Genesis 12:13

So listen. You have to tell everyone that you are my sister. Then they will be good to me, and they will not kill me.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

12I reckon the men in Egypt will see you, and they will say, ‘That beautiful woman is Abram’s wife. Let’s kill Abram, so that we can have her for ourselves.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.

14And that’s what happened. They got to Egypt, and the people there looked at Sarai, and they saw that she was really beautiful.

Read all of Genesis 12

Cross References

Genesis 20:2While Abraham and Sarah were in Gerar, Abraham told everyone that his wife Sarah was his sister, not his wife. The big boss of Gerar was called Abimelek. He believed Abraham, so he sent somebody to get Sarah so that he could marry her.

Genesis 20:12But anyway, Sarah really is my sister. We have the same father, but different mothers.” You see, in Abraham’s culture, men could marry their half-sisters.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 12:11-14

Abram's Removal into Egypt. ( b. c. 1920.) 10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. 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. 13 Say, I pray thee,… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 12:13