Genesis 12:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

NIV: When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.

NASB: Now it came about, when Abram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

CSB: When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

NLT: And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty.

KJV: And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

NKJV: So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.

In the previous verses, Abram expressed his fear that Sarai's great beauty would cause the Egyptians to take her from him. Any question that Abram was overestimating Sarai's beauty is answered in this verse. The Egyptians did indeed notice how attractive Sarai was. This notice, it seems, will be significant enough that even the rulers of Egypt will hear about her magnificent appearance (Genesis 12:15).

Abram's plan for them to lie to the Egyptians by saying Sarai was his sister is about to backfire. He may have hoped that, as her "brother," he would have the right to refuse any marriage proposals. Certainly, Abram was concerned that a husband would be vulnerable to murderous jealousy, while a brother would not. Of course, things will not work out the way Abram expects. Rather than solving a problem, Abram's attempt to out-think God and take matters into his own hands actually causes one of the outcomes he was hoping to avoid!

Genesis 12:10–20 tells a story of Abram's fearfulness and God's faithful intervention to keep His promises. A famine forces Abram's large company to enter the land of Egypt in search of food. Pharaoh's sons quickly notice Sarai's great beauty, and Pharaoh takes her for one of his wives. This occurs because Abram, fearful for his life, has claimed that Sarai is his sister. In spite of Abram's lie and failure to trust Him, God afflicts Pharaoh's household for this dishonor, bringing the truth to light. Pharaoh, angry and fearful, sends Abram, Sarai, and the company back to the land of Canaan.

Genesis 12 contains one of the key moments in the history of the world. God chooses Abram as the first step in building His people Israel. Abram obeys God's call, and heads into the land of Canaan, territory which God promises to Abram's offspring. Quickly, though, Abram fails a test of faith in the land of Egypt while seeking food in a famine. God does not fail, however, to step in to save Abram's family and protect His agenda for Abram's life.

The end of Genesis 11 tells the story of Terah, Abram's father, and the family's journey to a new home in Haran. Genesis 12 shifts the story to Abram and his journey on into the land of Canaan. God promises to make Abram the father of a great nation, and to give Abram's descendants that very land. Abram begins to worship the Lord, but quickly fails a test of his faith in Egypt. God shows Himself faithful in a miraculous way, preparing Abram for what's to come in chapter 13.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/28/2024 6:51:21 AM