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.
Parallel translations
- 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:
- BSB As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman,
- 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.
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 26:7The men of the place asked him about his wife. He said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “My wife”, lest, he thought, “the men of the place might kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to look at.”
- Gen 12:14When Abram had come into Egypt, Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
- Gen 29:17Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.
- Prov 21:30There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh.
- Song 1:14My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.
- 2 Sam 11:2At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.
- Gen 39:6–7He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. 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.