Genesis 12:13
11 And 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:
12 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.
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.
14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Please 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.”
- 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.
- WEB
- Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
- ASV
- Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.
- DARBY
- Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me on thy account, and my soul may live because of thee.
- BLB
- Say, please, you [are] my sister, so that it may go well with me for your sake, and my soul may live because of you.”
- ÅB
- Kjære, si at du er min søster, så det kan gå meg vel, og mitt liv kan bli spart for din skyld!
- OTB
- Si derfor at du er min søster, så det går meg godt for din skyld, og jeg får leve på grunn av deg.»
- B1930
- Kjære, si at du er min søster, så det kan gå mig vel, og mitt liv kan bli spart for din skyld!
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
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.
Read in contextGenesis 20:12–13
And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
Read in contextGenesis 20:2
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
Read in contextGenesis 20:5
Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
Read in contextEzekiel 18:4
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Read in contextJeremiah 17:5–8
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
Read in contextIsaiah 57:11
And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
Read in contextJohn 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Read in context