Genesis 12:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

NIV: Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

NASB: And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.

CSB: Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.

NLT: Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.

KJV: And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

NKJV: So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.

After grilling Abram over why he had not told Pharaoh that Sarai was his wife, Pharaoh sends Abram away with Sarai and all the goods Pharaoh has already given to him. In the end, Abram comes out ahead despite his fearfulness, foolishness, deceptiveness, and silence. This is not an unintentional aspect of the story of Genesis—God's use of flawed people, whom He blesses despite their sin, is a crucial point in understanding our relationship to the Lord.

It is becoming clear that God's promise to Abram is completely one-sided. No matter what Abram does, God will keep His promise to bless Abram, to protect him, and to make him and his offspring into a great nation. Abram won't earn it; God will give it. Over time, Abram will learn to trust God. His obedience with his son, Isaac, after being renamed Abraham (Genesis 22), will become a key example of godly faith in the face of doubt and danger (Hebrews 11:17–19).

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 5/5/2024 8:44:25 AM