Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. New Living Translation When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ English Standard Version and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Berean Standard Bible and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Berean Literal Bible And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ And they will kill me, and you they will let live. King James Bible 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. New King James Version Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. New American Standard Bible and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. NASB 1995 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’ and they will kill me, but they will let you live. NASB 1977 and it will come about when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Legacy Standard Bible and it will be when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Amplified Bible so when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me [to acquire you], but they will let you live. Berean Annotated Bible and when the Egyptians (double straits) see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Then they will kill me but will let you live. Christian Standard Bible When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. Holman Christian Standard Bible When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. American Standard Version and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Contemporary English Version When the Egyptians see you, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you. English Revised Version and 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation When the Egyptians see you, they'll say, 'This is his wife!' Then they'll kill me but let you live. Good News Translation When the Egyptians see you, they will assume that you are my wife, and so they will kill me and let you live. International Standard Version When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'She is his wife.' Then they'll kill me, but allow you to live. NET Bible When the Egyptians see you they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. New Heart English Bible It will happen, when the Egyptians will see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife.' And they will kill me, but they will let you live. Webster's Bible Translation Therefore it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard Bibleand when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. World English Bible It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand it has come to pass that the Egyptians see you, and they have said, This [is] his wife; and they have slain me, and you they keep alive: Berean Literal Bible And it will come to pass when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ And they will kill me, and you they will let live. Young's Literal Translation and it hath come to pass that the Egyptians see thee, and they have said, 'This is his wife,' and they have slain me, and thee they keep alive: Smith's Literal Translation And it shall be when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, and thee they will permit to live. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they will say: She is his wife: and they will kill me, and keep thee. Catholic Public Domain Version And when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife.’ And they will put me to death, and retain you. New American Bible When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘She is his wife’; then they will kill me, but let you live. New Revised Standard Version and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians see you, they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will spare you. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And when the Egyptians will see you they will say, ‘This is his wife’; they will murder me and save you. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife; and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive. Brenton Septuagint Translation It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife, and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Abram and Sarai in Egypt…11As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, 12and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.”… Cross References and when the Egyptians see you, Esther 2:15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. Esther 2:7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter. Genesis 24:16 Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again. they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ 2 Samuel 11:3 So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Genesis 26:9 Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac replied, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.” Then they will kill me Genesis 20:11 Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’ Genesis 26:7 But 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.” 2 Samuel 11:15 In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.” but will let you live. Genesis 20:7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.” Exodus 1:17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live. Joshua 2:13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will deliver us from death.” Exodus 1:16-17 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.” / The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live. Exodus 2:14 But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.” 1 Samuel 27:1 David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” 1 Kings 19:3 And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, Nehemiah 6:11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!” Treasury of Scripture Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see you, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save you alive. will kill. Genesis 20:11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. Genesis 26:7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon. 1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. Jump to Previous Alive Death Egypt Egyptians Kill Live Save Slain Slay WifeJump to Next Alive Death Egypt Egyptians Kill Live Save Slain Slay WifeGenesis 12 1. God calls Abram, and blesses him with a promise of Christ.4. He departs with Lot from Haran, and comes to Canaan. 6. He journeys through Canaan, 7. which is promised to him in a vision. 10. He is driven by famine into Egypt. 11. Fear makes him feign his wife to be his sister. 14. Pharaoh, having taken her from him, is compelled to restore her. 18. Pharaoh reproves Abram, whom he dismisses. and when the Egyptians see you In the context of Genesis 12, Abram and Sarai are journeying to Egypt due to a severe famine in Canaan. Egypt, known for its fertile Nile Delta, was a common refuge during famines. The Egyptians, as a powerful and advanced civilization, were known for their distinct social and cultural practices. Abram anticipates the reaction of the Egyptians upon seeing Sarai, who is described as beautiful. This reflects the historical context where beauty could lead to political and social complications. they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Persons / Places / Events 1. Abram (Abraham)The central figure in this passage, Abram is later renamed Abraham by God. He is a man of faith, called by God to leave his homeland and journey to a land that God would show him. In this verse, Abram is expressing fear for his life as he anticipates entering Egypt. 