12 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: 13 say, I pray thee, thou 'art' my sister, so that it is well with me because of thee, and my soul hath lived for thy sake.'
14 And it cometh to pass, at the entering of Abram into Egypt, that the Egyptians see the woman that she 'is' exceeding fair; 15 and princes of Pharaoh see her, and praise her unto Pharaoh, and the woman is taken 'to' Pharaoh's house; 16 and to Abram he hath done good because of her, and he hath sheep and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and handmaids, and she-asses, and camels. 17 And Jehovah plagueth Pharaoh and his house—great plagues—for the matter of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 And Pharaoh calleth for Abram, and saith, 'What 'is' this thou hast done to me? why hast thou not declared to me that she 'is' thy wife? 19 Why hast thou said, She 'is' my sister, and I take her to myself for a wife? and now, lo, thy wife, take and go.' 20 And Pharaoh chargeth men concerning him, and they send him away, and his wife, an all that he hath.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 12:12-20
Commentary on Genesis 12:10-20
(Read Genesis 12:10-20)
There is no state on earth free from trials, nor any character free from blemishes. There was famine in Canaan, the glory of all lands, and unbelief, with the evils it ever brings, in Abram the father of the faithful. Perfect happiness and perfect purity dwell only in heaven. Abram, when he must for a time quit Canaan, goes to Egypt, that he might not seem to look back, and meaning to tarry there no longer than needful. There Abram dissembled his relation to Sarai, equivocated, and taught his wife and his attendants to do so too. He concealed a truth, so as in effect to deny it, and exposed thereby both his wife and the Egyptians to sin. The grace Abram was most noted for, was faith; yet he thus fell through unbelief and distrust of the Divine providence, even after God had appeared to him twice. Alas, what will become of weak faith, when strong faith is thus shaken! If God did not deliver us, many a time, out of straits and distresses which we bring ourselves into, by our own sin and folly, we should be ruined. He deals not with us according to our deserts. Those are happy chastisements that hinder us in a sinful way, and bring us to our duty, particularly to the duty of restoring what we have wrongfully taken or kept. Pharaoh's reproof of Abram was very just: What is this that thou hast done? How unbecoming a wise and good man! If those who profess religion, do that which is unfair and deceptive, especially if they say that which borders upon a lie, they must expect to hear of it; and they have reason to thank those who will tell them of it. The sending away was kind. Pharaoh was so far from any design to kill Abram, as he feared, that he took particular care of him. We often perplex ourselves with fears which are altogether groundless. Many a time we fear where no fear is. Pharaoh charged his men not to hurt Abram in any thing. It is not enough for those in authority, that they do not hurt themselves; they must keep their servants and those about them from doing hurt.