Why did Pharaoh ask, "Why did you say, 'She is my sister'?" Setting the Scene • Genesis 12:10-20 describes Abram and Sarai leaving Canaan for Egypt because of famine. • Abram anticipates trouble: “When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live” (Genesis 12:12). • To protect himself, Abram instructs Sarai to say she is his sister (Genesis 12:13). • Pharaoh’s officials praise Sarai’s beauty; she is taken into Pharaoh’s house, and Abram receives livestock and servants in return (Genesis 12:15-16). Abram’s Half-Truth • Sarai is indeed Abram’s half-sister (Genesis 20:12), yet presenting only that part of the relationship hides the full truth and creates deception. • Fear, not faith, drives the decision, contrasting with God’s promise: “I will bless you… and you will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). • Proverbs 29:25 warns, “The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high”. Abram illustrates how fear can lead to compromise. Pharaoh’s Awakening • “The LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai” (Genesis 12:17). • When calamity falls, Pharaoh pieces together the cause—either through investigation or divine revelation. • Confronting Abram, he asks: “Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife?” (Genesis 12:19). • The question exposes Abram’s concealment and underscores the moral gravity of misleading another into sin (compare Luke 17:1-2). Why Pharaoh Asked • Moral indignation: Even a pagan ruler recognizes deceit and the potential violation of marriage. • Self-preservation: Pharaoh’s plagues signal divine displeasure; he wants to halt the judgment. • Accountability: By confronting Abram, Pharaoh publicly assigns responsibility and restores order, returning Sarai and expelling Abram (Genesis 12:19-20). Consequences and Lessons • God protects His covenant plan despite human failure; Sarai’s purity is preserved, safeguarding the promised lineage (Genesis 17:19). • Abram’s testimony suffers. Pharaoh rebukes the man of God, a reversal of the blessing mandate (“all peoples on earth will be blessed through you,” Genesis 12:3). • Similar episodes with Abimelech (Genesis 20) and Isaac in Gerar (Genesis 26:7-11) show repeated temptations to rely on human schemes instead of God’s safeguarding. • The account calls believers to honest trust: “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it” (Psalm 37:5). Pharaoh’s question exposes the clash between fear-driven deception and God-honoring integrity, reminding every reader that faithfulness protects both witness and wellbeing. |
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