10 Now there was a famine in the land ; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there , for the famine was severe in the land . 11 It came about when he came e near to Egypt , that he said to Sarai his wife , "See now , I know that you are a beautiful woman ; 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say , 'This is his wife '; and they will kill me, but they will let you live . 13 "Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."
14 It came about when Abram came into Egypt , the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful . 15 Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh ; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house . 16 Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake ; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels . 17 But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because e of Sarai , Abram's wife . 18 Then Pharaoh called Abram and said , " What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife ? 19 "Why did you say , 'She is my sister ,' so that I took her for my wife ? Now then, here is your wife , take her and go ." 20 Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away , with his wife and all that belonged to him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 12:10-20
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.