2. Sarai (Sarah) Abram's wife, who is noted for her beauty. Abram fears that because of her beauty, the Egyptians will kill him to take her. 3. Egypt A significant location in the Bible, often representing a place of refuge but also of potential danger and temptation. In this context, Egypt is where Abram and Sarai go due to a famine in Canaan. 4. The Egyptians The people of Egypt, who Abram fears will kill him to take Sarai. 5. Famine The event that drives Abram and Sarai to Egypt, setting the stage for the unfolding of Abram's fear and subsequent actions. Teaching Points Fear and FaithAbram's fear leads him to act deceptively, highlighting the struggle between fear and faith. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's protection rather than resorting to deceit. Consequences of Deception Abram's actions have consequences, both immediate and long-term. This serves as a reminder that deceit can lead to complications and challenges in our lives. God's Sovereignty Despite Abram's fear and deception, God's plan continues to unfold. This reassures believers that God's purposes prevail even when human actions fall short. Family Patterns The repetition of similar actions by Abram's descendants suggests the importance of breaking negative family patterns through faith and obedience. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Genesis 12:12?2. How does Genesis 12:12 demonstrate Abram's fear and lack of trust in God? 3. What can we learn about human nature from Abram's actions in Genesis 12:12? 4. How does Genesis 12:12 connect to God's promises in Genesis 12:1-3? 5. In what ways can we apply Abram's experience to our own faith journey? 6. How should we respond when fear tempts us to compromise our integrity? 7. Why did Abram fear for his life in Genesis 12:12? 8. How does Genesis 12:12 reflect human nature and fear? 9. What does Genesis 12:12 reveal about Abram's faith in God? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 12? 11. Why did Abram claim Sarai was his sister? 12. Does the account in Genesis 20 conflict with similar narratives in Genesis 12:10–20 and Genesis 26:1–11, implying a repeated pattern of deception? 13. Genesis 12:11-13: Why would a supposedly divinely guided Abram deceive Pharaoh about his wife, risking moral inconsistency? 14. (Genesis 43:12) How plausible is it that large amounts of silver were secretly returned without raising alarms among Egyptian authorities or the local population? What Does Genesis 12:12 Mean When the Egyptians see you“When the Egyptians see you…” (Genesis 12:12) • Abram and Sarai are nearing Egypt because of famine (Genesis 12:10). He anticipates immediate attention from Egyptians who, like many ancient peoples, quickly assessed travelers. • The statement shows Abram’s consciousness of Sarai’s striking beauty (Genesis 12:14) and the reality that in a pagan nation rulers often seized what they desired (cf. Genesis 20:2; Esther 2:3). • Abram’s foresight here is factual, not speculative; later events confirm that the Egyptians did notice her (Genesis 12:15). They will say, ‘This is his wife.’ “…they will say, ‘This is his wife.’” (Genesis 12:12) • Abram expects officials to discover their marital bond, which would normally protect Sarai but place him in danger. • In lands where kings and pharaohs took women into harems, husbands were expendable (cf. 2 Samuel 11:2–15; Genesis 20:11). • Abram’s concern underscores the fallen tendency of governments to abuse power when God’s moral standards are ignored (Romans 1:21–24). Then they will kill me “…Then they will kill me…” (Genesis 12:12) • Abram calculates that eliminating the husband would be the simplest path for Pharaoh to claim Sarai. • Fear replaces faith here; Abram momentarily loses sight of the Lord’s promise to protect and bless him (Genesis 12:1–3; Isaiah 41:10). • Scripture consistently warns that fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25), yet God’s covenant purposes endure despite human weakness (2 Timothy 2:13). But will let you live “…but will let you live.” (Genesis 12:12) • Sarai’s life would be spared because she would be absorbed into Pharaoh’s household (Genesis 12:15). • The contrast—death for Abram, life for Sarai under pagan control—highlights the peril of a half-truth strategy. Similar scenes repeat with Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:7) and later with Esther, though in each case God preserves His people (Esther 7:3–6). • God’s sovereignty ultimately overrides human schemes; He intervenes through plagues on Pharaoh’s house (Genesis 12:17), ensuring both Abram’s and Sarai’s deliverance and safeguarding the messianic line (Galatians 3:16). summary Genesis 12:12 records Abram’s candid appraisal of what would likely happen in Egypt: officials would notice Sarai’s beauty, identify her as his wife, kill him to remove competition, and spare her for Pharaoh. The verse exposes Abram’s fear-driven plan, yet also sets the stage for God’s faithful intervention. Even when believers falter, the Lord upholds His covenant promises, directs history toward redemption, and turns human weakness into occasions to display His protective grace. Hebrew andוְהָיָ֗ה (wə·hā·yāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be when כִּֽי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction the Egyptians הַמִּצְרִ֔ים (ham·miṣ·rîm) Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural Strong's 4713: Egyptian -- inhabitant of Egypt see you, יִרְא֤וּ (yir·’ū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 7200: To see they will say, וְאָמְר֖וּ (wə·’ā·mə·rū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘This זֹ֑את (zōṯ) Pronoun - feminine singular Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that, is his wife.’ אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ (’iš·tōw) Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female Then they will kill וְהָרְג֥וּ (wə·hā·rə·ḡū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent me אֹתִ֖י (’ō·ṯî) Direct object marker | first person common singular Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case but וְאֹתָ֥ךְ (wə·’ō·ṯāḵ) Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker | second person feminine singular Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case will allow you to live. יְחַיּֽוּ׃ (yə·ḥay·yū) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 2421: To live, to revive Links Genesis 12:12 NIVGenesis 12:12 NLT Genesis 12:12 ESV Genesis 12:12 NASB Genesis 12:12 KJV Genesis 12:12 BibleApps.com Genesis 12:12 Biblia Paralela Genesis 12:12 Chinese Bible Genesis 12:12 French Bible Genesis 12:12 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 12:12 It will happen when the Egyptians will (Gen. 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