגָּלָלgâlâl · because ofH1558

Cross-references for Genesis 12:13

• John 8:44You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
• Romans 3:6Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world?
• Romans 6:23For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Colossians 3:6Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
• Genesis 11:29And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah.
• Genesis 20:2Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.
• Genesis 26:7When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he replied, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” for he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me to get Rebekah because she is very beautiful.”
• Isaiah 57:11Whom are you worried about? Whom do you fear, that you would act so deceitfully and not remember me or think about me? Because I have been silent for so long, you are not afraid of me.
• Matthew 26:69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A slave girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”
• Galatians 2:12Until certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this and separated himself because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision.
• Psalms 146:3Do not trust in princes, or in human beings, who cannot deliver!
• Jeremiah 17:5The Lord says, “I will put a curse on people who trust in mere human beings, who depend on mere flesh and blood for their strength, and whose hearts have turned away from the Lord.
• Ezekiel 18:4Indeed! All lives are mine – the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one who sins will die.

Commentaries on Genesis 12:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister - Abram did not wish his wife to tell a falsehood, but he wished her to suppress a part of the truth. From Genesis 20:12, it is evident she was his step-sister, i.e., his sister by his father, but by a different mother. Some suppose Sarai was the daughter of Haran, and consequently the grand-daughter of Terah: this opinion seems to be founded on Genesis 11:29, where Iscah is thought to be the same with Sarai, but the…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. 13Please say you are my sister: This request appears three times in Genesis (see also 20:2; 26:7). The text explains that this was Abram’s usual strategy (20:13), and his son Isaac did the same thing. The first time this happened was outside the land, and the second time within it (chapter 20). This shows that God protected his promise in both regions.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 11-1311-13. Sarai's complexion, coming from a mountainous country, would be fresh and fair compared with the faces of Egyptian women which were sallow. The counsel of Abram to her was true in words, but it was a deception, intended to give an impression that she was no more than his sister. His conduct was culpable and inconsistent with his character as a servant of God: it showed a reliance on worldly policy more than a trust in the promise; and he not only…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 12:13

• Abraham
• Cowardice
• Deception
• Doubting
• Egypt
• Egyptians
• Falsehood
• Ignorance
• Marriage
• Sarah
• Temptation

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Appear
• Fair
• Grievous
• Journey
• Lie
• Noah
• Pharaoh
• Sojourn
• Tell

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