Genesis 12:12
New International Version
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

New Living Translation
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’

English Standard Version
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Berean Standard Bible
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

King James Bible
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

New King James Version
Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

New American Standard Bible
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

NASB 1995
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’ and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

NASB 1977
and it will come about when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Legacy Standard Bible
and it will be when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Amplified Bible
so when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me [to acquire you], but they will let you live.

Christian Standard Bible
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.

American Standard Version
and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

Contemporary English Version
When the Egyptians see you, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you.

English Revised Version
and it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the Egyptians see you, they'll say, 'This is his wife!' Then they'll kill me but let you live.

Good News Translation
When the Egyptians see you, they will assume that you are my wife, and so they will kill me and let you live.

International Standard Version
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'She is his wife.' Then they'll kill me, but allow you to live.

Majority Standard Bible
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ?This is his wife.? Then they will kill me but will let you live.

NET Bible
When the Egyptians see you they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will keep you alive.

New Heart English Bible
It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' And they will kill me, but they will let you live.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

World English Bible
It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and it has come to pass that the Egyptians see you, and they have said, This [is] his wife; and they have slain me, and you they keep alive:

Young's Literal Translation
and it hath come to pass that the Egyptians see thee, and they have said, 'This is his wife,' and they have slain me, and thee they keep alive:

Smith's Literal Translation
And it shall be when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, and thee they will permit to live.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they will say: She is his wife: and they will kill me, and keep thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife.’ And they will put me to death, and retain you.

New American Bible
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife’; then they will kill me, but let you live.

New Revised Standard Version
and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will spare you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And when the Egyptians will see you they will say, ‘This is his wife’; they will murder me and save you.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife; and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife, and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Abram and Sarai in Egypt
11As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”…

Cross References
Genesis 20:11
Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’

Genesis 26:7
But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”

Exodus 1:16-17
“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.” / The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

Exodus 2:14
But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”

1 Samuel 27:1
David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

1 Kings 19:3
And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

Nehemiah 6:11
But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!”

Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. / In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Psalm 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.

Isaiah 51:12-13
“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass? / But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?

Jeremiah 38:19
But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

Matthew 10:28
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 26:69-75
Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said. / But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.” / When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ...

Mark 14:66-72
While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came down / and saw him warming himself there. She looked at Peter and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” / But he denied it. “I do not know or even understand what you are talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, and the rooster crowed. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see you, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save you alive.

will kill.

Genesis 20:11
And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

Genesis 26:7
And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.

1 Samuel 27:1
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

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Genesis 12
1. God calls Abram, and blesses him with a promise of Christ.
4. He departs with Lot from Haran, and comes to Canaan.
6. He journeys through Canaan,
7. which is promised to him in a vision.
10. He is driven by famine into Egypt.
11. Fear makes him feign his wife to be his sister.
14. Pharaoh, having taken her from him, is compelled to restore her.
18. Pharaoh reproves Abram, whom he dismisses.














and when the Egyptians see you
In the context of Genesis 12, Abram and Sarai are journeying to Egypt due to a severe famine in Canaan. Egypt, known for its fertile Nile Delta, was a common refuge during famines. The Egyptians, as a powerful and advanced civilization, were known for their distinct social and cultural practices. Abram anticipates the reaction of the Egyptians upon seeing Sarai, who is described as beautiful. This reflects the historical context where beauty could lead to political and social complications.

they will say, ‘This is his wife.’
Abram predicts that the Egyptians will recognize Sarai as his wife. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, marriage was a significant social institution, and a wife was often seen as a valuable asset. The recognition of Sarai as Abram's wife implies a potential threat to Abram, as her beauty could attract the attention of powerful men, possibly leading to conflict or harm.

Then they will kill me
Abram fears for his life, believing that the Egyptians might kill him to take Sarai. This reflects the harsh realities of ancient societies where power struggles and the desire for beautiful women could lead to violence. Abram's fear also highlights his lack of trust in God's protection at this moment, despite God's earlier promises to bless him and make him a great nation.

but will let you live.
Abram assumes that Sarai will be spared because of her beauty and potential value to the Egyptians. This assumption underscores the vulnerability of women in ancient times, who could be seen as commodities in political and social transactions. It also sets the stage for God's intervention, as seen later in the narrative, where God protects Sarai and Abram despite their deception. This situation foreshadows the recurring biblical theme of God's faithfulness and protection over His chosen people, even when they falter.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Abram (Abraham)
The central figure in this passage, Abram is later renamed Abraham by God. He is a man of faith, called by God to leave his homeland and journey to a land that God would show him. In this verse, Abram is expressing fear for his life as he anticipates entering Egypt.

2. Sarai (Sarah)
Abram's wife, who is noted for her beauty. Abram fears that because of her beauty, the Egyptians will kill him to take her.

3. Egypt
A significant location in the Bible, often representing a place of refuge but also of potential danger and temptation. In this context, Egypt is where Abram and Sarai go due to a famine in Canaan.

4. The Egyptians
The people of Egypt, who Abram fears will kill him to take Sarai.

5. Famine
The event that drives Abram and Sarai to Egypt, setting the stage for the unfolding of Abram's fear and subsequent actions.
Teaching Points
Fear and Faith
Abram's fear leads him to act deceptively, highlighting the struggle between fear and faith. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's protection rather than resorting to deceit.

Consequences of Deception
Abram's actions have consequences, both immediate and long-term. This serves as a reminder that deceit can lead to complications and challenges in our lives.

God's Sovereignty
Despite Abram's fear and deception, God's plan continues to unfold. This reassures believers that God's purposes prevail even when human actions fall short.

Family Patterns
The repetition of similar actions by Abram's descendants suggests the importance of breaking negative family patterns through faith and obedience.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and
וְהָיָ֗ה (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

when
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the Egyptians
הַמִּצְרִ֔ים (ham·miṣ·rîm)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 4713: Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egypt

see you,
יִרְא֤וּ (yir·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

they will say,
וְאָמְר֖וּ (wə·’ā·mə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘This
זֹ֑את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

is his wife.’
אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ (’iš·tōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

Then they will kill
וְהָרְג֥וּ (wə·hā·rə·ḡū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

me
אֹתִ֖י (’ō·ṯî)
Direct object marker | first person common singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

but
וְאֹתָ֥ךְ (wə·’ō·ṯāḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker | second person feminine singular
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

will allow you to live.
יְחַיּֽוּ׃ (yə·ḥay·yū)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive


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OT Law: Genesis 12:12 It will happen when the Egyptians will (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 12:11
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