Genesis 12

Genesis · Chapter 12

Genesis 12:19

1Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.6And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.7And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.8And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.9And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.10And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.11And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:12Therefore 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.13Say, 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.14And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.15The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.16And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.17And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.18And 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?19Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.20And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
19Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”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.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
to why?לָמָ֤הla-MAHH4100
what

מָא (ma) 1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

did you sayאָמַ֙רְתָּ֙'a-MAR-taH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

[is] sister myאֲחֹ֣תִי'a-CHO-tiH0269
sister

אָחוֹת (a.chot) 1) sister 1a) sister (same parents) 1b) half-sister (same father) 1c) relative 1c1) (metaph) of Israel's and Judah's relationship 1d) beloved 1d1) bride 1e) (fig.) of intimate connection 1f) another

sheהִ֔ואhi'H1931
he/she/it

הוּא (hu) pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)

and I tookוָאֶקַּ֥חva-'e-KACHH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

to a wifeלְאִשָּׁ֑הle-'i-SHAHH0802H
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

and nowוְעַתָּ֕הve-'a-TAHH6258
now

עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) 1) now 1a) now 1b) in phrases

here!הִנֵּ֥הhi-NEHH2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

wife yourאִשְׁתְּךָ֖'ish-te-KHAH0802H
woman

אִשָּׁה (ish.shah) : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)

take [her]קַ֥חkachH3947G
to take: take

לָקַח (la.qach) : take 1) to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to take, take in the hand 1a2) to take and carry along 1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away 1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of, select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept 1a5) to take up or upon, put upon 1a6) to fetch 1a7) to take, lead, conduct 1a8) to take, capture, seize 1a9) to take, carry off 1a10) to take (vengeance) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be captured 1b2) to be taken away, be removed …

and goוָלֵֽךְ׃va-LEKHH1980G
to go: went

הָלַךְ (ha.lakh) : went/go[away] 1) to go, walk, come 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, walk, come, depart, proceed, move, go away 1a2) to die, live, manner of life (fig.) 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to walk 1b2) to walk (fig.) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to traverse 1c2) to walk about 1d) (Niphal) to lead, bring, lead away, carry, cause to walk

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.