As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
Parallel translations
- WEB When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.
- KJV 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:
- ESV When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance,
- NKJV And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.
- NASB It came about, when he was approaching Egypt, that he said to his wife Sarai, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman;
- NLT As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Nearing Egypt, Abram noted Sarai's beauty with foreboding. Fear begins to overtake his faith.
Overview
Abram anticipates danger because of Sarai's beauty as they approach Egypt. His words reveal a heart gripped by fear for his own safety. This moment exposes the weakness that can coexist with genuine faith, reminding readers that the patriarchs were flawed people sustained by God's grace, not their own perfection.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Gen 26:7But when the men of that place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister.” For he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” since he thought to himself, “The men of this place will kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is so beautiful.”
- Gen 12:14So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
- Gen 29:17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful.
- Prov 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- Song 1:14My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.
- 2 Sam 11:2One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
- Gen 39:6–7So Potiphar left all that he owned in Joseph’s care; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 12:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.