Genesis 12:19

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Genesis 12:19 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.
Genesis 12:19 — American Standard Version

Context — Genesis 12

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
19why saidst thou, She is my sister, so that I took her to be my wife? now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Why saidst thou, she is my sister? etc.] He could not imagine what could be the reason of it, what could induce him to give out such a story as this; for he knew not the fears that Abram was possessed with, which led him to it, and which might be in a good measure groundless, or else Pharaoh might have guessed at the reason; or this he said as being willing to be satisfied of the true one; so I might have taken her to me to wife; ignorantly, and without any scruple, supposing her to have been free; and so should have been guilty of taking another man’s wife, and of depriving him of her; which with him were crimes he did not choose to commit, though polygamy was not accounted any by him, for…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“- XXXVIII. Abram in Egypt 15. פרעה par‛oh, Par‘oh, “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 12:10 This first visit of Abram to Mizraim, or Egypt, is occasioned by the famine in the land of promise. This land is watered by periodical rains. A season of drought arrests the progress of vegetation, and brings on a famine. But in Egypt, the…”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification